diff --git a/core/plugins/manager.go b/core/plugins/manager.go
index 00aefa3..f044f35 100644
--- a/core/plugins/manager.go
+++ b/core/plugins/manager.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"os/exec"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"runtime"
+	"slices"
 	"strconv"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
@@ -108,6 +109,40 @@ func (m *Manager) port(id string) int {
 	return 0
 }
 
+// envAllowList is what a plugin gets by default. LookupEnv simply misses
+// whichever names don't apply to the current OS, so no runtime.GOOS branch
+// is needed: PATH lets the plugin's own entry command find its runtime/
+// tools; the rest are what node/python/go and Windows' network stack expect
+// to find a home/cache/temp dir.
+var envAllowList = []string{"PATH", "HOME", "USERPROFILE", "TMPDIR", "TEMP", "TMP", "SystemRoot"}
+
+func minimalEnv() []string {
+	env := make([]string, 0, len(envAllowList))
+	for _, name := range envAllowList {
+		if v, ok := os.LookupEnv(name); ok {
+			env = append(env, name+"="+v)
+		}
+	}
+	return env
+}
+
+// buildEnv assembles a plugin's child-process environment. A plugin that
+// declares "env:full" in Manifest.Permissions inherits the full parent
+// environment (today's behavior); everything else gets envAllowList only,
+// so it can't read ambient secrets out of enowX's own environment unless it
+// explicitly opts in.
+func buildEnv(man *Manifest, id string, port, enowxPort int) []string {
+	env := minimalEnv()
+	if slices.Contains(man.Permissions, "env:full") {
+		env = os.Environ()
+	}
+	return append(env,
+		"PORT="+strconv.Itoa(port),
+		"ENOWX_PLUGIN_ID="+id,
+		"ENOWX_API=http://127.0.0.1:"+strconv.Itoa(enowxPort),
+	)
+}
+
 // Start spawns a plugin's sidecar (no-op for static plugins).
 func (m *Manager) Start(id string) error {
 	if err := m.authorized(); err != nil {
@@ -153,11 +188,7 @@ func (m *Manager) Start(id string) error {
 	}
 	cmd := exec.Command(bin, args...)
 	cmd.Dir = filepath.Join(m.dir, id)
-	cmd.Env = append(os.Environ(),
-		"PORT="+strconv.Itoa(port),
-		"ENOWX_PLUGIN_ID="+id,
-		"ENOWX_API=http://127.0.0.1:"+strconv.Itoa(m.enowxPort),
-	)
+	cmd.Env = buildEnv(man, id, port, m.enowxPort)
 	hideWindow(cmd)
 
 	pr := &proc{cmd: cmd, port: port, running: true}
diff --git a/core/plugins/manager_test.go b/core/plugins/manager_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..59f2472
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/plugins/manager_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+package plugins
+
+import (
+	"slices"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func hasEnvKey(env []string, key string) bool {
+	prefix := key + "="
+	return slices.ContainsFunc(env, func(kv string) bool { return strings.HasPrefix(kv, prefix) })
+}
+
+func TestMinimalEnv(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Setenv("PATH", "/usr/bin")
+	t.Setenv("ENOWX_TEST_SECRET", "top-secret")
+
+	env := minimalEnv()
+
+	if !hasEnvKey(env, "PATH") {
+		t.Errorf("minimalEnv() = %v, want PATH present", env)
+	}
+	if hasEnvKey(env, "ENOWX_TEST_SECRET") {
+		t.Errorf("minimalEnv() = %v, leaked a non-allow-listed var", env)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestBuildEnv(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Setenv("ENOWX_TEST_SECRET", "top-secret")
+
+	t.Run("default scopes down to the allow-list", func(t *testing.T) {
+		man := &Manifest{ID: "demo"}
+		env := buildEnv(man, "demo", 5555, 1430)
+
+		if hasEnvKey(env, "ENOWX_TEST_SECRET") {
+			t.Errorf("buildEnv() leaked ENOWX_TEST_SECRET into a plugin without env:full")
+		}
+		if !hasEnvKey(env, "PORT") {
+			t.Errorf("buildEnv() = %v, missing PORT", env)
+		}
+		if !hasEnvKey(env, "ENOWX_PLUGIN_ID") {
+			t.Errorf("buildEnv() = %v, missing ENOWX_PLUGIN_ID", env)
+		}
+		if !hasEnvKey(env, "ENOWX_API") {
+			t.Errorf("buildEnv() = %v, missing ENOWX_API", env)
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("env:full inherits the parent environment", func(t *testing.T) {
+		man := &Manifest{ID: "demo", Permissions: []string{"env:full"}}
+		env := buildEnv(man, "demo", 5555, 1430)
+
+		if !hasEnvKey(env, "ENOWX_TEST_SECRET") {
+			t.Errorf("buildEnv() with env:full did not inherit ENOWX_TEST_SECRET")
+		}
+	})
+}
diff --git a/core/plugins/manifest.go b/core/plugins/manifest.go
index 3c4b81b..33148e3 100644
--- a/core/plugins/manifest.go
+++ b/core/plugins/manifest.go
@@ -18,12 +18,12 @@ type Manifest struct {
 	ID          string   `json:"id"`
 	Name        string   `json:"name"`
 	Description string   `json:"description"`
-	Icon        string   `json:"icon"`    // lucide name, or "icon.png" in the folder
-	Runtime     string   `json:"runtime"` // go | python | node | static
-	Entry       string   `json:"entry"`   // command entry (ignored for static)
-	UI          string   `json:"ui"`      // path served at /plugins/<id>/ (default public/index.html)
-	Version     string   `json:"version"` // semver, bumped on each marketplace re-publish
-	Permissions []string `json:"permissions,omitempty"`
+	Icon        string   `json:"icon"`                  // lucide name, or "icon.png" in the folder
+	Runtime     string   `json:"runtime"`               // go | python | node | static
+	Entry       string   `json:"entry"`                 // command entry (ignored for static)
+	UI          string   `json:"ui"`                    // path served at /plugins/<id>/ (default public/index.html)
+	Version     string   `json:"version"`               // semver, bumped on each marketplace re-publish
+	Permissions []string `json:"permissions,omitempty"` // "env:full" inherits the parent process env; default is a minimal allow-list (plugins.envAllowList)
 }
 
 var idRe = regexp.MustCompile(`^[a-z0-9][a-z0-9-]{0,47}$`)