safe-netrc
Safe netrc file parser
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you need secure netrc parsing with strict permissions checks and environment-variable path override in a Python 3.7+ application. The package is stable and has no known vulnerabilities, but be aware it is abandoned and will not receive updates. Use it only if the current behavior meets your needs and you do not expect future maintenance.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires Python 3.7 or later.
- The netrc file must have restrictive permissions or the parser will reject it.
- Low friction: pure Python wheel with no runtime dependencies.
License · maintenance · safety
GPL-2.0-or-later (copyleft) — GPL-2.0-or-later is a copyleft license requiring derivative works to be licensed under compatible terms. Any code that imports and modifies this package must be released under GPL-2.0-or-later or a compatible license.
last release 2022-11-29 (1354 days)
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 93,230 downloads/mo, #13,397 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install safe-netrc
from safe_netrc import netrc
auth = netrc()
login, _, password = auth.authenticators('example.com')- Whether the abandoned status affects real-world use cases where netrc handling is stable and rarely needs updates.
- Specific permission requirements the parser enforces on netrc files.
- Whether permissions-check backport from Python 3.1 remains relevant given current Python version support (3.7+).
What it is and what it does
Safe-netrc is a drop-in replacement for Python's standard library netrc parser that adds stricter security and flexibility. It extends the netrc.netrc class to enforce file permissions checks and allows the netrc file path to be specified via the NETRC environment variable instead of always defaulting to ~/.netrc. The package backports permission validation that was added to the standard library in Python 3.1, ensuring consistent security behavior across Python versions.
The package is intended for applications that need to read authentication credentials from netrc files while maintaining strict security posture. It has no external runtime dependencies and installs as a pure Python wheel, making it lightweight and portable. However, the project is no longer actively maintained—the last release was in November 2022.
Use it for
- Secure credential lookup in CLI tools or scripts that need to authenticate with remote services using netrc files.
- Enforcing strict file permissions on credential files to prevent accidental exposure of passwords.
- Allowing deployment scripts to override the default netrc location via NETRC environment variable for non-standard configurations.
- Backporting secure netrc parsing to Python 3.7–3.9 environments where standard library behavior may differ.
- Validating netrc file permissions in security-sensitive applications before attempting to read credentials.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you need secure netrc parsing with strict permissions checks and environment-variable path override in a Python 3.7+ application.
The package is stable and has no known vulnerabilities, but be aware it is abandoned and will not receive updates. Use it only if the current behavior meets your needs and you do not expect future maintenance.
Install
safe-netrc on PyPI
Before you install
Low friction: pure Python wheel with no runtime dependencies. However, the package is abandoned—last release was 2022-11-29, over 1354 days ago. No active maintenance or security updates.
Requires Python 3.7 or later. The netrc file must have restrictive permissions or the parser will reject it.
License in practice
GPL-2.0-or-later is a copyleft license requiring derivative works to be licensed under compatible terms. Any code that imports and modifies this package must be released under GPL-2.0-or-later or a compatible license.
Quickstart
pip install safe-netrc
from safe_netrc import netrc
auth = netrc()
login, _, password = auth.authenticators('example.com')Verify before relying
- Whether the abandoned status affects real-world use cases where netrc handling is stable and rarely needs updates.
- Specific permission requirements the parser enforces on netrc files.
- Whether permissions-check backport from Python 3.1 remains relevant given current Python version support (3.7+).
Package facts
| License | GPL-2.0-or-later copyleft |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.7 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Abandoned 1,354 days since the last release |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 93,230 / month, #13,397 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableEnvironment :: ConsoleLicense :: OSI Approved :: GNU General Public License v2 or later (GPLv2+)Operating System :: POSIXProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9Topic :: InternetTopic :: Security |
Evidence: safe_netrc-1.0.1-py3-none-any.whl
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