diff --git a/install.sh b/install.sh
index 1654245d9..7a28622cf 100644
--- a/install.sh
+++ b/install.sh
@@ -83,6 +83,13 @@ install() {
         error "Failed to download binary"
     fi
 
+    # Verify archive contents before extraction (CWE-22 path traversal).
+    # Reject any entry with an absolute path or a ".." component.
+    info "Verifying archive..."
+    if tar -tzf "$ARCHIVE" | grep -qE '^/|(^|/)\.\.(/|$)'; then
+        error "Archive contains unsafe paths (absolute or directory traversal) — refusing to extract"
+    fi
+
     info "Extracting..."
     tar -xzf "$ARCHIVE" -C "$TEMP_DIR"
 
diff --git a/scripts/test-install.sh b/scripts/test-install.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..cc863d25e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/test-install.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env sh
+# Tests for install.sh path traversal check (issue #1250, CWE-22).
+#
+# Verifies:
+#   1. Safe archives (single binary, "./prefix", subdirs) are accepted.
+#   2. Archives with absolute paths are rejected pre-extraction.
+#   3. Archives with ".." components are rejected pre-extraction.
+#   4. The check is still present in install.sh (regression guard).
+
+set -eu
+
+REPO_ROOT=$(cd "$(dirname "$0")/.." && pwd)
+INSTALL_SH="$REPO_ROOT/install.sh"
+
+if [ ! -f "$INSTALL_SH" ]; then
+    echo "FAIL: install.sh not found at $INSTALL_SH"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+if ! command -v python3 >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    echo "SKIP: python3 not available — crafted tarball tests require python3"
+    exit 0
+fi
+
+TMPDIR=$(mktemp -d)
+trap 'rm -rf "$TMPDIR"' EXIT
+
+# The check replicated from install.sh (keep in sync with install.sh).
+# Returns 0 when archive is safe, 1 when unsafe.
+check_archive() {
+    if tar -tzf "$1" | grep -qE '^/|(^|/)\.\.(/|$)'; then
+        return 1
+    fi
+    return 0
+}
+
+# --- Build safe archive using standard tar ---
+mkdir -p "$TMPDIR/safe_src"
+printf '#!/bin/sh\necho rtk\n' > "$TMPDIR/safe_src/rtk"
+(cd "$TMPDIR/safe_src" && tar -czf "$TMPDIR/safe.tgz" rtk)
+
+# --- Build crafted malicious archives with python ---
+python3 - "$TMPDIR" <<'PY'
+import sys, tarfile, io
+
+base = sys.argv[1]
+
+
+def make(name, entry):
+    with tarfile.open(f"{base}/{name}", "w:gz") as t:
+        info = tarfile.TarInfo(name=entry)
+        data = b"pwned"
+        info.size = len(data)
+        t.addfile(info, io.BytesIO(data))
+
+
+make("traversal.tgz", "../etc/evil")
+make("absolute.tgz", "/tmp/evil_abs")
+make("middle.tgz", "rtk/../../../etc/evil")
+make("end_dotdot.tgz", "rtk/..")
+PY
+
+FAIL=0
+pass() { printf '  PASS: %s\n' "$1"; }
+fail() { printf '  FAIL: %s\n' "$1"; FAIL=1; }
+
+echo "==> Functional checks"
+
+if check_archive "$TMPDIR/safe.tgz"; then
+    pass "safe archive accepted"
+else
+    fail "safe archive rejected (false positive)"
+fi
+
+for bad in traversal absolute middle end_dotdot; do
+    if check_archive "$TMPDIR/$bad.tgz"; then
+        fail "$bad archive accepted (should be rejected)"
+    else
+        pass "$bad archive rejected"
+    fi
+done
+
+echo "==> Regression guard"
+
+if grep -qF 'tar -tzf' "$INSTALL_SH" && grep -qF '\.\.' "$INSTALL_SH"; then
+    pass "install.sh still contains the path-traversal check"
+else
+    fail "install.sh is missing the path-traversal check — was it removed?"
+fi
+
+echo ""
+if [ "$FAIL" -eq 0 ]; then
+    echo "All install.sh path traversal tests passed"
+    exit 0
+else
+    echo "Some tests failed"
+    exit 1
+fi