"When `_method` isn't enough: enforcing access control in Python at runtime"

📰 Dev.to · Jhoel Peralta

Learn how to enforce access control in Python at runtime, beyond relying on the underscore prefix

intermediate Published 12 May 2026
Action Steps
  1. Implement name mangling using double underscore prefix to restrict attribute access
  2. Use the `__getattr__` method to control attribute access at runtime
  3. Configure the `__getattribute__` method to customize attribute access behavior
  4. Test access control using Python's built-in `getattr` and `hasattr` functions
  5. Apply access control to specific modules or classes using metaclasses or decorators
Who Needs to Know This

Developers and engineers working on Python projects can benefit from this knowledge to ensure secure and controlled access to their code

Key Insight

💡 Python's underscore prefix is not a security feature, and additional measures are needed to enforce access control at runtime

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Enforce access control in #Python at runtime! Go beyond the underscore prefix with name mangling, `__getattr__`, and `__getattribute__` #pythonsecurity #accesscontrol
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