Docling simplifies document processing by parsing diverse formats and providing integrations with the generative AI ecosystem. From 2.27.0 until 2.131.0, Docling plugin factories in docling/models/factories/base_factory.py call load_setuptools_entrypoints() before applying the allow_external_plugins setting, so every module registered in the Docling entry-point group is imported even when external plugins are disabled. An installed third-party or compromised package can therefore execute import-time code when Docling starts, while the subsequent namespace filter misleadingly reports that the plugin was not loaded. This issue is fixed in 2.131.0.

Affected: PyPI: docling, PyPI: docling-slim

### Summary

`allow_external_plugins=False` (the default, and the CLI default) is meant to restrict docling to its own model plugins. However, docling's plugin factories call pluggy's `load_setuptools_entrypoints()`, which imports every module registered under docling's plugin entry-point group. Only afterwards does docling filter out modules outside the `docling.` namespace. Import-time code in any installed third-party plugin therefore runs even though external plugins are disabled.

### Details

In `docling/models/factories/base_factory.py`, `load_from_plugins()` loads all entry points first and applies the `allow_external_plugins` check only to the already-imported modules. The CLI creates these factories when it starts, so running `docling` imports every registered plugin module. A log message says the plugin "will not be loaded", although its module has already been imported.

### Affected configurations

Environments in which a package registering a docling plugin entry point is installed, for example an unvetted or compromised dependency, and which rely on `allow_external_plugins=False` to keep that code from running.

### Impact

Execution of a third-party plugin module's import-time code in the docling process, contrary to the documented behaviour of `allow_external_plugins=False`.

### Patches

Fixed in docling 2.131.0 by [#4413](https://github.com/docling-project/docling/pull/4413). Plugin entry points are now filtered by module name before they are loaded, so wi…

Affected: PyPI: docling

Docling simplifies document processing by parsing diverse formats and providing integrations with the generative AI ecosystem. From 2.27.0 until 2.131.0, Docling plugin factories in docling/models/factories/base_factory.py call load_setuptools_entrypoints() before applying the allow_external_plugins setting, so every module registered in the Docling entry-point group is imported even when external plugins are disabled. An installed third-party or compromised package can therefore execute import-time code when Docling starts, while the subsequent namespace filter misleadingly reports that the plugin was not loaded. This issue is fixed in 2.131.0.