xtekky/gpt4free · error · ImportError

Import of '{name}' is not allowed inside a .pa.py sandbox fo

Error message

Import of '{name}' is not allowed inside a .pa.py sandbox for security reasons.

What it means

Raised when a .pa.py sandbox imports a g4f submodule listed in _BLOCKED_SUBMODULES — g4f.tools.auth, g4f.tools.run_tools, g4f.config, g4f.cookies, g4f.providers.retry_provider, g4f.providers.config_provider, g4f.Provider, and similar credential/config-bearing modules. Even though 'g4f' itself is allowed, these submodules expose API keys, cookie stores and auth helpers, so the exact name is rejected.

Source

Thrown at g4f/mcp/pa_provider.py:495

                        if obj is None:
                            raise ImportError(
                                f"Cannot find submodule '{name}' in workspace module '{base}'."
                            )
                    return obj
                return ws_module
            raise ImportError(
                f"Import of '{name}' is not allowed in safe execution mode.\n"
                f"Allowed top-level modules: {', '.join(sorted(allowed))}"
            )
        # Explicit allowlist takes priority over the blocklist below.
        # This permits e.g. "g4f.Provider.helper" even though "g4f.Provider"
        # is blocked.
        for allowed_sub in _ALLOWED_G4F_SUBPATHS:
            if name == allowed_sub or name.startswith(allowed_sub + "."):
                return original(name, globals, locals, fromlist, level)
        # Block sensitive g4f submodules even though g4f itself is allowed.
        if name in _BLOCKED_SUBMODULES:
            raise ImportError(
                f"Import of '{name}' is not allowed inside a .pa.py sandbox "
                f"for security reasons."
            )
        # Also block when a blocked submodule is the parent of a deeper import
        # (e.g. "g4f.tools.auth.something", "g4f.Provider.OpenAI").
        for blocked in _BLOCKED_SUBMODULES:
            if name.startswith(blocked + "."):
                raise ImportError(
                    f"Import of '{name}' is not allowed inside a .pa.py sandbox "
                    f"for security reasons."
                )
        return original(name, globals, locals, fromlist, level)

    return _restricted_import


def _make_safe_globals(
    allowed: FrozenSet[str] = SAFE_MODULES,

View on GitHub (pinned to 973504e177)

Solutions

Import only the explicitly allowed subpaths (e.g. g4f.Provider.helper) — check _ALLOWED_G4F_SUBPATHS in pa_provider.py
Pass needed credentials as explicit parameters to your provider instead of reading g4f.config/cookies
Copy the small helper logic you need into the .pa.py file itself or a sibling workspace module
Never attempt to reach auth/cookie tooling from sandboxed code — the block is deliberate

Example fix

# before
import g4f.Provider

# after
import g4f.Provider.helper  # explicitly allowlisted subpath

Defensive patterns

Strategy: try-catch

Validate before calling

from g4f.mcp.pa_provider import _ALLOWED_G4F_SUBPATHS if False else None
# simpler: static check before load
BLOCKED = {"g4f.tools.auth", "g4f.tools.run_tools", "g4f.config", "g4f.cookies",
           "g4f.providers.retry_provider", "g4f.providers.config_provider", "g4f.Provider"}
def is_blocked(name: str) -> bool:
    return name in BLOCKED or any(name.startswith(b + ".") for b in BLOCKED)

Try / catch

try:
    import g4f.config
except ImportError as e:
    if "sandbox" in str(e):
        # credentials must arrive as provider parameters instead
        ...

Prevention

Never import credential/config/cookie modules from sandboxed code
Pass API keys explicitly as provider parameters
Pre-check imports against the blocked list before loading a .pa.py file

When it happens

Trigger: 'import g4f.config', 'import g4f.cookies', 'import g4f.tools.auth', 'import g4f.Provider' (exact match on a blocked name) inside sandboxed provider code. Note _ALLOWED_G4F_SUBPATHS is checked first, so explicitly permitted paths like g4f.Provider.helper still work.

Common situations: Trying to read the host's stored g4f API key or cookies from a custom provider; importing the Provider package to reuse another provider's payload builder; code written before the blocklist was introduced that worked on older g4f versions.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of xtekky/gpt4free@973504e177 (2026-08-14). Data as JSON: /api/errors/26aa84ea749ab7c2. Report an issue: GitHub.