---
title: Make sure temporary files are secure
description: Datadog, the leading service for cloud-scale monitoring.
breadcrumbs: >-
  Docs > Datadog Security > Code Security > Static Code Analysis (SAST) > SAST
  Rules > Make sure temporary files are secure
---

# Make sure temporary files are secure

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## Metadata{% #metadata %}

**ID:** `python-security/mktemp`

**Language:** Python

**Severity:** Notice

**Category:** Security

**CWE**: [377](https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/377.html)

**Related CWEs**:

- [378](https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/378.html)
- [379](https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/379.html)

## Description{% #description %}

Using insecure temporary files makes your program vulnerable to attacks. The official [Python documentation](https://docs.python.org/3/library/tempfile.html) reports this module being vulnerable to attacks. Instead of `mktemp`, use the secure version `mkstemp()`.

#### Learn More{% #learn-more %}

- [CWE-377 - Insecure Temporary File](https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/377.html)
- [Python documentation for mktemp()](https://docs.python.org/3/library/tempfile.html)

## Non-Compliant Code Examples{% #non-compliant-code-examples %}

```python
from tempfile import mktemp
mktemp(dir=self._tmp_dir)
```

```python
import tempfile
tempfile.mktemp(dir=self._tmp_dir)
```

## Compliant Code Examples{% #compliant-code-examples %}

```python
tempfile.mktemp(dir=self._tmp_dir)
```

```python
import tempfile
tempfile.mkstemp(dir=self._tmp_dir)
```
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