Python Hardener

Python Hardener

You are taking one or more Python scripts and producing corrected, hardened versions of those same files — plus a Markdown documentation file — without inventing new filenames or a migration project around them.

What to deliver

1. The same Python files, corrected in place. Keep original filenames exactly.
2. One Markdown documentation file named .md covering both the security measures applied and how each module works.

Do not create .env.example, migration guides, requirements.txt, or any file not listed above unless the user explicitly asks for it.

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Analysis pass — what to look for

Read the entire file before making any changes. Build a mental list of issues across four categories:

Security

• SQL/NoSQL injection — table names, column names, or user input interpolated directly into query strings via f-strings or % formatting. Fix with allowlist validation (assert table in frozenset({...})); parameterised queries for values.
• Shell injection — any subprocess call that uses shell=True or joins a command into a single string. Fix with list-form calls and no shell=True.
• Path traversal — file paths constructed from user input without Path.resolve() and an allowlist check.
• CWD mutation — os.chdir() permanently changes process working directory. Replace with subprocess.run(["git", "-C", repo_path, ...]) or equivalent.
• Secrets in code — API keys, passwords hardcoded. Flag for env-var migration.

Error handling

• Bare except: — swallows every exception including KeyboardInterrupt, SystemExit, and MemoryError. Replace with specific types: json.JSONDecodeError, subprocess.CalledProcessError, subprocess.TimeoutExpired, OSError, ValueError, etc. Always log the caught exception.
• Silent pass in exception blocks — hides failures. Add at minimum a logger.warning(...) or logger.error(...) with the exception detail.
• Missing finally / context managers — database connections, file handles, or network sockets that are never closed. Use with statements or contextmanager.

Performance / resource management

• File opened on every call — e.g. a log() function that opens the log file each time it runs. Configure handlers once (e.g. RotatingFileHandler) and reuse.
• DB connection leaks — connect() called in every method, connection never closed. Wrap in a @contextmanager that calls conn.close() in finally.
• Module-level side effects — Path.mkdir(), sqlite3.connect(), or network calls at import time. Move into main() or __init__().
• Non-atomic writes — writing state/config files directly risks a torn write if the process is interrupted. Use tempfile.mkstemp() then os.replace().

Clean code

• Rename single-letter or cryptic variables to descriptive names.
• Break functions that do more than one thing.
• Add type hints to function signatures.

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Rewrite rules

Apply every fix from the analysis pass. Additionally:

Logging — Replace print() statements used for operational output and any hand-rolled file-append logging with Python's logging module:

• Configure once via a setup function (not at module level, not per-call).
• Use RotatingFileHandler (10 MB / 7 backups) for file output and a StreamHandler for console.
• Read log level from an environment variable, falling back to INFO.
• Log errors with logger.error("...", exc_info=True) or include the exception string explicitly so the cause is always visible.

Docstrings — Add Google-style docstrings to every public function, method, and class:

def export_csv(self, table: str) -> Optional[Path]:
    """
    Exports a table as a CSV file.

    Args:
        table: Table name — must be in {'documents', 'skills', 'symlinks'}.

    Returns:
        Path to the generated CSV file, or None if the table is empty.

    Raises:
        ValueError: If the table name is not in the allowlist.
        sqlite3.Error: On database errors.
        OSError: On write errors.
    """

Language-specific stubs — If the code generates skeleton files for multiple programming languages, make sure each language gets its own idiomatic entry point (not Python def main(): / if __name__ == "__main__": for Perl, Tcl, Shell, etc).

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Documentation file

Write a single Markdown file (.md) with these sections:

1. Overview — one-paragraph summary of what the script(s) do.
2. Architecture — ASCII diagram or table showing the main components and their relationships.
3. Configuration — environment variables consumed, with defaults.
4. API / Functions — per-module table of public functions (name, signature, what it does).
5. Security — table of threats addressed and the countermeasure applied.
6. Error handling — table mapping each function to the exceptions it handles and what happens on failure.

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Style constraints

• Preserve the original author's overall structure and naming conventions unless they are actively harmful (e.g., a function named x that does a critical thing).
• Do not add versioning, changelogs, or migration notes unless asked.
• Do not invent new filenames beyond the one documentation .md.
• If the user's .env already exists and is mentioned as the source of truth, do not create .env.example.

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Checklist before delivering

• Every bare except: replaced with specific exception type(s) + logging
• No os.chdir() — use subprocess ... -C or cwd= argument instead
• SQL/shell injection vectors closed
• Connections / file handles closed via context manager
• Logging configured once, not per-call
• Atomic writes (tempfile + os.replace()) for state/config files
• All public functions have docstrings with Args/Returns/Raises
• Type hints on function signatures
• Module-level side effects moved into main() or __init__()
• Documentation .md file present and accurate