diff --git a/internal/vault/path_traversal_test.go b/internal/vault/path_traversal_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..499ba31
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/vault/path_traversal_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+package vault
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"git.eeqj.de/sneak/secret/internal/secret"
+	"github.com/awnumar/memguard"
+	"github.com/spf13/afero"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+// TestGetSecretVersionRejectsPathTraversal verifies that GetSecretVersion
+// validates the secret name and rejects path traversal attempts.
+// This is a regression test for https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/secret/issues/13
+func TestGetSecretVersionRejectsPathTraversal(t *testing.T) {
+	testMnemonic := "abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon about"
+	t.Setenv(secret.EnvMnemonic, testMnemonic)
+	t.Setenv(secret.EnvUnlockPassphrase, "test-passphrase")
+
+	fs := afero.NewMemMapFs()
+	stateDir := "/test/state"
+
+	vlt, err := CreateVault(fs, stateDir, "test-vault")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// Add a legitimate secret so the vault is set up
+	value := memguard.NewBufferFromBytes([]byte("legitimate-secret"))
+	err = vlt.AddSecret("legit", value, false)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// These names contain path traversal and should be rejected
+	maliciousNames := []string{
+		"../../../etc/passwd",
+		"..%2f..%2fetc/passwd",
+		".secret",
+		"../sibling-vault/secrets.d/target",
+	}
+
+	for _, name := range maliciousNames {
+		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			_, err := vlt.GetSecretVersion(name, "")
+			assert.Error(t, err, "GetSecretVersion should reject malicious name: %s", name)
+			assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "invalid secret name",
+				"error should indicate invalid name for: %s", name)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// TestGetSecretRejectsPathTraversal verifies GetSecret (which calls GetSecretVersion)
+// also rejects path traversal names.
+func TestGetSecretRejectsPathTraversal(t *testing.T) {
+	testMnemonic := "abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon about"
+	t.Setenv(secret.EnvMnemonic, testMnemonic)
+	t.Setenv(secret.EnvUnlockPassphrase, "test-passphrase")
+
+	fs := afero.NewMemMapFs()
+	stateDir := "/test/state"
+
+	vlt, err := CreateVault(fs, stateDir, "test-vault")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	_, err = vlt.GetSecret("../../../etc/passwd")
+	assert.Error(t, err)
+	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "invalid secret name")
+}
diff --git a/internal/vault/secrets.go b/internal/vault/secrets.go
index 3452e0d..a7b3387 100644
--- a/internal/vault/secrets.go
+++ b/internal/vault/secrets.go
@@ -319,6 +319,12 @@ func (v *Vault) GetSecretVersion(name string, version string) ([]byte, error) {
 		slog.String("version", version),
 	)
 
+	// Validate secret name to prevent path traversal
+	if !isValidSecretName(name) {
+		secret.Debug("Invalid secret name provided", "secret_name", name)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid secret name '%s': must match pattern [a-z0-9.\\-_/]+", name)
+	}
+
 	// Get vault directory
 	vaultDir, err := v.GetDirectory()
 	if err != nil {