diff --git a/src/config/settings.py b/src/config/settings.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b6db160
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/config/settings.py
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+import os
+import urllib.parse
+import ipaddress
+
+# Base URL for Polar.sh services and API.
+# This value should be configurable via an environment variable (POLAR_BASE_URL)
+# to allow for different deployments (development, staging, production).
+# It defaults to the official production URL (https://polar.sh)
+# to prevent accidental exposure of local development endpoints in public content
+# (e.g., GitHub issue badges) and to mitigate Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) risks
+# by validating the URL against internal/loopback addresses as per security guidelines.
+
+DEFAULT_POLAR_BASE_URL = "https://polar.sh"
+
+def _is_private_ip(ip_str: str) -> bool:
+    """
+    Checks if an IP address string belongs to a private or loopback range.
+    This helper function is used for URL validation against potential SSRF vulnerabilities,
+    adhering to BOUNTY_HUNTER_MASTER_RULES.md Chapter III.
+    """
+    try:
+        ip_obj = ipaddress.ip_address(ip_str)
+        if ip_obj.is_loopback:  # Covers 127.0.0.0/8 (IPv4) and ::1/128 (IPv6)
+            return True
+        if ip_obj.is_private:  # Covers RFC 1918 (10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12, 192.168.0.0/16) for IPv4
+                               # and Unique Local Addresses (fc00::/7) for IPv6
+            return True
+        # Explicitly check 0.0.0.0, which is often used as a wildcard for all interfaces
+        if ip_obj == ipaddress.ip_address("0.0.0.0"):
+            return True
+        return False
+    except ValueError:
+        # Not a valid IP address string, so it's not a private IP in this context
+        return False
+
+def _is_potentially_internal_url(url: str) -> bool:
+    """
+    Checks if a URL's hostname explicitly refers to an internal or loopback resource.
+    This validation helps prevent SSRF by disallowing direct configuration of internal
+    endpoints in POLAR_BASE_URL. It prioritizes checking the hostname string itself
+    over active DNS resolution to avoid network calls during module loading.
+    Adheres to BOUNTY_HUNTER_MASTER_RULES.md Chapter III: Anti-SSRF.
+    """
+    try:
+        parsed_url = urllib.parse.urlparse(url)
+        hostname = parsed_url.hostname
+        
+        if not hostname:
+            # If no hostname (e.g., relative path, or malformed URL that fails to parse hostname),
+            # it is safer to treat this as an invalid configuration that could pose a risk,
+            # especially since POLAR_BASE_URL is expected to be a full, absolute URL.
+            return True
+
+        # Check for common internal hostnames (case-insensitive)
+        if hostname.lower() in ("localhost", "0.0.0.0"):
+            return True
+
+        # Check if the hostname is an IP address and if it's a private/loopback IP
+        if _is_private_ip(hostname):
+            return True
+
+        return False
+    except Exception:
+        # Catch any unexpected errors during URL parsing.
+        # It's always safer to treat malformed or unparsable URLs as potentially internal
+        # to prevent unforeseen risks.
+        return True
+
+
+# Attempt to get the URL from the environment variable POLAR_BASE_URL.
+configured_polar_base_url = os.environ.get("POLAR_BASE_URL")
+
+# Validate the configured URL if it exists.
+if configured_polar_base_url:
+    if _is_potentially_internal_url(configured_polar_base_url):
+        # If the configured URL points to an internal resource (localhost, private IP),
+        # revert to the default public URL for security reasons (SSRF prevention).
+        # A warning would typically be logged here in a production system.
+        POLAR_BASE_URL = DEFAULT_POLAR_BASE_URL
+    else:
+        # If the configured URL is valid and not internal, use it.
+        POLAR_BASE_URL = configured_polar_base_url
+else:
+    # If the environment variable POLAR_BASE_URL is not set, use the default public URL.
+    POLAR_BASE_URL = DEFAULT_POLAR_BASE_URL
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