diff --git a/docs/source/backends/openwrt.rst b/docs/source/backends/openwrt.rst
index 2ba56c85a..656ecf0a5 100644
--- a/docs/source/backends/openwrt.rst
+++ b/docs/source/backends/openwrt.rst
@@ -2846,6 +2846,9 @@ key name     type   required function
 The ``files`` key of the *configuration dictionary* is a custom NetJSON
 extension not present in the original NetJSON RFC.
 
+File paths may contain only letters, numbers, dots, underscores, dashes
+and slashes. Empty path parts, ``.`` and ``..`` are not allowed.
+
 .. warning::
 
     The files are included in the output of the ``render`` method unless
diff --git a/netjsonconfig/backends/base/backend.py b/netjsonconfig/backends/base/backend.py
index de80a991c..910011a55 100644
--- a/netjsonconfig/backends/base/backend.py
+++ b/netjsonconfig/backends/base/backend.py
@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@
 
 format_checker = Draft4Validator.FORMAT_CHECKER
 _host_name_re = re.compile(r"^[A-Za-z0-9][A-Za-z0-9\.\-]{1,255}$")
+# Literal path text is intentionally limited to common path characters.
+# Template variables are checked separately.
+_file_path_re = re.compile(r"\A/?[A-Za-z0-9._/-]+\Z")
 
 
 class BaseBackend(object):
@@ -158,9 +161,64 @@ def validate(self):
             Draft4Validator(self.schema, format_checker=format_checker).validate(
                 self.config
             )
+            self._validate_file_paths()
         except JsonSchemaError as e:
             raise ValidationError(e)
 
+    def _validate_file_paths(self):
+        """
+        Validates paths used by extra configuration files.
+
+        These paths are later written to configuration archives and applied on
+        devices, so accepting malformed or surprising paths can lead to unsafe
+        or broken behavior outside netjsonconfig.
+        """
+        for index, file_item in enumerate(self.config.get("files", [])):
+            path = file_item["path"]
+            # Keep one leading slash valid, but do not hide extra slashes.
+            # They are empty path components and should fail validation.
+            components = (
+                path[1:].split("/") if path.startswith("/") else path.split("/")
+            )
+            valid_path = self._validate_file_path_chars(path)
+            valid_components = all(
+                component and component not in {".", ".."} for component in components
+            )
+            if valid_path and valid_components:
+                continue
+            raise JsonSchemaError(
+                'Invalid file path "{0}". Allowed characters are letters, numbers, '
+                '".", "_", "-", and "/". Empty path parts and "." or ".." '
+                "components are not allowed.".format(path),
+                path=("files", index, "path"),
+            )
+
+    def _validate_file_path_chars(self, path):
+        """
+        Checks the visible characters of a file path.
+
+        Template variables are internal values, so this method accepts them
+        only when they are properly wrapped in ``{{`` and ``}}`` while keeping
+        the public path character set strict and easy to explain.
+        """
+        index = 0
+        clean_path = ""
+        while index < len(path):
+            if path.startswith("{{", index):
+                # Variable names are not part of the path syntax. Only the
+                # delimiters matter here; callers decide what names are valid.
+                end_index = path.find("}}", index + 2)
+                if end_index == -1:
+                    return False
+                clean_path += "x"
+                index = end_index + 2
+                continue
+            if path[index] in "{}":
+                return False
+            clean_path += path[index]
+            index += 1
+        return bool(_file_path_re.match(clean_path))
+
     def render(self, files=True):
         """
         Converts the configuration dictionary into the corresponding configuration format
@@ -217,6 +275,9 @@ def generate(self):
 
         :returns: in-memory tar.gz archive, instance of ``BytesIO``
         """
+        # Do not validate here. Old saved configs should still be downloadable
+        # after stricter validation is introduced; new data should be rejected
+        # when validate() is called.
         tar_bytes = BytesIO()
         tar = tarfile.open(fileobj=tar_bytes, mode="w")
         self._generate_contents(tar)
diff --git a/tests/test_base.py b/tests/test_base.py
index 24e63dde8..8ff498611 100644
--- a/tests/test_base.py
+++ b/tests/test_base.py
@@ -4,6 +4,12 @@
 from netjsonconfig.backends.base.backend import BaseBackend
 from netjsonconfig.backends.base.parser import BaseParser
 from netjsonconfig.backends.base.renderer import BaseRenderer
+from netjsonconfig.exceptions import ValidationError
+from netjsonconfig.schema import schema
+
+
+class BaseBackendWithSchema(BaseBackend):
+    schema = schema
 
 
 class TestBase(unittest.TestCase):
@@ -32,3 +38,44 @@ def test_parse_tar_not_implemented(self):
     def test_base_backend_parse_not_implemented(self):
         with self.assertRaises(NotImplementedError):
             BaseBackend(native="")
+
+    def test_validate_file_paths(self):
+        b = BaseBackendWithSchema(
+            {
+                "files": [
+                    {"path": "/etc/config/network", "mode": "0644", "contents": ""},
+                    {"path": "etc/openvpn/client.conf", "mode": "0644", "contents": ""},
+                    {"path": "{{cert_path_abc123}}", "mode": "0644", "contents": ""},
+                    {
+                        "path": "/etc/{{cert_path_abc123}}",
+                        "mode": "0644",
+                        "contents": "",
+                    },
+                ]
+            }
+        )
+        b.validate()
+
+    def test_validate_file_paths_rejects_invalid_paths(self):
+        invalid_paths = [
+            "tmp/x; reboot",
+            "../../../etc/passwd",
+            "tmp/a b",
+            "tmp/file\n",
+            "tmp/$(reboot)",
+            "//etc/passwd",
+            "///etc/passwd",
+            "tmp//file",
+            "tmp/./file",
+            "tmp/{file}",
+            "tmp/{{file}",
+            "tmp/file}}",
+        ]
+        for path in invalid_paths:
+            with self.subTest(path=path):
+                b = BaseBackendWithSchema(
+                    {"files": [{"path": path, "mode": "0644", "contents": ""}]}
+                )
+                with self.assertRaises(ValidationError) as context:
+                    b.validate()
+                self.assertIn("Invalid file path", context.exception.message)