diff --git a/capabilities/network-ops/tools/impacket.py b/capabilities/network-ops/tools/impacket.py
index f3bd0c2..8bbee03 100644
--- a/capabilities/network-ops/tools/impacket.py
+++ b/capabilities/network-ops/tools/impacket.py
@@ -61,45 +61,62 @@ def _extract_real_path_from_wrapper(wrapper_path: Path) -> Path | None:
 
 
 def _ensure_impacket_installed() -> None:
-    """Install impacket into the running Python if it's not importable.
+    """Ensure impacket is importable by subprocesses using sys.executable.
 
-    The runtime may not process ``dependencies.python`` from
-    ``capability.yaml``, so we do a best-effort pip install at import
-    time as a fallback.
+    The in-process ``import impacket`` may succeed (via inherited
+    PYTHONPATH or global site-packages) while subprocesses spawned with
+    ``sys.executable`` fail because they run in an isolated venv.  We
+    check the *subprocess* environment specifically, since that's what
+    ``_build_script_command`` uses to run impacket scripts.
 
     Set ``DREADNODE_SKIP_AUTO_INSTALL=1`` to disable (useful in tests/CI).
     """
+    import subprocess
+
     if os.environ.get("DREADNODE_SKIP_AUTO_INSTALL", "").strip() in ("1", "true", "yes"):
         return
 
+    # Check if sys.executable can import impacket as a subprocess —
+    # this matches how _build_script_command actually runs scripts.
     try:
-        import impacket as _  # noqa: F401
-    except ImportError:
-        import subprocess
+        subprocess.run(
+            [sys.executable, "-c", "import impacket"],
+            stdout=subprocess.DEVNULL,
+            stderr=subprocess.DEVNULL,
+            check=True,
+            timeout=10,
+        )
+        return  # sys.executable can import impacket — nothing to do
+    except (subprocess.CalledProcessError, subprocess.TimeoutExpired, OSError):
+        pass
 
-        logger.warning("impacket not importable — attempting pip install")
-        for extra_args in ([], ["--break-system-packages"]):
-            try:
-                subprocess.run(
-                    [
-                        sys.executable,
-                        "-m",
-                        "pip",
-                        "install",
-                        "--quiet",
-                        "impacket>=0.12.0",
-                        *extra_args,
-                    ],
-                    stdout=subprocess.DEVNULL,
-                    stderr=subprocess.DEVNULL,
-                    check=True,
-                    timeout=120,
-                )
-                logger.info("impacket installed successfully")
-                return
-            except (subprocess.CalledProcessError, subprocess.TimeoutExpired, OSError):
-                continue
-        logger.error("Failed to install impacket — impacket tools will not work")
+    logger.warning(
+        f"impacket not importable by {sys.executable} — attempting pip install"
+    )
+    for extra_args in ([], ["--break-system-packages"]):
+        try:
+            subprocess.run(
+                [
+                    sys.executable,
+                    "-m",
+                    "pip",
+                    "install",
+                    "--quiet",
+                    "impacket>=0.12.0",
+                    *extra_args,
+                ],
+                stdout=subprocess.DEVNULL,
+                stderr=subprocess.DEVNULL,
+                check=True,
+                timeout=120,
+            )
+            logger.info("impacket installed successfully")
+            return
+        except (subprocess.CalledProcessError, subprocess.TimeoutExpired, OSError):
+            continue
+    logger.error(
+        f"Failed to install impacket into {sys.executable} — impacket tools will not work"
+    )
 
 
 _ensure_impacket_installed()
@@ -112,13 +129,34 @@ def _get_impacket_script_path() -> Path:
     Returns a directory containing real Python impacket scripts (not
     shell wrappers) so they can be invoked via sys.executable.
 
-    Tries multiple common locations:
-    1. Global PATH: resolve the found script's directory, following
+    Tries multiple common locations, preferring site-packages (which
+    matches sys.executable) over PATH (which may contain pip entry
+    point wrappers installed for a different Python version):
+    1. pip-installed: site-packages/impacket/examples/ (same Python as sys.executable)
+    2. apt-installed: /usr/share/doc/python3-impacket/examples/
+    3. Global PATH: resolve the found script's directory, following
        shell wrappers to the real scripts if needed
-    2. pip-installed: site-packages/impacket/examples/
-    3. apt-installed: /usr/share/doc/python3-impacket/examples/
     """
-    # Check if scripts are on PATH (pipx / manual install)
+    # Prefer site-packages — these scripts are guaranteed to work with
+    # sys.executable since they live in the same Python installation.
+    # PATH entries (e.g. ~/.local/bin/) are pip entry point wrappers
+    # that may be installed for a different Python version.
+    try:
+        import impacket
+
+        impacket_pkg_path = Path(impacket.__file__).parent
+        examples_path = impacket_pkg_path / "examples"
+        if examples_path.exists() and (examples_path / "secretsdump.py").exists():
+            return examples_path
+    except ImportError:
+        pass
+
+    # Fall back to apt installation path
+    apt_path = Path("/usr/share/doc/python3-impacket/examples/")
+    if apt_path.exists() and (apt_path / "secretsdump.py").exists():
+        return apt_path
+
+    # Last resort: check PATH (pipx / manual install)
     found = shutil.which("secretsdump.py")
     if found is not None:
         found_path = Path(found).resolve()
@@ -138,23 +176,6 @@ def _get_impacket_script_path() -> Path:
             f"Impacket script at {found_path} is a shell wrapper, skipping PATH discovery"
         )
 
-    # Try to find impacket in site-packages (pip install)
-    try:
-        import impacket
-
-        impacket_pkg_path = Path(impacket.__file__).parent
-        examples_path = impacket_pkg_path / "examples"
-        # Check that actual script files exist, not just the directory
-        if examples_path.exists() and (examples_path / "secretsdump.py").exists():
-            return examples_path
-    except ImportError:
-        pass
-
-    # Fall back to apt installation path
-    apt_path = Path("/usr/share/doc/python3-impacket/examples/")
-    if apt_path.exists() and (apt_path / "secretsdump.py").exists():
-        return apt_path
-
     # Default fallback
     return Path("/usr/share/doc/python3-impacket/examples/")