diff --git a/.github/docker-images/ubuntu-18-x64/Dockerfile b/.github/docker-images/ubuntu-18-x64/Dockerfile
index 7ca1a1de3..6350296c0 100644
--- a/.github/docker-images/ubuntu-18-x64/Dockerfile
+++ b/.github/docker-images/ubuntu-18-x64/Dockerfile
@@ -11,11 +11,9 @@ RUN apt-get update -qq \
     curl \
     sudo \
     unzip \
-    # Ubuntu18's default python3 is python3.6, which is EOL.
-    # So install python3.8 (latest version on this distro, circa Oct 2022)
-    python3.8-dev \
-    # This installs pip for all python versions on the system
-    # (there is no "python3.8-pip")
+    # Don't bother installing a specific python version. "python3" will always
+    # refer to the default for this ubuntu release (i.e. python3.6 on ubuntu-18)
+    python3-dev \
     python3-pip \
     build-essential \
     # For PPAs
@@ -29,8 +27,8 @@ RUN apt-get update -qq \
 ###############################################################################
 WORKDIR /tmp
 
-RUN python3.8 -m pip install setuptools \
-    && python3.8 -m pip install --upgrade pip \
+RUN python3 -m pip install setuptools \
+    && python3 -m pip install --upgrade pip \
     && curl "https://awscli.amazonaws.com/awscli-exe-linux-x86_64.zip" -o awscliv2.zip \
     && unzip awscliv2.zip \
     && sudo aws/install \
diff --git a/.github/docker-images/ubuntu-20-aarch64/Dockerfile b/.github/docker-images/ubuntu-20-aarch64/Dockerfile
index 3b58b2691..14e253f3f 100644
--- a/.github/docker-images/ubuntu-20-aarch64/Dockerfile
+++ b/.github/docker-images/ubuntu-20-aarch64/Dockerfile
@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@ RUN apt-get update -qq \
     curl \
     sudo \
     unzip \
-    python3 \
+    # Don't bother installing a specific python version. "python3" will always
+    # refer to the default for this ubuntu release (i.e. python3.6 on ubuntu-18)
     python3-dev \
     python3-pip \
     build-essential \
diff --git a/.github/docker-images/ubuntu-20-x64/Dockerfile b/.github/docker-images/ubuntu-20-x64/Dockerfile
index 0fe3d1c5f..241fb0270 100644
--- a/.github/docker-images/ubuntu-20-x64/Dockerfile
+++ b/.github/docker-images/ubuntu-20-x64/Dockerfile
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ RUN apt-get update -qq \
     curl \
     sudo \
     unzip \
+    # Don't bother installing a specific python version. "python3" will always
+    # refer to the default for this ubuntu release (i.e. python3.6 on ubuntu-18)
     python3-dev \
     python3-pip \
     build-essential \
diff --git a/builder/core/data.py b/builder/core/data.py
index 9e3f74306..e6618f834 100644
--- a/builder/core/data.py
+++ b/builder/core/data.py
@@ -133,9 +133,6 @@ class PKG_TOOLS(Enum):
         ],
         'pkg_update': 'apt-get -qq update -y',
         'pkg_install': 'apt-get -qq install -y',
-        'variables': {
-            'python': "python3.8",
-        },
     },
     'debian': {
         'os': 'linux',
@@ -532,6 +529,7 @@ class PKG_TOOLS(Enum):
             '9': {},
             '10': {},
             '11': {},
+            '12': {},
         },
 
         'architectures': {