Accept a version argument only if the secret has that version (closes #67)

version rm, version promote and get --version joined the version
argument into a path unchecked, so "", ".", "..", "../../.." removed or
read every version, the secret, the vault or directories above it.

A version is now accepted only if it is one of the versions
ListVersions lists for the secret, compared by name before any path is
built (secret.VersionExists, used by all three). An empty --version is
rejected instead of meaning the current version: GetSecretVersion no
longer treats "" as current, and GetSecret looks the current version
up itself.

Model: opus-5-5

TODO.md

@@ -25,6 +25,13 @@ Bring the repo into policy compliance in one commit:
 
 # Completed Steps
 
+- 2026-10-03: `version rm`, `version promote` and `get --version`
+  accept a version only if it is one of the versions `version list`
+  lists for that secret, compared as typed before any path is built
+  (`secret.VersionExists`), and touch nothing otherwise. An empty
+  `--version` is rejected instead of meaning the current version.
+  Before, `secret version rm x ../../..` deleted the whole vault,
+  `secret version rm x ..` the secret, and `.` or `""` every version.
 - 2026-10-03: Every command that builds a path from a secret name
   checks the name first with `vault.ValidateSecretName` and touches
   nothing when it is invalid: `rm`, `mv` (both names, within a vault

internal/cli/integration_test.go

@@ -1943,6 +1943,13 @@ func test23ErrorHandling(t *testing.T, tempDir, secretPath, testMnemonic string,
 	require.Error(t, err, "get non-existent version should fail")
 	assert.Contains(t, output, "not found", "should indicate version not found")
 
+	// An empty --version is not a version; it does not mean the current one
+	output, err = runSecretWithEnv(map[string]string{
+		secret.EnvMnemonic: testMnemonic,
+	}, "get", "--version", "", "database/password")
+	require.Error(t, err, "get with an empty version should fail")
+	assert.Contains(t, output, "version '' not found", "should reject the empty version")
+
 	// Promote non-existent version
 	output, err = runSecretWithEnv(map[string]string{
 		secret.EnvMnemonic: testMnemonic,

internal/cli/path_traversal_test.go

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package cli_test
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"maps"
 	"os"
 	"slices"
@@ -119,13 +120,13 @@ func newFsFromSnapshot(t *testing.T, tree map[string]string) afero.Fs {
 }
 
 // requireRejectedAndUnchanged runs a command on a copy of the state
-// directory recorded in before. It requires exactly the error
+// directory recorded in before. It requires an error with exactly the
-// vault.ValidateSecretName gives for the rejected name, so that a later
+// message of want, so that a later check rejecting the argument does not
-// check rejecting the name does not count, and everything under the state
+// count, and everything under the state directory as it was: the error
-// directory as it was: the error alone proves nothing, since it could come
+// alone proves nothing, since it could come after the vault had already
-// after the vault had already been deleted.
+// been deleted.
 func requireRejectedAndUnchanged(
-	t *testing.T, before map[string]string, rejected string,
+	t *testing.T, before map[string]string, want error,
 	run func(c *cli.Instance) error,
 ) {
 	t.Helper()
@@ -135,8 +136,7 @@ func requireRejectedAndUnchanged(
 	err := run(cli.NewCLIInstanceWithStateDir(fs, testStateDir))
 
 	require.Equal(t, before, snapshotStateDir(t, fs))
-	require.ErrorIs(t, err, vault.ErrInvalidSecretName)
+	require.EqualError(t, err, want.Error())
-	require.EqualError(t, err, vault.ValidateSecretName(rejected).Error())
 }
 
 // TestInvalidSecretNameLeavesVaultsUnchanged is a regression test for
@@ -229,11 +229,92 @@ func TestInvalidSecretNameLeavesVaultsUnchanged(t *testing.T) {
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		t.Run(tt.command, func(t *testing.T) {
-			requireRejectedAndUnchanged(t, before, tt.rejected, tt.run)
+			requireRejectedAndUnchanged(t, before, vault.ValidateSecretName(tt.rejected), tt.run)
 		})
 	}
 }
 
+// TestInvalidVersionLeavesVaultsUnchanged is a regression test for
+// https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/secret/issues/67, where
+// `secret version rm x ../../..` deleted the whole vault,
+// `secret version rm x ..` the secret x, and `secret version rm x .` or
+// `secret version rm x ""` every version of x. A version argument is
+// accepted only if it is one of the versions `secret version list` lists.
+//
+//nolint:paralleltest // newTwoVaultFs uses t.Setenv
+func TestInvalidVersionLeavesVaultsUnchanged(t *testing.T) {
+	before := snapshotStateDir(t, newTwoVaultFs(t))
+
+	cmd := &cobra.Command{}
+
+	commands := []struct {
+		command string
+		run     func(c *cli.Instance, version string) error
+	}{
+		{"version rm x", func(c *cli.Instance, version string) error {
+			return c.RemoveVersion(cmd, "x", version)
+		}},
+		{"version promote x", func(c *cli.Instance, version string) error {
+			return c.PromoteVersion(cmd, "x", version)
+		}},
+		{"get x --version", func(c *cli.Instance, version string) error {
+			return c.GetSecretWithVersion(cmd, "x", version)
+		}},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range commands {
+		for _, version := range []string{"", ".", "..", "../../..", "a/b"} {
+			t.Run(fmt.Sprintf("%s %q", tt.command, version), func(t *testing.T) {
+				want := fmt.Errorf("version '%s' %w '%s'",
+					version, vault.ErrVersionNotFound, "x")
+				requireRejectedAndUnchanged(t, before, want,
+					func(c *cli.Instance) error { return tt.run(c, version) })
+			})
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// TestRemoveVersionRemovesOnlyThatVersion checks that `secret version rm`
+// with a version that is not the current one removes that version and
+// changes nothing else.
+//
+//nolint:paralleltest // newTwoVaultFs uses t.Setenv
+func TestRemoveVersionRemovesOnlyThatVersion(t *testing.T) {
+	fs := newTwoVaultFs(t)
+
+	vlt, err := vault.GetCurrentVault(fs, testStateDir)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// A second version of "x" becomes the current one.
+	err = vlt.AddSecret("x", memguard.NewBufferFromBytes([]byte("new")), true)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	secretDir := testStateDir + "/vaults.d/default/secrets.d/x"
+	versions, err := secret.ListVersions(fs, secretDir)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Len(t, versions, 2)
+
+	// ListVersions lists the newest version first.
+	oldDir := secretDir + "/versions/" + versions[1] + "/"
+	before := snapshotStateDir(t, fs)
+	require.Contains(t, before, oldDir)
+
+	c := cli.NewCLIInstanceWithStateDir(fs, testStateDir)
+	err = c.RemoveVersion(&cobra.Command{}, "x", versions[1])
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// Expected: the state as before without everything under oldDir.
+	want := map[string]string{}
+
+	for path, content := range before {
+		if !strings.HasPrefix(path, oldDir) {
+			want[path] = content
+		}
+	}
+
+	require.Equal(t, want, snapshotStateDir(t, fs))
+}
+
 // TestMoveToVaultNameRenamesInCurrentVault checks that `secret mv x work`,
 // where "work" is also the name of a vault, renames the secret "x" to "work"
 // in the current vault and changes nothing else.

internal/cli/secrets.go

@@ -109,6 +109,12 @@ func newGetCmd() *cobra.Command {
 				return fmt.Errorf("failed to initialize CLI: %w", err)
 			}
 
+			// Without --version, get the current version. A given
+			// --version is checked as typed, so an empty one is rejected.
+			if !cmd.Flags().Changed("version") {
+				return cli.GetSecret(cmd, args[0])
+			}
+
 			return cli.GetSecretWithVersion(cmd, args[0], version)
 		},
 	}
@@ -393,12 +399,32 @@ func (cli *Instance) AddSecret(secretName string, force bool) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// GetSecret retrieves and prints a secret from the current vault
+// GetSecret retrieves and prints the current version of a secret
 func (cli *Instance) GetSecret(cmd *cobra.Command, secretName string) error {
-	return cli.GetSecretWithVersion(cmd, secretName, "")
+	secret.Debug("GetSecret called", "secretName", secretName)
+
+	// Store the command for output
+	cli.cmd = cmd
+
+	// Get current vault
+	vlt, err := vault.GetCurrentVault(cli.fs, cli.stateDir)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
 
-// GetSecretWithVersion retrieves and prints a specific version of a secret
+	value, err := vlt.GetSecret(secretName)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// Print the secret value to stdout
+	_, _ = cli.Print(string(value))
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+// GetSecretWithVersion retrieves and prints a specific version of a secret.
+// The version must be one of the secret's versions.
 func (cli *Instance) GetSecretWithVersion(
 	cmd *cobra.Command, secretName string, version string,
 ) error {
@@ -417,13 +443,7 @@ func (cli *Instance) GetSecretWithVersion(
 	}
 
 	// Get the secret value
-	var value []byte
+	value, err := vlt.GetSecretVersion(secretName, version)
-	if version == "" {
-		value, err = vlt.GetSecret(secretName)
-	} else {
-		value, err = vlt.GetSecretVersion(secretName, version)
-	}
-
 	if err != nil {
 		secret.Debug("Failed to get secret", "error", err)
 

internal/cli/version.go

@@ -265,9 +265,7 @@ func (cli *Instance) PromoteVersion(
 	secretDir := filepath.Join(vaultDir, "secrets.d", encodedName)
 
 	// Check if version exists
-	versionDir := filepath.Join(secretDir, "versions", version)
+	exists, err := secret.VersionExists(cli.fs, secretDir, version)
-
-	exists, err := afero.DirExists(cli.fs, versionDir)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to check if version exists: %w", err)
 	}
@@ -323,9 +321,7 @@ func (cli *Instance) RemoveVersion(
 	}
 
 	// Check if version exists
-	versionDir := filepath.Join(secretDir, "versions", version)
+	exists, err = secret.VersionExists(cli.fs, secretDir, version)
-
-	exists, err = afero.DirExists(cli.fs, versionDir)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to check if version exists: %w", err)
 	}
@@ -348,6 +344,8 @@ func (cli *Instance) RemoveVersion(
 	}
 
 	// Remove the version directory
+	versionDir := filepath.Join(secretDir, "versions", version)
+
 	err = cli.fs.RemoveAll(versionDir)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to remove version: %w", err)

internal/cli/version_test.go

@@ -276,8 +276,8 @@ func TestGetSecretWithVersion(t *testing.T) {
 	var buf bytes.Buffer
 	cmd.SetOut(&buf)
 
-	// Test getting current version (empty version string)
+	// Test getting the current version
-	err = cli.GetSecretWithVersion(cmd, "test/secret", "")
+	err = cli.GetSecret(cmd, "test/secret")
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	assert.Equal(t, "version-2", buf.String())
 

internal/secret/version.go

@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"log/slog"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"slices"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
@@ -524,6 +525,18 @@ func ListVersions(fs afero.Fs, secretDir string) ([]string, error) {
 	return versions, nil
 }
 
+// VersionExists reports whether version is one of the versions ListVersions
+// lists for the secret in secretDir. It only compares names, so a version
+// the user typed can be checked with it before any path is built from it.
+func VersionExists(fs afero.Fs, secretDir string, version string) (bool, error) {
+	versions, err := ListVersions(fs, secretDir)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+
+	return slices.Contains(versions, version), nil
+}
+
 // GetCurrentVersion returns the version that the "current" file points to
 // The file contains just the version name (e.g., "20231215.001")
 func GetCurrentVersion(fs afero.Fs, secretDir string) (string, error) {

internal/vault/errors.go

@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ var (
 
 	// ErrVersionNotFound indicates the requested secret version does not
 	// exist. Composed as
-	// "version <version> not found for secret <name>".
+	// "version '<version>' not found for secret '<name>'".
 	ErrVersionNotFound = errors.New("not found for secret")
 
 	// ErrNoVersions indicates the source secret has no versions. Composed

internal/vault/integration_version_test.go

@@ -235,10 +235,10 @@ func testRetrieveSpecificVersions(
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	assert.Equal(t, []byte("version-3-data"), value3)
 
-	// Empty version should return current
+	// An empty version is not one of the versions; GetSecret gets the
-	valueCurrent, err := vault.GetSecretVersion(secretName, "")
+	// current one
-	require.NoError(t, err)
+	_, err = vault.GetSecretVersion(secretName, "")
-	assert.Equal(t, []byte("version-3-data"), valueCurrent)
+	require.ErrorIs(t, err, ErrVersionNotFound)
 }
 
 func testPromoteOldVersion(

internal/vault/secrets.go

@@ -259,18 +259,31 @@ func updateVersionMetadata(
 	return nil
 }
 
-// GetSecret retrieves a secret from this vault
+// GetSecret retrieves the current version of a secret from this vault
 func (v *Vault) GetSecret(name string) ([]byte, error) {
 	secret.DebugWith("Getting secret from vault",
 		slog.String("vault_name", v.Name),
 		slog.String("secret_name", name),
 	)
 
-	return v.GetSecretVersion(name, "")
+	// GetSecretObject validates the name and checks that the secret exists
+	secretObj, err := v.GetSecretObject(name)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
-// GetSecretVersion retrieves a specific version of a secret (empty version
+	currentVersion, err := secret.GetCurrentVersion(v.fs, secretObj.Directory)
-// means current)
+	if err != nil {
+		secret.Debug("Failed to get current version", "error", err, "secret_name", name)
+
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to get current version: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	return v.GetSecretVersion(name, currentVersion)
+}
+
+// GetSecretVersion retrieves a specific version of a secret. The version
+// must be one of the secret's versions; GetSecret gets the current one.
 func (v *Vault) GetSecretVersion(name string, version string) ([]byte, error) {
 	secret.DebugWith("Getting secret version from vault",
 		slog.String("vault_name", v.Name),
@@ -278,8 +291,8 @@ func (v *Vault) GetSecretVersion(name string, version string) ([]byte, error) {
 		slog.String("version", version),
 	)
 
-	// Validate the name and resolve the version to fetch
+	// Validate the name and check that the version exists
-	version, err := v.resolveSecretVersion(name, version)
+	err := v.checkSecretVersion(name, version)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -640,15 +653,15 @@ func (v *Vault) updatePreviousVersion(
 	return nil
 }
 
-// resolveSecretVersion validates the secret name, verifies the secret and
+// checkSecretVersion validates the secret name and verifies that the secret
-// version exist, and resolves an empty version to the current one.
+// exists and that version is one of its versions.
-func (v *Vault) resolveSecretVersion(name, version string) (string, error) {
+func (v *Vault) checkSecretVersion(name, version string) error {
 	// Validate secret name to prevent path traversal
 	err := ValidateSecretName(name)
 	if err != nil {
 		secret.Debug("Invalid secret name provided", "secret_name", name)
 
-		return "", err
+		return err
 	}
 
 	// Get vault directory
@@ -656,7 +669,7 @@ func (v *Vault) resolveSecretVersion(name, version string) (string, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		secret.Debug("Failed to get vault directory", "error", err, "vault_name", v.Name)
 
-		return "", err
+		return err
 	}
 
 	// Convert slashes to percent signs for storage
@@ -668,50 +681,30 @@ func (v *Vault) resolveSecretVersion(name, version string) (string, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		secret.Debug("Failed to check if secret exists", "error", err, "secret_name", name)
 
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to check if secret exists: %w", err)
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to check if secret exists: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	if !exists {
 		secret.Debug("Secret not found in vault", "secret_name", name, "vault_name", v.Name)
 
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("secret %s %w", name, ErrSecretNotFound)
+		return fmt.Errorf("secret %s %w", name, ErrSecretNotFound)
-	}
-
-	// Determine which version to get
-	if version == "" {
-		// Get current version
-		currentVersion, err := secret.GetCurrentVersion(v.fs, secretDir)
-		if err != nil {
-			secret.Debug("Failed to get current version", "error", err, "secret_name", name)
-
-			return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to get current version: %w", err)
-		}
-
-		version = currentVersion
-
-		secret.Debug("Using current version", "version", version, "secret_name", name)
 	}
 
 	// Check if version exists
-	versionPath := filepath.Join(secretDir, "versions", version)
+	exists, err = secret.VersionExists(v.fs, secretDir, version)
-
-	exists, err = afero.DirExists(v.fs, versionPath)
 	if err != nil {
 		secret.Debug("Failed to check if version exists", "error", err, "version", version)
 
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to check if version exists: %w", err)
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to check if version exists: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	if !exists {
 		secret.Debug("Version not found", "version", version, "secret_name", name)
 
-		return "", fmt.Errorf(
+		return fmt.Errorf("version '%s' %w '%s'", version, ErrVersionNotFound, name)
-			"version %s %w %s",
-			version, ErrVersionNotFound, name,
-		)
 	}
 
-	return version, nil
+	return nil
 }
 
 // createAndSaveVersion generates a new version name, sets the version

internal/vault/secrets_version_test.go

@@ -202,10 +202,10 @@ func TestVaultGetSecretVersion(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	assert.Equal(t, []byte("version-2"), value)
 
-	// Get current (empty version)
+	// An empty version is not one of the versions; GetSecret gets the
-	value, err = vault.GetSecretVersion(testSecretPath, "")
+	// current one
-	require.NoError(t, err)
+	_, err = vault.GetSecretVersion(testSecretPath, "")
-	assert.Equal(t, []byte("version-2"), value)
+	require.ErrorIs(t, err, ErrVersionNotFound)
 }
 
 //nolint:paralleltest // createTestVaultWithKey uses t.Setenv