fix: replace eval() with an AST parser for template expressions

Empty __builtins__ is not a sandbox, so a template expression could
reach os.system. Walk the AST with an allow-list instead. Also fixes
app names missing from api/v1/urls.py and a wrong settings path in the
generated pyproject.toml.

src/djinit/core/parser.py

@@ -1,5 +1,375 @@
+"""
+Safe template expression evaluation for djinit.
+
+Templates use a tiny, comment-style logic language:
+
+    # @IF <expression>      ...  # @ELSEIF <expression>  ...  # @ELSE  ...  # @ENDIF
+    # @LOOP <var> in <expression>  ...  # @ENDLOOP
+    [[ variable ]]           variable / attribute / index substitution
+
+Expressions are evaluated by walking the parsed syntax tree with an explicit
+allow-list. ``eval()`` is never used: restricting ``__builtins__`` is *not* a
+sandbox, because object graphs reachable from ordinary literals (for example
+``().__class__.__base__.__subclasses__()``) still hand out ``os.system`` and
+friends. An explicit interpreter has no such escape hatch.
+"""
+
+import ast
+import operator
 import re
-from typing import Any, Dict, List
+from collections.abc import Mapping
+from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional
+
+__all__ = ["InFileLogicParser", "SafeExpressionError"]
+
+
+class SafeExpressionError(ValueError):
+    """Raised when a template expression is malformed or uses a disallowed feature."""
+
+
+# The only names an expression may reference besides the render context. These are
+# side-effect free helpers; nothing that can import, open, execute or mutate.
+_SAFE_BUILTINS: Mapping[str, Any] = {
+    "True": True,
+    "False": False,
+    "None": None,
+    "abs": abs,
+    "all": all,
+    "any": any,
+    "bool": bool,
+    "dict": dict,
+    "enumerate": enumerate,
+    "float": float,
+    "int": int,
+    "len": len,
+    "list": list,
+    "max": max,
+    "min": min,
+    "reversed": reversed,
+    "sorted": sorted,
+    "str": str,
+    "zip": zip,
+}
+
+# Attribute names that must never be reachable, even on an otherwise harmless
+# object. Together with rejecting every ``_``-prefixed name this closes the usual
+# attribute-hop escape routes (``__class__``, ``__globals__``, ``__subclasses__``…).
+# ``format``/``format_map`` are included because the *format string* they receive is
+# resolved with ``getattr`` inside CPython, which would sidestep the checks below.
+_FORBIDDEN_ATTRIBUTES = frozenset(
+    {
+        "__import__",
+        "breakpoint",
+        "compile",
+        "delattr",
+        "eval",
+        "exec",
+        "exit",
+        "format",
+        "format_map",
+        "fork",
+        "getattr",
+        "globals",
+        "input",
+        "locals",
+        "open",
+        "popen",
+        "quit",
+        "setattr",
+        "spawn",
+        "system",
+        "vars",
+    }
+)
+
+# Calling a method is only allowed on plain data values. Without this, a context
+# value that happens to be a module, class or function would expose its whole
+# (dangerous) surface through dotted access.
+_PLAIN_DATA_TYPES = (str, bytes, bytearray, bool, int, float, complex, list, tuple, dict, set, frozenset, Mapping)
+
+# Guards against cheap resource exhaustion such as ``2 ** 99999999``.
+_MAX_EXPONENT = 1000
+
+
+class _SafeExpressionEvaluator(ast.NodeVisitor):
+    """Interprets a validated expression tree against the render context."""
+
+    _BINARY_OPERATORS = {
+        ast.Add: operator.add,
+        ast.Sub: operator.sub,
+        ast.Mult: operator.mul,
+        ast.Div: operator.truediv,
+        ast.FloorDiv: operator.floordiv,
+        ast.Mod: operator.mod,
+        ast.Pow: operator.pow,
+    }
+
+    _UNARY_OPERATORS = {
+        ast.UAdd: operator.pos,
+        ast.USub: operator.neg,
+        ast.Not: operator.not_,
+        ast.Invert: operator.invert,
+    }
+
+    _COMPARISON_OPERATORS = {
+        ast.Eq: operator.eq,
+        ast.NotEq: operator.ne,
+        ast.Lt: operator.lt,
+        ast.LtE: operator.le,
+        ast.Gt: operator.gt,
+        ast.GtE: operator.ge,
+        ast.Is: operator.is_,
+        ast.IsNot: operator.is_not,
+        ast.In: lambda a, b: operator.contains(b, a),
+        ast.NotIn: lambda a, b: not operator.contains(b, a),
+    }
+
+    def __init__(self, context: Mapping[str, Any]) -> None:
+        # Outermost scope is the render context; comprehension bodies push their own
+        # dicts so loop variables never leak into the surrounding scope.
+        self._scopes: List[Any] = [context]
+
+    # -- entry point ---------------------------------------------------------
+
+    def evaluate(self, tree: ast.Expression) -> Any:
+        return self.visit(tree.body)
+
+    def generic_visit(self, node: ast.AST) -> Any:
+        raise SafeExpressionError(f"{type(node).__name__} is not allowed in template expressions")
+
+    # -- literals ------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    def visit_Constant(self, node: ast.Constant) -> Any:
+        return node.value
+
+    def visit_List(self, node: ast.List) -> list:
+        return [self.visit(element) for element in node.elts]
+
+    def visit_Tuple(self, node: ast.Tuple) -> tuple:
+        return tuple(self.visit(element) for element in node.elts)
+
+    def visit_Set(self, node: ast.Set) -> set:
+        return {self.visit(element) for element in node.elts}
+
+    def visit_Dict(self, node: ast.Dict) -> dict:
+        result: dict = {}
+        for key_node, value_node in zip(node.keys, node.values):
+            if key_node is None:
+                raise SafeExpressionError("Dictionary unpacking is not allowed")
+            result[self.visit(key_node)] = self.visit(value_node)
+        return result
+
+    def visit_JoinedStr(self, node: ast.JoinedStr) -> str:
+        return "".join(str(self.visit(value)) for value in node.values)
+
+    def visit_FormattedValue(self, node: ast.FormattedValue) -> str:
+        value = self.visit(node.value)
+        if node.conversion == 115:  # !s
+            return f"{value:s}"
+        if node.conversion == 114:  # !r
+            return repr(value)
+        if node.conversion == 97:  # !a
+            return ascii(value)
+        if node.format_spec is not None:
+            return format(value, self.visit(node.format_spec))
+        return str(value)
+
+    # -- names and attributes ------------------------------------------------
+
+    def visit_Name(self, node: ast.Name) -> Any:
+        return self._lookup(node.id)
+
+    def _lookup(self, name: str) -> Any:
+        for scope in reversed(self._scopes):
+            if name in scope:
+                return scope[name]
+        if name in _SAFE_BUILTINS:
+            return _SAFE_BUILTINS[name]
+        raise SafeExpressionError(f"Unknown name: {name!r}")
+
+    def visit_Attribute(self, node: ast.Attribute) -> Any:
+        return self._resolve_attribute(self.visit(node.value), node.attr)
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def _resolve_attribute(value: Any, name: str) -> Any:
+        if name.startswith("_") or name in _FORBIDDEN_ATTRIBUTES:
+            raise SafeExpressionError(f"Access to attribute {name!r} is not allowed")
+        if isinstance(value, Mapping):
+            # Templates routinely index plain dicts with dotted syntax.
+            try:
+                return value[name]
+            except KeyError:
+                raise AttributeError(name) from None
+        resolved = getattr(value, name)
+        if callable(resolved) and not isinstance(value, _PLAIN_DATA_TYPES):
+            raise SafeExpressionError(f"Access to method {name!r} is not allowed here")
+        return resolved
+
+    # -- operators -----------------------------------------------------------
+
+    def visit_BoolOp(self, node: ast.BoolOp) -> Any:
+        if isinstance(node.op, ast.And):
+            result: Any = True
+            for value in node.values:
+                result = self.visit(value)
+                if not result:
+                    return result
+            return result
+        result = False
+        for value in node.values:
+            result = self.visit(value)
+            if result:
+                return result
+        return result
+
+    def visit_UnaryOp(self, node: ast.UnaryOp) -> Any:
+        handler = self._UNARY_OPERATORS.get(type(node.op))
+        if handler is None:
+            raise SafeExpressionError(f"Unary operator {type(node.op).__name__} is not allowed")
+        return handler(self.visit(node.operand))
+
+    def visit_BinOp(self, node: ast.BinOp) -> Any:
+        handler = self._BINARY_OPERATORS.get(type(node.op))
+        if handler is None:
+            raise SafeExpressionError(f"Binary operator {type(node.op).__name__} is not allowed")
+        left = self.visit(node.left)
+        right = self.visit(node.right)
+        if isinstance(node.op, ast.Pow) and isinstance(left, int) and isinstance(right, int):
+            if abs(right) > _MAX_EXPONENT:
+                raise SafeExpressionError("Exponent is too large")
+        return handler(left, right)
+
+    def visit_Compare(self, node: ast.Compare) -> bool:
+        left = self.visit(node.left)
+        for operator_node, comparator_node in zip(node.ops, node.comparators):
+            handler = self._COMPARISON_OPERATORS.get(type(operator_node))
+            if handler is None:
+                raise SafeExpressionError(f"Comparison {type(operator_node).__name__} is not allowed")
+            right = self.visit(comparator_node)
+            if not handler(left, right):
+                return False
+            left = right
+        return True
+
+    def visit_IfExp(self, node: ast.IfExp) -> Any:
+        return self.visit(node.body) if self.visit(node.test) else self.visit(node.orelse)
+
+    # -- subscripts ----------------------------------------------------------
+
+    def visit_Subscript(self, node: ast.Subscript) -> Any:
+        value = self.visit(node.value)
+        key = self._resolve_subscript_key(node.slice, value)
+        try:
+            return value[key]
+        except TypeError as exc:
+            raise SafeExpressionError(f"Cannot subscript {type(value).__name__}") from exc
+
+    def _resolve_subscript_key(self, node: ast.AST, value: Any) -> Any:
+        if isinstance(node, ast.Slice):
+            return slice(
+                self._resolve_subscript_bound(node.lower),
+                self._resolve_subscript_bound(node.upper),
+                self._resolve_subscript_bound(node.step),
+            )
+        if isinstance(node, ast.Tuple):
+            return tuple(self.visit(element) for element in node.elts)
+        return self.visit(node)
+
+    def _resolve_subscript_bound(self, node: Optional[ast.AST]) -> Optional[Any]:
+        return None if node is None else self.visit(node)
+
+    # -- calls ---------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    def visit_Call(self, node: ast.Call) -> Any:
+        if any(keyword.arg is None for keyword in node.keywords):
+            raise SafeExpressionError("** unpacking is not allowed in calls")
+        args = [self.visit(argument) for argument in node.args]
+        kwargs = {keyword.arg: self.visit(keyword.value) for keyword in node.keywords}
+        callee = self.visit(node.func)
+        if not callable(callee):
+            raise SafeExpressionError(f"{callee!r} is not callable")
+        return callee(*args, **kwargs)
+
+    # -- comprehensions ------------------------------------------------------
+
+    def visit_ListComp(self, node: ast.ListComp) -> list:
+        result: list = []
+        self._run_comprehension(node.generators, 0, lambda: result.append(self.visit(node.elt)))
+        return result
+
+    def visit_SetComp(self, node: ast.SetComp) -> set:
+        result: set = set()
+        self._run_comprehension(node.generators, 0, lambda: result.add(self.visit(node.elt)))
+        return result
+
+    def visit_GeneratorExp(self, node: ast.GeneratorExp) -> tuple:
+        result: list = []
+        self._run_comprehension(node.generators, 0, lambda: result.append(self.visit(node.elt)))
+        return tuple(result)
+
+    def visit_DictComp(self, node: ast.DictComp) -> dict:
+        result: dict = {}
+        self._run_comprehension(
+            node.generators,
+            0,
+            lambda: result.__setitem__(self.visit(node.key), self.visit(node.value)),
+        )
+        return result
+
+    def _run_comprehension(self, generators: List[ast.comprehension], index: int, emit) -> None:
+        if index >= len(generators):
+            emit()
+            return
+
+        generator = generators[index]
+        for value in self._as_iterable(self.visit(generator.iter)):
+            self._scopes.append({})
+            try:
+                self._assign(generator.target, value)
+                if all(self.visit(condition) for condition in generator.ifs):
+                    self._run_comprehension(generators, index + 1, emit)
+            finally:
+                self._scopes.pop()
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def _as_iterable(value: Any) -> Any:
+        if isinstance(value, (str, bytes)) or not hasattr(value, "__iter__"):
+            raise SafeExpressionError(f"{type(value).__name__} is not iterable")
+        return value
+
+    def _assign(self, target: ast.AST, value: Any) -> None:
+        if isinstance(target, ast.Name):
+            self._scopes[-1][target.id] = value
+            return
+        if isinstance(target, (ast.Tuple, ast.List)) and isinstance(value, (tuple, list)):
+            if len(target.elts) != len(value):
+                raise SafeExpressionError("Cannot unpack mismatched number of loop variables")
+            for element, item in zip(target.elts, value):
+                self._assign(element, item)
+            return
+        raise SafeExpressionError("Unsupported loop target")
+
+
+def safe_eval(expression: str, context: Optional[Mapping[str, Any]] = None) -> Any:
+    """Evaluate a template expression without ``eval()``.
+
+    Args:
+        expression: The expression source, e.g. ``"use_tailwind and len(app_names) > 0"``.
+        context: Names available to the expression.
+
+    Raises:
+        SafeExpressionError: If the expression is empty, malformed or disallowed.
+    """
+    source = expression.strip()
+    if not source:
+        raise SafeExpressionError("Empty expression")
+
+    try:
+        tree = ast.parse(source, mode="eval")
+    except SyntaxError as exc:
+        raise SafeExpressionError(f"Invalid expression syntax: {source!r}") from exc
+
+    return _SafeExpressionEvaluator(context or {}).evaluate(tree)
 
 
 class InFileLogicParser:
@@ -11,18 +381,21 @@ class InFileLogicParser:
     def __init__(self, context: Dict[str, Any] = None):
         self.context = context or {}
 
+    def _evaluate(self, expression: str) -> Any:
+        """Evaluate ``expression`` against the current context, safely."""
+        return safe_eval(expression, self.context)
+
     def _get_value(self, key: str) -> str:
         """
         Supports nested/dotted access like [[ user.name ]] or [[ settings["DEBUG"] ]].
-        For simplicity, it uses eval in the provided context for complex expressions,
+        Dotted names are resolved against the context, and arbitrary expressions are
-        but falls back to safe dictionary lookup for simple keys.
+        evaluated by the safe interpreter. Anything that cannot be resolved is
+        returned verbatim so a missing context key stays visible in the output.
         """
         key = key.strip()
         try:
-            # Try evaluating the expression in the context
+            return str(self._evaluate(key))
-            return str(eval(key, {"__builtins__": {}}, self.context))
+        except (AttributeError, IndexError, KeyError, TypeError, ValueError):
-        except (NameError, SyntaxError, KeyError, TypeError, AttributeError):
-            # Fallback for common patterns or just return the key as is if it fails
             return f"[[ {key} ]]"
 
     def render(self, template_text: str, context: Dict[str, Any] = None) -> str:
@@ -44,8 +417,8 @@ class InFileLogicParser:
             if stripped.startswith("# @IF "):
                 expr = stripped[6:].strip()
                 try:
-                    result = bool(eval(expr, {"__builtins__": {}}, self.context))
+                    result = bool(self._evaluate(expr))
-                except Exception:
+                except (AttributeError, IndexError, KeyError, TypeError, ValueError):
                     result = False
                 stack.append([result, result])
                 i += 1
@@ -65,8 +438,8 @@ class InFileLogicParser:
                     current_stack[0] = False
                 else:
                     try:
-                        result = bool(eval(expr, {"__builtins__": {}}, self.context))
+                        result = bool(self._evaluate(expr))
-                    except Exception:
+                    except (AttributeError, IndexError, KeyError, TypeError, ValueError):
                         result = False
                     current_stack[0] = result
                     if result:
@@ -113,13 +486,15 @@ class InFileLogicParser:
                         i += 1
                     continue
 
-                parts = stripped[7:].strip().split(" in ")
+                parts = stripped[7:].strip().split(" in ", 1)
-                if len(parts) == 2:
+                if len(parts) == 2 and parts[0].strip() and parts[1].strip():
                     var_name = parts[0].strip()
                     iterable_name = parts[1].strip()
                     try:
-                        iterable = eval(iterable_name, {"__builtins__": {}}, self.context)
+                        iterable = self._evaluate(iterable_name)
-                    except Exception:
+                        if not hasattr(iterable, "__iter__"):
+                            raise TypeError(f"{iterable_name!r} is not iterable")
+                    except (AttributeError, IndexError, KeyError, TypeError, ValueError):
                         iterable = []
 
                     # Capture loop body
@@ -197,14 +572,14 @@ class InFileLogicParser:
                     post_content = expr_parts[1].lstrip()
 
                 try:
-                    if bool(eval(expr, {"__builtins__": {}}, self.context)):
+                    if bool(self._evaluate(expr)):
                         # If Case 1, we want pre_content. If Case 2, we want post_content.
                         # Usually, if pre_content is empty (or just whitespace), it's Case 2.
                         if pre_content:
                             final_lines.append(pre_content + post_content)
                         else:
                             final_lines.append(post_content)
-                except Exception:
+                except (AttributeError, IndexError, KeyError, TypeError, ValueError):
                     pass
                 i += 1
                 continue

src/djinit/creators/files.py

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import os
 from djinit.core.base import BaseService
 from djinit.templater import template_engine
 from djinit.utils.common import CommonUtils
+from djinit.utils.django import DjangoHelper
 
 
 class FileCreator(BaseService):
@@ -195,12 +196,26 @@ class FileCreator(BaseService):
             "Created requirements.txt with Django dependencies",
         )
 
+    def _registered_app_modules(self) -> list:
+        """Dotted module paths of the apps that end up in INSTALLED_APPS.
+
+        The unified and single layouts use the generated package itself as their
+        only app, so they have no separate ``app_names`` to report.
+        """
+        if self.metadata.get("unified_structure"):
+            return ["apps"]
+        if self.metadata.get("single_structure"):
+            return [self.module_name]
+        return CommonUtils.calculate_app_module_paths(self.app_names, self.metadata)
+
     def create_readme(self) -> None:
         context = {
             "project_name": self.project_name,
             "app_names": self.app_names,
+            "app_list": self._registered_app_modules(),
             "predefined_structure": bool(self.metadata.get("predefined_structure")),
             "unified_structure": bool(self.metadata.get("unified_structure")),
+            "single_structure": bool(self.metadata.get("single_structure")),
             "module_name": self.module_name,
         }
         self._render_and_create_file("README.md", "project/readme.md-tpl", context, "Created README.md file")
@@ -293,6 +308,11 @@ class FileCreator(BaseService):
             "Created apps/core/base.py",
         )
 
+        # Every app that ends up in USER_DEFINED_APPS needs a real app module,
+        # otherwise the generated project cannot start.
+        for app_name in self.app_names or ["users", "core"]:
+            DjangoHelper.startapp(app_name, apps_dir, f"apps.{app_name}")
+
         # Create api directory structure
         api_dir = os.path.join(self.project_root, "api")
         CommonUtils.create_directory_with_init(api_dir, "Created api/__init__.py")

src/djinit/creators/setup.py

@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ class SetupCreator:
             if not self.app_names:
                 self.app_names = ["users", "core"]
                 self.project_creator.app_names = self.app_names
+                self.file_creator.app_names = self.app_names
 
         elif self.metadata.get("unified_structure"):
             self.metadata.setdefault("project_module_name", "core")
@@ -43,12 +44,14 @@ class SetupCreator:
             if not self.app_names:
                 self.app_names = []
                 self.project_creator.app_names = self.app_names
+                self.file_creator.app_names = self.app_names
 
         elif self.metadata.get("single_structure"):
             self.metadata.setdefault("nested_apps", False)
             if not self.app_names:
                 self.app_names = []
                 self.project_creator.app_names = self.app_names
+                self.file_creator.app_names = self.app_names
 
     def create(self) -> bool:
         """Run the full setup process."""

src/djinit/templates/project/pyproject.toml-tpl

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 [project]
-name = "[[ project_name ]]"
+name = "[[ package_name ]]"
 version = "0.1.0"
 description = ""
 readme = "README.md"
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ ignore = [
 ]
 
 [tool.ruff.lint.isort]
-known-first-party = ["[[ project_name ]]"]
+known-first-party = ["[[ module_name ]]"]
 
 [tool.ruff.lint.per-file-ignores]
-"[[ project_name ]]/settings/*.py" = ["F403", "F405"]
+"[[ module_name ]]/settings/*.py" = ["F403", "F405"]

src/djinit/templates/project/readme.md-tpl

@@ -9,6 +9,16 @@ A Django project folder structure is generated with [djinitx/djinit/dj](https://
 - Essential dependencies and utilities
 - Production-ready configuration
 
+# @IF app_list
+## Apps
+
+Registered in `[[ module_name ]]/settings/base.py`:
+
+# @LOOP app in app_list
+- `[[ app ]]`
+# @ENDLOOP
+
+# @ENDIF
 ## Setup
 
 ### Using Just (Recommended)