diff --git a/.jules/sentinel.md b/.jules/sentinel.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7c721f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.jules/sentinel.md
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+## 2024-05-18 - Prevent Root Escalation in Path Normalization
+**Vulnerability:** A logic flaw in `crates/flow/src/incremental/extractors/typescript.rs` allowed path components like `..` to unconditionally pop prior components from a manually resolved path. This incorrectly treated absolute roots or relative leading parent directories as normal items, converting safe paths into unintended locations.
+**Learning:** Manual path normalization relying simply on `.pop()` for `Component::ParentDir` is flawed because it fails to distinguish between normal path segments and foundational components like `RootDir` (`/`) or `Prefix` (`C:\`).
+**Prevention:** To prevent path traversal vulnerabilities when manually normalizing paths with `std::path::Component` (e.g., during module path resolution in `crates/flow`), explicitly block `Component::ParentDir` from popping `Component::RootDir` or `Component::Prefix`. If the components list is empty or its last element is `Component::ParentDir`, the new `Component::ParentDir` must be pushed rather than ignored to correctly preserve relative paths like `../../a`.
diff --git a/crates/flow/src/incremental/extractors/typescript.rs b/crates/flow/src/incremental/extractors/typescript.rs
index 1bdda4e..4690750 100644
--- a/crates/flow/src/incremental/extractors/typescript.rs
+++ b/crates/flow/src/incremental/extractors/typescript.rs
@@ -808,7 +808,21 @@ impl TypeScriptDependencyExtractor {
                 for component in resolved.components() {
                     match component {
                         std::path::Component::ParentDir => {
-                            components.pop();
+                            if let Some(last) = components.last() {
+                                match last {
+                                    std::path::Component::Normal(_) => {
+                                        components.pop();
+                                    }
+                                    std::path::Component::ParentDir => {
+                                        components.push(component);
+                                    }
+                                    _ => {
+                                        // Don't pop Prefix or RootDir
+                                    }
+                                }
+                            } else {
+                                components.push(component);
+                            }
                         }
                         std::path::Component::CurDir => {}
                         _ => components.push(component),
diff --git a/crates/rule-engine/src/check_var.rs b/crates/rule-engine/src/check_var.rs
index 9e40105..39d77f2 100644
--- a/crates/rule-engine/src/check_var.rs
+++ b/crates/rule-engine/src/check_var.rs
@@ -27,8 +27,8 @@ pub enum CheckHint<'r> {
 pub fn check_rule_with_hint<'r>(
     rule: &'r Rule,
     utils: &'r RuleRegistration,
-    constraints: &'r RapidMap<thread_ast_engine::meta_var::MetaVariableID, Rule>,
-    transform: &'r Option<Transform>,
+    constraints: & RapidMap<thread_ast_engine::meta_var::MetaVariableID, Rule>,
+    transform: & Option<Transform>,
     fixer: &Vec<Fixer>,
     hint: CheckHint<'r>,
 ) -> RResult<()> {
@@ -56,8 +56,8 @@ pub fn check_rule_with_hint<'r>(
 fn check_vars_in_rewriter<'r>(
     rule: &'r Rule,
     utils: &'r RuleRegistration,
-    constraints: &'r RapidMap<thread_ast_engine::meta_var::MetaVariableID, Rule>,
-    transform: &'r Option<Transform>,
+    constraints: & RapidMap<thread_ast_engine::meta_var::MetaVariableID, Rule>,
+    transform: & Option<Transform>,
     fixer: &Vec<Fixer>,
     upper_var: &RapidSet<String>,
 ) -> RResult<()> {
@@ -85,8 +85,8 @@ fn check_utils_defined(
 fn check_vars<'r>(
     rule: &'r Rule,
     utils: &'r RuleRegistration,
-    constraints: &'r RapidMap<thread_ast_engine::meta_var::MetaVariableID, Rule>,
-    transform: &'r Option<Transform>,
+    constraints: & RapidMap<thread_ast_engine::meta_var::MetaVariableID, Rule>,
+    transform: & Option<Transform>,
     fixer: &Vec<Fixer>,
 ) -> RResult<()> {
     let vars = get_vars_from_rules(rule, utils);
@@ -104,9 +104,9 @@ fn get_vars_from_rules<'r>(rule: &'r Rule, utils: &'r RuleRegistration) -> Rapid
     vars
 }
 
-fn check_var_in_constraints<'r>(
+fn check_var_in_constraints(
     mut vars: RapidSet<String>,
-    constraints: &'r RapidMap<thread_ast_engine::meta_var::MetaVariableID, Rule>,
+    constraints: & RapidMap<thread_ast_engine::meta_var::MetaVariableID, Rule>,
 ) -> RResult<RapidSet<String>> {
     for rule in constraints.values() {
         for var in rule.defined_vars() {
@@ -125,9 +125,9 @@ fn check_var_in_constraints<'r>(
     Ok(vars)
 }
 
-fn check_var_in_transform<'r>(
+fn check_var_in_transform(
     mut vars: RapidSet<String>,
-    transform: &'r Option<Transform>,
+    transform: & Option<Transform>,
 ) -> RResult<RapidSet<String>> {
     let Some(transform) = transform else {
         return Ok(vars);