diff --git a/src/distro/distro.py b/src/distro/distro.py
index dfa8107..fdc14e4 100755
--- a/src/distro/distro.py
+++ b/src/distro/distro.py
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
     Callable,
     Dict,
     Iterable,
+    List,
     Optional,
     Sequence,
     TextIO,
@@ -744,6 +745,9 @@ def __init__(
         * :py:exc:`ValueError`: Initialization parameters combination is not
            supported.
 
+        * :py:exc:`PermissionError`: At least a path is leading to outside
+           ``root_dir``, if it has been specified.
+
         * :py:exc:`OSError`: Some I/O issue with an os-release file or distro
           release file.
 
@@ -791,6 +795,13 @@ def __init__(
             include_oslevel if include_oslevel is not None else not is_root_dir_defined
         )
 
+        self.__prevent_root_dir_escape(
+            root_dir,
+            [self.etc_dir, self.usr_lib_dir]
+            # only additionally check `self.os_release_file` if not user-supplied
+            + ([self.os_release_file] if not os_release_file else []),
+        )
+
     def __repr__(self) -> str:
         """Return repr of all info"""
         return (
@@ -808,6 +819,22 @@ def __repr__(self) -> str:
             "_oslevel_info={self._oslevel_info!r})".format(self=self)
         )
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def __prevent_root_dir_escape(root_dir: Optional[str], paths: List[str]) -> None:
+        if root_dir is None:
+            return
+        # resolve paths derived from root_dir to prevent rootfs escape.
+        root_dir_resolved = os.path.realpath(root_dir)
+        if (
+            os.path.commonprefix(
+                [os.path.realpath(path) for path in paths] + [root_dir_resolved]
+            )
+            != root_dir_resolved
+        ):
+            raise PermissionError(
+                f"At least one path resolves to outside of {root_dir}."
+            )
+
     def linux_distribution(
         self, full_distribution_name: bool = True
     ) -> Tuple[str, str, str]:
@@ -1271,6 +1298,7 @@ def _distro_release_info(self) -> Dict[str, str]:
                 if match is None:
                     continue
                 filepath = os.path.join(self.etc_dir, basename)
+                self.__prevent_root_dir_escape(self.root_dir, [filepath])
                 distro_info = self._parse_distro_release_file(filepath)
                 # The name is always present if the pattern matches.
                 if "name" not in distro_info:
diff --git a/tests/resources/testdistros/distro/dontfollowsymlinks/etc/os-release b/tests/resources/testdistros/distro/dontfollowsymlinks/etc/os-release
new file mode 120000
index 0000000..9751284
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/resources/testdistros/distro/dontfollowsymlinks/etc/os-release
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/etc/os-release
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/test_distro.py b/tests/test_distro.py
index d63e986..d85c28b 100644
--- a/tests/test_distro.py
+++ b/tests/test_distro.py
@@ -490,7 +490,7 @@ def setup_method(self, test_method: FunctionType) -> None:
         root_dir = os.path.join(DISTROS_DIR, dist)
         self.distro = distro.LinuxDistribution(
             os_release_file="",
-            distro_release_file="path-to-non-existing-file",
+            distro_release_file=os.path.join(root_dir, "path-to-non-existing-file"),
             root_dir=root_dir,
         )
 
@@ -701,6 +701,12 @@ def test_empty_release(self) -> None:
         desired_outcome = {"id": "empty"}
         self._test_outcome(desired_outcome)
 
+    def test_dontfollowsymlinks(self) -> None:
+        with pytest.raises(PermissionError):
+            distro.LinuxDistribution(
+                root_dir=os.path.join(TESTDISTROS, "distro", "dontfollowsymlinks")
+            )
+
     def test_dontincludeuname(self) -> None:
         self._setup_for_distro(os.path.join(TESTDISTROS, "distro", "dontincludeuname"))