diff --git a/lib/enhance/fixer.js b/lib/enhance/fixer.js
index b3eea49..2057dde 100644
--- a/lib/enhance/fixer.js
+++ b/lib/enhance/fixer.js
@@ -7,6 +7,37 @@
 const fs = require('fs');
 const path = require('path');
 
+/**
+ * Reject symlinks before read/write operations.
+ *
+ * Security: A hostile repo could symlink a fixable file (e.g. `agent.md`) to a
+ * sensitive target (e.g. `~/.ssh/authorized_keys`). A HIGH-certainty auto-fix
+ * would then silently overwrite that target. We refuse to follow symlinks on
+ * any path we intend to read from or write to, including `.backup` siblings.
+ *
+ * This is called both before opening and immediately before writing, which
+ * narrows - though does not fully close - the TOCTOU window between calls.
+ * Node's fs module does not expose a portable `O_NOFOLLOW` open flag, so
+ * repeated lstat is the cleanest available mitigation for text-file edits.
+ *
+ * @param {string} targetPath - Path to check.
+ * @throws {Error} If the path exists and is a symlink.
+ */
+function assertNotSymlink(targetPath) {
+  let stat;
+  try {
+    stat = fs.lstatSync(targetPath);
+  } catch (err) {
+    if (err.code === 'ENOENT') return; // Path does not yet exist - fine.
+    throw err;
+  }
+  if (stat.isSymbolicLink()) {
+    const err = new Error('target is a symlink; refusing to follow');
+    err.code = 'ESYMLINK_REFUSED';
+    throw err;
+  }
+}
+
 function applyFixes(issues, options = {}) {
   const { dryRun = false, backup = true } = options;
 
@@ -59,6 +90,23 @@ function applyFixes(issues, options = {}) {
         continue;
       }
 
+      // Security: refuse symlinks before we read, so a hostile repo can't
+      // redirect a HIGH-certainty fix at ~/.ssh/authorized_keys or similar.
+      try {
+        assertNotSymlink(filePath);
+      } catch (err) {
+        if (err.code === 'ESYMLINK_REFUSED') {
+          results.errors.push({
+            filePath,
+            error: err.message,
+            success: false,
+            reason: 'target is a symlink; refusing to follow'
+          });
+          continue;
+        }
+        throw err;
+      }
+
       const content = fs.readFileSync(filePath, 'utf8');
       let data;
 
@@ -135,6 +183,8 @@ function applyFixes(issues, options = {}) {
         // Create backup
         if (backup) {
           const backupPath = `${filePath}.backup`;
+          // Refuse if the backup slot itself is a pre-existing symlink.
+          assertNotSymlink(backupPath);
           fs.writeFileSync(backupPath, content, 'utf8');
         }
 
@@ -145,6 +195,11 @@ function applyFixes(issues, options = {}) {
         } else {
           newContent = JSON.stringify(modified, null, 2);
         }
+        // Re-check immediately before write. Narrows the TOCTOU window
+        // between the initial lstat and this writeFileSync (an attacker
+        // who swaps the regular file for a symlink between calls will
+        // be caught here).
+        assertNotSymlink(filePath);
         fs.writeFileSync(filePath, newContent, 'utf8');
       }
 
@@ -280,7 +335,14 @@ function restoreFromBackup(filePath) {
     return false;
   }
 
+  // Security: refuse if either the backup or the restore target is a
+  // symlink. Same threat model as applyFixes - a malicious post-hoc swap
+  // could redirect the restore at a sensitive file.
+  assertNotSymlink(backupPath);
+  assertNotSymlink(filePath);
+
   const backupContent = fs.readFileSync(backupPath, 'utf8');
+  assertNotSymlink(filePath);
   fs.writeFileSync(filePath, backupContent, 'utf8');
   fs.unlinkSync(backupPath);
 
@@ -717,5 +779,6 @@ module.exports = {
   fixAggressiveEmphasis,
   previewFixes,
   restoreFromBackup,
-  cleanupBackups
+  cleanupBackups,
+  assertNotSymlink
 };