diff --git a/build.sh b/build.sh
index c36c83f..3a009d0 100755
--- a/build.sh
+++ b/build.sh
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@
 # - run from a pristine git checkout (this script refuses to build from a
 #   workspace with modified, untracked, or ignored files; see
 #   scripts/release_lib.sh)
+# - PATH must contain only directories that are not writable by other users
+#   (this script refuses to build with an unsafe PATH; see
+#   scripts/release_lib.sh)
 # - activate a conda environment
 # - have conda-build installed, e.g. `conda install conda-build`
 #
@@ -21,13 +24,27 @@
 # # cd into the snowflake-telemetry-python git root dir
 # export SNOWFLAKE_TELEMETRY_DIR=$(pwd)
 #
-# For local test builds only, the workspace hygiene check can be bypassed with:
+# For local test builds only, the workspace hygiene and PATH safety checks can
+# be bypassed with:
 # export SNOWFLAKE_TELEMETRY_ALLOW_DIRTY_WORKSPACE=1
-# Never set this in the Jenkins release job.
+# export SNOWFLAKE_TELEMETRY_ALLOW_UNSAFE_PATH=1
+# Never set these in the Jenkins release job.
 
-REPO_ROOT="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+# Resolve the repo root with shell builtins only, so no external command runs
+# via the ambient PATH before assert_secure_path has validated it.
+case "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" in
+  */*) _script_dir="${BASH_SOURCE[0]%/*}" ;;
+  *)   _script_dir="." ;;
+esac
+REPO_ROOT="$(cd "$_script_dir" && pwd)"
+unset _script_dir
 source "${REPO_ROOT}/scripts/release_lib.sh"
 
+# This gate must run before anything that resolves commands through the
+# ambient PATH, so release builds only use tools from directories that are
+# not writable by other users.
+assert_secure_path || exit 1
+
 # Remove our own previous build output so it does not trip the hygiene gate.
 rm -rf ./anaconda/dist
 
diff --git a/pypi-build.sh b/pypi-build.sh
index 9a970af..d48c945 100755
--- a/pypi-build.sh
+++ b/pypi-build.sh
@@ -19,13 +19,27 @@
 # # cd into the snowflake-telemetry-python git root dir
 # export SNOWFLAKE_TELEMETRY_DIR=$(pwd)
 #
-# For local test builds only, the workspace hygiene check can be bypassed with:
+# For local test builds only, the workspace hygiene and PATH safety checks can
+# be bypassed with:
 # export SNOWFLAKE_TELEMETRY_ALLOW_DIRTY_WORKSPACE=1
-# Never set this in the Jenkins release job.
+# export SNOWFLAKE_TELEMETRY_ALLOW_UNSAFE_PATH=1
+# Never set these in the Jenkins release job.
 
-REPO_ROOT="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+# Resolve the repo root with shell builtins only, so no external command runs
+# via the ambient PATH before assert_secure_path has validated it.
+case "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" in
+  */*) _script_dir="${BASH_SOURCE[0]%/*}" ;;
+  *)   _script_dir="." ;;
+esac
+REPO_ROOT="$(cd "$_script_dir" && pwd)"
+unset _script_dir
 source "${REPO_ROOT}/scripts/release_lib.sh"
 
+# This gate must run before anything that resolves commands through the
+# ambient PATH, so release builds only use tools from directories that are
+# not writable by other users.
+assert_secure_path || exit 1
+
 # Remove our own previous build outputs so they do not trip the hygiene gate.
 rm -rf ./dist ./build venv_* src/*.egg-info
 
diff --git a/scripts/release_lib.sh b/scripts/release_lib.sh
index 2c27a28..fcaea8d 100644
--- a/scripts/release_lib.sh
+++ b/scripts/release_lib.sh
@@ -46,6 +46,112 @@ assert_clean_workspace() {
     fi
 }
 
+# assert_secure_path [path_to_check]
+#
+# Fail if any directory on the PATH to check (default: $PATH) is unsuitable
+# for a release build. A PATH entry is unsuitable when it is empty (meaning
+# the current directory), relative, not an existing directory, writable by
+# group or others, or owned by anyone other than root or the current user; or
+# when any parent directory up to / is writable by group or others without
+# the sticky bit (the sticky bit, as on /tmp, prevents non-owners from
+# replacing the child) or owned by another user.
+#
+# The checker's own external commands run from a minimal set of base system
+# directories so the result does not depend on the PATH being checked.
+#
+# For local test builds only, set SNOWFLAKE_TELEMETRY_ALLOW_UNSAFE_PATH=1 to
+# bypass this check. Never set it in the Jenkins release job.
+assert_secure_path() {
+    local path_to_check="${1:-$PATH}"
+
+    if [ "${SNOWFLAKE_TELEMETRY_ALLOW_UNSAFE_PATH:-0}" = "1" ]; then
+        echo "WARNING: SNOWFLAKE_TELEMETRY_ALLOW_UNSAFE_PATH=1 is set; skipping the PATH safety check." >&2
+        echo "WARNING: never set this for official release builds." >&2
+        return 0
+    fi
+
+    # Run the checker's own external commands from base system directories
+    # only, so the result does not depend on the PATH being checked. PATH
+    # keeps its export attribute when reassigned.
+    local saved_path="$PATH"
+    PATH="/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin"
+
+    local current_user
+    if ! current_user="$(id -un 2>/dev/null)" || [ -z "$current_user" ]; then
+        PATH="$saved_path"
+        echo "Unable to determine the current user; refusing to build." >&2
+        return 1
+    fi
+
+    local failures=""
+    local old_ifs="$IFS"
+    IFS=':'
+    set -f
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2086
+    set -- $path_to_check
+    set +f
+    IFS="$old_ifs"
+
+    local entry
+    for entry in "$@"; do
+        if [ -z "$entry" ]; then
+            failures="${failures}  <empty entry> (an empty PATH entry means the current directory)\n"
+            continue
+        fi
+        case "$entry" in
+            /*) ;;
+            *)
+                failures="${failures}  $entry (relative PATH entry)\n"
+                continue
+                ;;
+        esac
+
+        # Canonicalize (resolving symlinks) and confirm it is a directory.
+        local dir
+        if ! dir="$(cd "$entry" 2>/dev/null && pwd -P)"; then
+            failures="${failures}  $entry (does not exist or is not a directory)\n"
+            continue
+        fi
+
+        # The PATH entry itself must not be writable by group/others at all:
+        # anyone who can add files to it can shadow build tools.
+        # (-perm /022 = any of the group/other write bits set.)
+        if [ -n "$(find "$dir" -prune -perm /022 2>/dev/null)" ]; then
+            failures="${failures}  $dir (writable by group or others)\n"
+            continue
+        fi
+
+        # Walk every component up to /: each must be owned by root or the
+        # current user, and must not be writable by group/others unless it is
+        # sticky (e.g. /tmp), where the sticky bit stops non-owners from
+        # replacing the child.
+        local component="$dir"
+        while :; do
+            if [ -n "$(find "$component" -prune ! -user root ! -user "$current_user" 2>/dev/null)" ]; then
+                failures="${failures}  $component (owned by an untrusted user, on PATH via $entry)\n"
+                break
+            fi
+            if [ -n "$(find "$component" -prune -perm /022 ! -perm -1000 2>/dev/null)" ]; then
+                failures="${failures}  $component (writable by group or others without sticky bit, on PATH via $entry)\n"
+                break
+            fi
+            [ "$component" = "/" ] && break
+            component="$(dirname "$component")"
+        done
+    done
+
+    PATH="$saved_path"
+
+    if [ -n "$failures" ]; then
+        echo "Refusing to build release artifacts with an unsafe PATH." >&2
+        echo "Release builds require PATH directories that are not writable by other" >&2
+        echo "users. Unsafe entries:" >&2
+        printf '%b' "$failures" >&2
+        echo "Fix the permissions/ownership above or remove the entries from PATH." >&2
+        return 1
+    fi
+}
+
 # write_sha256_manifest <dist_dir>
 #
 # Write <dist_dir>/SHA256SUMS containing the SHA-256 digest of every file