> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://cortex-docs.paloaltonetworks.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://cortex-docs.paloaltonetworks.com/appsec-rules/iac-security/compute/appsec2-docker-5.md).

# Dockerfile certificate validation is disabled with the PYTHONHTTPSVERIFY environment variable miscon

## Rule Details

|                        |                                            |
| ---------------------- | ------------------------------------------ |
| Cortex AppSec Rule ID  | APPSEC2\_DOCKER\_5                         |
| Category - Subcategory | Public Exposure - Encryption And Protocols |
| Provider               | OTHER                                      |
| Severity               | HIGH                                       |
| Framework              | DOCKER                                     |

## Impact

The use of the `PYTHONHTTPSVERIFY` environment variable set to 0 within Dockerfiles is insecure. Setting `PYTHONHTTPSVERIFY=0` is a way to bypass SSL certificate verification for Python's built-in HTTP client.

When `PYTHONHTTPSVERIFY` is set to 0, Python's built-in HTTP client will skip SSL certificate verification when making HTTPS requests. This exposes any Python-based HTTP requests to man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks. In such attacks, unauthorized actors can intercept, alter, or eavesdrop on the traffic between the Python application and the server.

## How to Fix

## \[source,go]

* ENV PYTHONHTTPSVERIFY=0 RUN pip install somepackage

***


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter:

```
GET https://cortex-docs.paloaltonetworks.com/appsec-rules/iac-security/compute/appsec2-docker-5.md?ask=<question>&goal=<endgoal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.