diff --git a/services/migrations/restore.go b/services/migrations/restore.go
index cb34f681868..e7bde418c82 100644
--- a/services/migrations/restore.go
+++ b/services/migrations/restore.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"strconv"
 
 	base "gitea.dev/modules/migration"
+	"gitea.dev/modules/util"
 
 	"go.yaml.in/yaml/v4"
 )
@@ -144,7 +145,7 @@ func (r *RepositoryRestorer) GetReleases(_ context.Context) ([]*base.Release, er
 	for _, rel := range releases {
 		for _, asset := range rel.Assets {
 			if asset.DownloadURL != nil {
-				*asset.DownloadURL = "file://" + filepath.Join(r.baseDir, *asset.DownloadURL)
+				*asset.DownloadURL = "file://" + util.FilePathJoinAbs(r.baseDir, *asset.DownloadURL)
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -235,7 +236,9 @@ func (r *RepositoryRestorer) GetPullRequests(_ context.Context, page, perPage in
 		return nil, false, err
 	}
 	for _, pr := range pulls {
-		pr.PatchURL = "file://" + filepath.Join(r.baseDir, pr.PatchURL)
+		if pr.PatchURL != "" {
+			pr.PatchURL = "file://" + util.FilePathJoinAbs(r.baseDir, pr.PatchURL)
+		}
 		CheckAndEnsureSafePR(pr, "", r)
 	}
 	return pulls, true, nil
diff --git a/services/migrations/restore_test.go b/services/migrations/restore_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..4346fc71ae8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/services/migrations/restore_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+// Copyright 2026 The Gitea Authors. All rights reserved.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+
+package migrations
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+
+	"gitea.dev/modules/optional"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+// TestRepositoryRestorer_GetReleases_LocalFileInclusion ensures a crafted
+// release.yml cannot make the restorer read files outside the dump
+// directory via a path-traversal DownloadURL.
+func TestRepositoryRestorer_GetReleases_LocalFileInclusion(t *testing.T) {
+	baseDir := t.TempDir()
+
+	// a legitimate attachment that lives inside the dump directory
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(baseDir, "good.txt"), []byte("ok"), 0o644))
+
+	releaseYML := `
+- assets:
+    - name: good.txt
+      download_url: good.txt
+    - name: evil.txt
+      download_url: ../../../../../../../../etc/passwd
+`
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(baseDir, "release.yml"), []byte(releaseYML), 0o644))
+
+	r, err := NewRepositoryRestorer(t.Context(), baseDir, "owner", "repo", false)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	releases, err := r.GetReleases(t.Context())
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Len(t, releases, 1)
+	require.Len(t, releases[0].Assets, 2)
+
+	// the in-dump asset keeps a file:// URL pointing inside baseDir
+	assets := releases[0].Assets
+	assert.Equal(t, "file://"+filepath.Join(baseDir, "good.txt"), optional.FromPtr(assets[0].DownloadURL).Value())
+	assert.Equal(t, "file://"+filepath.Join(baseDir, "etc/passwd"), optional.FromPtr(assets[1].DownloadURL).Value())
+}