diff --git a/Lib/pydoc.py b/Lib/pydoc.py
index 282a9179983407..f1090c095b07f8 100755
--- a/Lib/pydoc.py
+++ b/Lib/pydoc.py
@@ -2544,9 +2544,42 @@ def bltinlink(name):
             'key = %s' % key, '#ffffff', '#ee77aa', '<br>'.join(results))
         return 'Search Results', contents
 
+    def validate_source_path(path):
+        with warnings.catch_warnings():
+            warnings.filterwarnings('ignore') # ignore problems during import
+            def onerror(modname):
+                pass
+            for importer, modname, ispkg in pkgutil.walk_packages(onerror=onerror):
+                try:
+                    spec = pkgutil._get_spec(importer, modname)
+                except SyntaxError:
+                    # raised by tests for bad coding cookies or BOM
+                    continue
+                loader = spec.loader
+                if hasattr(loader, 'get_source'):
+                    try:
+                        source = loader.get_source(modname)
+                    except Exception:
+                        continue
+                    if hasattr(loader, 'get_filename'):
+                        sourcepath = loader.get_filename(modname)
+                        if path == sourcepath:
+                            return
+                else:
+                    try:
+                        module = importlib._bootstrap._load(spec)
+                    except ImportError:
+                        continue
+                    sourcepath = getattr(module, '__file__', None)
+                    if path == sourcepath:
+                        return
+            else:
+                raise ValueError('not found {found}')
+
     def html_getfile(path):
         """Get and display a source file listing safely."""
         path = urllib.parse.unquote(path)
+        validate_source_path(path)
         with tokenize.open(path) as fp:
             lines = html.escape(fp.read())
         body = '<pre>%s</pre>' % lines
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_pydoc.py b/Lib/test/test_pydoc.py
index 2f502627f4d0a2..7356ff9df121b7 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_pydoc.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_pydoc.py
@@ -1369,7 +1369,11 @@ def test_url_requests(self):
             ("topics", "Pydoc: Topics"),
             ("keywords", "Pydoc: Keywords"),
             ("pydoc", "Pydoc: module pydoc"),
+            ("test.test_pydoc", "Pydoc: module test.test_pydoc"),
             ("get?key=pydoc", "Pydoc: module pydoc"),
+            ("get?key=test.test_pydoc", "Pydoc: module test.test_pydoc"),
+            ("get?key=html", "Pydoc: package html"),
+            ("get?key=sys", "Pydoc: built-in module sys"),
             ("search?key=pydoc", "Pydoc: Search Results"),
             ("topic?key=def", "Pydoc: KEYWORD def"),
             ("topic?key=STRINGS", "Pydoc: TOPIC STRINGS"),
@@ -1381,11 +1385,18 @@ def test_url_requests(self):
             for url, title in requests:
                 self.call_url_handler(url, title)
 
-            path = string.__file__
+            # File in restricted walk_packages path.
+            path = __file__
             title = "Pydoc: getfile " + path
             url = "getfile?key=" + path
             self.call_url_handler(url, title)
 
+            # File outside of restricted walk_packages path.
+            path = pydoc.__file__
+            title = "Pydoc: Error - getfile?key=" + path
+            url = "getfile?key=" + path
+            self.call_url_handler(url, title)
+
 
 class TestHelper(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_keywords(self):
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Security/2021-01-26-15-00-41.bpo-42988.PGpcqg.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Security/2021-01-26-15-00-41.bpo-42988.PGpcqg.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..f38c1987f97b53
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Security/2021-01-26-15-00-41.bpo-42988.PGpcqg.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+The ``/getfile?key=`` route of the :mod:`pydoc` Web server checks now that
+the argument is the file path of the source of one of modules. It prevents
+reading arbitrary files.