diff --git a/src/compile/set.ts b/src/compile/set.ts
index 1cde584..f29673f 100644
--- a/src/compile/set.ts
+++ b/src/compile/set.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,26 @@
-import type { SetAST, VELOCITY_AST } from '../type';
+import type { Attribute, ReferencesAST, SetAST, VELOCITY_AST } from '../type';
 import { applyMixins } from '../utils';
 import { Compile } from './base-compile';
+
+const PROTO_KEY = '__proto__';
+const PROTOTYPE_CHAIN_KEYS = new Set(['constructor', 'prototype']);
+
+type SetPathTarget = {
+  blocked: boolean;
+  rootRef?: unknown;
+  shouldSetRoot?: boolean;
+  baseRef?: unknown;
+  key?: string;
+};
+
+function hasOwnProperty(baseRef: unknown, key: string): boolean {
+  return (
+    (typeof baseRef === 'object' || typeof baseRef === 'function') &&
+    baseRef !== null &&
+    Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(baseRef, key)
+  );
+}
+
 /**
  * #set value
  */
@@ -20,6 +40,90 @@ export class SetValue extends Compile {
     // not find local variable, return global context
     return this.context;
   }
+  private getPathKey(exp: Attribute): string {
+    if (exp.type === 'property') {
+      return exp.id;
+    }
+
+    if (exp.type === 'index' && exp.id) {
+      return String(this.getLiteral(exp.id as VELOCITY_AST));
+    }
+
+    return '';
+  }
+
+  private getPathKeys(ref: ReferencesAST): string[] {
+    return (ref.path || []).map((exp) => this.getPathKey(exp));
+  }
+
+  private isBlockedPathKey(baseRef: unknown, key: string, isEnd: boolean): boolean {
+    if (key === PROTO_KEY) {
+      return true;
+    }
+
+    // Function.prototype is a shared prototype object; assigning through it can
+    // affect every object created by that constructor.
+    if (key === 'prototype' && typeof baseRef === 'function') {
+      return true;
+    }
+
+    // `constructor` and `prototype` are valid own data fields. They are only
+    // dangerous when traversal would fall through to inherited prototype-chain
+    // properties such as Object.constructor.prototype.
+    return !isEnd && PROTOTYPE_CHAIN_KEYS.has(key) && !hasOwnProperty(baseRef, key);
+  }
+
+  private hasBlockedUnknownPath(keys: string[], startIndex: number): boolean {
+    // If an earlier safe segment is missing, the RHS may create it. Before
+    // evaluating RHS we can only allow the path when the remaining unresolved
+    // suffix does not contain keys that could later traverse prototypes.
+    return keys.slice(startIndex).some((key, i) => {
+      const isEnd = startIndex + i === keys.length - 1;
+      return key === PROTO_KEY || (!isEnd && PROTOTYPE_CHAIN_KEYS.has(key));
+    });
+  }
+
+  private resolveSetPath(context: object, ref: ReferencesAST, pathKeys: string[]): SetPathTarget {
+    if (pathKeys.length === 0) {
+      return { blocked: ref.id === PROTO_KEY };
+    }
+
+    if (ref.id === PROTO_KEY) {
+      return { blocked: true };
+    }
+
+    let rootRef = (context as Record<string, unknown>)[ref.id];
+    let shouldSetRoot = false;
+
+    if (typeof rootRef !== 'object') {
+      rootRef = {};
+      shouldSetRoot = true;
+    }
+
+    let baseRef = rootRef;
+
+    for (let i = 0; i < pathKeys.length; i++) {
+      if (baseRef === undefined || baseRef === null) {
+        return { blocked: this.hasBlockedUnknownPath(pathKeys, i), rootRef, shouldSetRoot };
+      }
+
+      const key = pathKeys[i];
+      const isEnd = pathKeys.length === i + 1;
+
+      if (this.isBlockedPathKey(baseRef, key, isEnd)) {
+        return { blocked: true };
+      }
+
+      if (isEnd) {
+        return { blocked: false, rootRef, shouldSetRoot, baseRef, key };
+      }
+
+      baseRef = (baseRef as Record<string, unknown>)[key];
+    }
+
+    return { blocked: false, rootRef, shouldSetRoot };
+  }
+
   /**
    * parse #set
    */
@@ -33,6 +137,15 @@ export class SetValue extends Compile {
       // fix #129
     }
 
+    // Resolve the left-hand path before evaluating RHS so blocked prototype
+    // paths cannot trigger user callbacks or other RHS side effects.
+    const pathKeys = this.getPathKeys(ref);
+    let setPath = this.resolveSetPath(context, ref, pathKeys);
+
+    if (setPath.blocked) {
+      return;
+    }
+
     const valAst = ast.equal[1];
     // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
     let val: any;
@@ -48,42 +161,21 @@ export class SetValue extends Compile {
       return;
     }
 
-    let baseRef = (context as Record<string, unknown>)[ref.id];
-    if (typeof baseRef !== 'object') {
-      baseRef = {};
-    }
-
-    (context as Record<string, unknown>)[ref.id] = baseRef;
-    const len = ref.path ? ref.path.length : 0;
-
-    ref.path.some((exp, i) => {
-      const isEnd = len === i + 1;
-      let key: string;
+    // Resolve again after RHS evaluation to preserve legacy behavior where RHS
+    // side effects create a previously missing parent object.
+    setPath = this.resolveSetPath(context, ref, pathKeys);
 
-      if (exp.type === 'property') {
-        key = exp.id;
-      } else if (exp.type === 'index' && exp.id) {
-        key = String(this.getLiteral(exp.id as VELOCITY_AST));
-      } else {
-        key = '';
-      }
-
-      if (isEnd) {
-        (baseRef as Record<string, unknown>)[key] = val;
-        return true;
-      }
-
-      baseRef = (baseRef as Record<string, unknown>)[key] as Record<string, unknown>;
+    if (setPath.blocked) {
+      return;
+    }
 
-      // such as
-      // #set($a.d.c2 = 2)
-      // but $a.d is undefined, value set fail
-      if (baseRef === undefined) {
-        return true;
-      }
+    if (setPath.shouldSetRoot) {
+      (context as Record<string, unknown>)[ref.id] = setPath.rootRef;
+    }
 
-      return false;
-    });
+    if (setPath.key !== undefined) {
+      (setPath.baseRef as Record<string, unknown>)[setPath.key] = val;
+    }
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/test/set.test.ts b/test/set.test.ts
index 866d8d6..1e3c919 100644
--- a/test/set.test.ts
+++ b/test/set.test.ts
@@ -190,6 +190,108 @@ describe('Set && Expression', function () {
     });
   });
 
+  describe('prototype pollution protection', function () {
+    afterEach(function () {
+      delete (Object.prototype as Record<string, unknown>).polluted;
+      delete (Object.prototype as Record<string, unknown>).isAdmin;
+    });
+
+    it('does not set values through __proto__ references', function () {
+      render('#set($__proto__.polluted = "hacked")', {});
+
+      assert.equal(({} as Record<string, unknown>).polluted, undefined);
+    });
+
+    it('does not set values through __proto__ index keys', function () {
+      render('#set($target["__proto__"].polluted = "hacked")', { target: {} });
+
+      assert.equal(({} as Record<string, unknown>).polluted, undefined);
+    });
+
+    it('does not set values through inherited constructor.prototype paths', function () {
+      render('#set($target.constructor.prototype.isAdmin = true)', { target: {} });
+
+      assert.equal(({} as Record<string, unknown>).isAdmin, undefined);
+    });
+
+    it('does not evaluate assigned values for blocked dynamic index keys', function () {
+      let evaluated = false;
+
+      render('#set($key = "__proto__") #set($target[$key].polluted = $markEvaluated())', {
+        target: {},
+        markEvaluated() {
+          evaluated = true;
+          return 'hacked';
+        },
+      });
+
+      assert.equal(evaluated, false);
+      assert.equal(({} as Record<string, unknown>).polluted, undefined);
+    });
+
+    it('does not create root objects for blocked paths', function () {
+      const context = getContext('#set($target["__proto__"].polluted = "hacked")');
+
+      expect(context).not.toHaveProperty('target');
+      assert.equal(({} as Record<string, unknown>).polluted, undefined);
+    });
+
+    it('preserves assignments after assigned values create missing parents', function () {
+      const target: { child?: { name?: string } } = {};
+      const context = {
+        target,
+        ensureChild() {
+          target.child = {};
+          return 'Car';
+        },
+      };
+
+      render('#set($target.child.name = $ensureChild())', context);
+
+      assert.equal(target.child?.name, 'Car');
+    });
+
+    it('preserves top-level constructor and prototype variables', function () {
+      const context = getContext('#set($constructor = "ctor") #set($prototype = "proto")');
+
+      assert.equal(context.constructor, 'ctor');
+      assert.equal(context.prototype, 'proto');
+    });
+
+    it('preserves own constructor and prototype data fields', function () {
+      const model = {
+        constructor: {
+          prototype: {},
+        },
+        prototype: {},
+      };
+
+      render(
+        '#set($model.constructor.name = "Car") #set($model.constructor.prototype.kind = "vehicle") #set($model.prototype.label = "draft")',
+        { model }
+      );
+
+      assert.equal((model.constructor as Record<string, unknown>).name, 'Car');
+      assert.equal((model.constructor.prototype as Record<string, unknown>).kind, 'vehicle');
+      assert.equal((model.prototype as Record<string, unknown>).label, 'draft');
+    });
+
+    it('does not set values through function prototype paths', function () {
+      let evaluated = false;
+
+      render('#set($target.constructor.prototype.polluted = $markEvaluated())', {
+        target: { constructor: Object },
+        markEvaluated() {
+          evaluated = true;
+          return 'hacked';
+        },
+      });
+
+      assert.equal(evaluated, false);
+      assert.equal(({} as Record<string, unknown>).polluted, undefined);
+    });
+  });
+
   it('set with foreach', function () {
     const tpl = `
 #foreach($item in [1..2])