diff --git a/common/platform/config_file.go b/common/platform/config_file.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..13caf2731
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/platform/config_file.go
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+package platform
+
+import (
+	"io"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+)
+
+type configFile struct {
+	path string
+	info os.FileInfo
+}
+
+var configFiles []configFile
+
+// ReadConfigFile reads a config source and records local regular files.
+func ReadConfigFile(file *os.File) ([]byte, error) {
+	info, err := file.Stat()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	path := ""
+	if info.Mode().IsRegular() && file != os.Stdin {
+		path, err = filepath.Abs(file.Name())
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		path, err = filepath.EvalSymlinks(path)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+	}
+	data, err := io.ReadAll(file)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	if info.Mode().IsRegular() {
+		configFiles = append(configFiles, configFile{path: path, info: info})
+	}
+	return data, nil
+}
+
+func isConfigFile(path string, info os.FileInfo) bool {
+	for _, file := range configFiles {
+		if file.path == path || os.SameFile(file.info, info) {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
diff --git a/common/platform/platform.go b/common/platform/platform.go
index 9a650876a..dcba6cc13 100644
--- a/common/platform/platform.go
+++ b/common/platform/platform.go
@@ -113,11 +113,18 @@ func ResolveLuaFile(path string) (string, error) {
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	path, err := resolveFile(paths)
+	path, info, err := resolveFile(paths)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
-	return resolveLuaTarget(path)
+	path, err = resolveLuaTarget(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	if isConfigFile(path, info) {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("Lua file was loaded as a configuration file: %s", path)
+	}
+	return path, nil
 }
 
 func resolveLuaTarget(path string) (string, error) {
@@ -131,12 +138,12 @@ func resolveLuaTarget(path string) (string, error) {
 	return path, nil
 }
 
-func resolveFile(paths []string) (string, error) {
+func resolveFile(paths []string) (string, os.FileInfo, error) {
 	var tried []string
 	for _, path := range paths {
 		path, err := filepath.Abs(path)
 		if err != nil {
-			return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to resolve file path: %w", err)
+			return "", nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to resolve file path: %w", err)
 		}
 		tried = append(tried, path)
 		info, err := os.Stat(path)
@@ -144,12 +151,12 @@ func resolveFile(paths []string) (string, error) {
 			continue
 		}
 		if err != nil {
-			return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to inspect file %q: %w", path, err)
+			return "", nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to inspect file %q: %w", path, err)
 		}
 		if !info.Mode().IsRegular() {
-			return "", fmt.Errorf("file is not a regular file: %s", path)
+			return "", nil, fmt.Errorf("file is not a regular file: %s", path)
 		}
-		return path, nil
+		return path, info, nil
 	}
-	return "", fmt.Errorf("file not found; tried %q: %w", tried, os.ErrNotExist)
+	return "", nil, fmt.Errorf("file not found; tried %q: %w", tried, os.ErrNotExist)
 }
diff --git a/infra/conf/serial/config_security_test.go b/infra/conf/serial/config_security_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0a72b048e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/infra/conf/serial/config_security_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,194 @@
+package serial_test
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"io"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	xlua "github.com/xtls/xray-core/common/lua"
+	"github.com/xtls/xray-core/core"
+	"github.com/xtls/xray-core/infra/conf"
+	"github.com/xtls/xray-core/infra/conf/serial"
+	_ "github.com/xtls/xray-core/main/confloader/external"
+	glua "github.com/yuin/gopher-lua"
+)
+
+func TestConfigSourceSecurity(t *testing.T) {
+	// Keep registered files alive until every file identity check finishes.
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	t.Run("polyglots", testConfigLuaPolyglots)
+	t.Run("merged", func(t *testing.T) { testMergedConfigCannotRunAsLua(t, dir) })
+	t.Run("hardlink", func(t *testing.T) { testConfigHardLinkCannotRunAsLua(t, dir) })
+	t.Run("stdin", func(t *testing.T) { testStdinConfigCannotRunAsLua(t, dir) })
+}
+
+func testConfigLuaPolyglots(t *testing.T) {
+	const luaBody = "polyglotExecuted = true\nfunction HandleRoute() return 'direct' end\n"
+	for _, tc := range []struct {
+		name   string
+		decode func(io.Reader) (*conf.Config, error)
+		source string
+		script string
+	}{
+		{"JSON", serial.DecodeJSONConfig, "null = 0\n" + luaBody, ""},
+		{"YAML", serial.DecodeYAMLConfig, `--[[: ignored
+routing:
+  script: payload.lua
+--]] --: ignored
+_G: assert((function() polyglotExecuted = true; function HandleRoute() return 'direct' end end)())
+`, "payload.lua"},
+		{"TOML", serial.DecodeTOMLConfig, `routing = { script = "payload.lua" }
+-- = """
+polyglotExecuted = true
+function HandleRoute() return 'direct' end
+-- """
+`, "payload.lua"},
+	} {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			config, err := tc.decode(strings.NewReader(tc.source))
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+			script := ""
+			if config.RouterConfig != nil {
+				script = config.RouterConfig.Script
+			}
+			if script != tc.script {
+				t.Fatalf("routing.script = %q, want %q", script, tc.script)
+			}
+			if built, err := config.Build(); err != nil || built == nil {
+				t.Fatalf("config Build failed: %v", err)
+			}
+			if _, err := serial.DecodeJSONConfigStrict(strings.NewReader(tc.source)); err == nil {
+				t.Fatal("strict JSON accepted the polyglot")
+			}
+			dir := t.TempDir()
+			t.Setenv("xray.location.confdir", dir)
+			if err := os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(dir, "payload.lua"), []byte(tc.source), 0o600); err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+			configPath := filepath.Join(dir, "payload."+strings.ToLower(tc.name))
+			if err := os.WriteFile(configPath, []byte(tc.source), 0o600); err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+			if program, err := xlua.Compile(configPath); program != nil || err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "Lua file extension must be .lua") {
+				t.Fatalf("Compile(%q) = %v, %v; want .lua extension rejection", configPath, program, err)
+			}
+			program, err := xlua.Compile("payload.lua")
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+			ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), time.Second)
+			defer cancel()
+			state, err := program.NewState(ctx, nil, nil)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+			defer state.Close()
+			if state.GetGlobal("polyglotExecuted") != glua.LTrue {
+				t.Fatal("Lua top-level code did not execute")
+			}
+			if err := state.CallByParam(glua.P{Fn: state.GetGlobal("HandleRoute"), NRet: 1, Protect: true}); err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+			if got := state.Get(-1); got != glua.LString("direct") {
+				t.Fatalf("HandleRoute() = %v, want direct", got)
+			}
+			t.Logf("config built with routing.script=%q; the same bytes executed as Lua", script)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func testMergedConfigCannotRunAsLua(t *testing.T, dir string) {
+	t.Setenv("xray.location.confdir", dir)
+	base := filepath.Join(dir, "base.lua")
+	for format, body := range map[string]string{
+		"json": "null = 0\nfunction HandleRoute() return 'direct' end\n",
+		"yaml": "_G: assert((function() function HandleRoute() return 'direct' end end)())\n",
+		"toml": "-- = \"\"\"\nfunction HandleRoute() return 'direct' end\n-- \"\"\"\n",
+	} {
+		t.Run(format, func(t *testing.T) {
+			path := filepath.Join(dir, format+".lua")
+			if err := os.WriteFile(base, []byte(`{"routing":{"script":"`+format+`.lua"}}`), 0o600); err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+			if err := os.WriteFile(path, []byte(body), 0o600); err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+			if program, err := xlua.Compile(path); err != nil || program == nil {
+				t.Fatalf("fixture must compile before config loading: %v", err)
+			}
+			if _, err := serial.BuildConfig([]*core.ConfigSource{
+				{Name: base, Format: "json"},
+				{Name: path, Format: format},
+			}); err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+			for _, source := range []string{base, path} {
+				if program, err := xlua.Compile(source); program != nil || err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "loaded as a configuration file") {
+					t.Fatalf("Compile(%q) = %v, %v; want config source rejection", source, program, err)
+				}
+			}
+			if err := os.Rename(path, path+".old"); err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+			if err := os.WriteFile(path, []byte("function HandleRoute() end"), 0o600); err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+			if program, err := xlua.Compile(path); program != nil || err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "loaded as a configuration file") {
+				t.Fatalf("Compile = %v, %v; want replaced config path rejection", program, err)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+	path := filepath.Join(dir, "ordinary.lua")
+	if err := os.WriteFile(path, []byte("function HandleRoute() end"), 0o600); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if program, err := xlua.Compile(path); err != nil || program == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("ordinary script in the config directory must remain usable: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func testConfigHardLinkCannotRunAsLua(t *testing.T, dir string) {
+	path := filepath.Join(dir, "config.json")
+	if err := os.WriteFile(path, []byte("null = 0\nfunction HandleRoute() end"), 0o600); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	alias := filepath.Join(dir, "alias.lua")
+	if err := os.Link(path, alias); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if _, err := serial.BuildConfig([]*core.ConfigSource{{Name: path, Format: "json"}}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if program, err := xlua.Compile(alias); program != nil || err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "loaded as a configuration file") {
+		t.Fatalf("Compile = %v, %v; want config hard link rejection", program, err)
+	}
+}
+
+func testStdinConfigCannotRunAsLua(t *testing.T, dir string) {
+	path := filepath.Join(dir, "config.lua")
+	if err := os.WriteFile(path, []byte("null = 0\nfunction HandleRoute() end"), 0o600); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	file, err := os.Open(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	originalStdin := os.Stdin
+	os.Stdin = file
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		os.Stdin = originalStdin
+		file.Close()
+	})
+	if _, err := serial.BuildConfig([]*core.ConfigSource{{Name: "stdin:", Format: "json"}}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if program, err := xlua.Compile(path); program != nil || err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "loaded as a configuration file") {
+		t.Fatalf("Compile = %v, %v; want redirected config rejection", program, err)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/main/confloader/external/external.go b/main/confloader/external/external.go
index 02066109b..a812cea4f 100644
--- a/main/confloader/external/external.go
+++ b/main/confloader/external/external.go
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/xtls/xray-core/common/buf"
 	"github.com/xtls/xray-core/common/errors"
+	"github.com/xtls/xray-core/common/platform"
 	"github.com/xtls/xray-core/common/utils"
 	"github.com/xtls/xray-core/main/confloader"
 )
@@ -28,10 +29,15 @@ func ConfigLoader(arg string) (out io.Reader, err error) {
 		data, err = FetchHTTPContent(arg)
 
 	case arg == "stdin:":
-		data, err = io.ReadAll(os.Stdin)
+		data, err = platform.ReadConfigFile(os.Stdin)
 
 	default:
-		data, err = os.ReadFile(arg)
+		file, openErr := os.Open(arg)
+		if openErr != nil {
+			return nil, openErr
+		}
+		defer file.Close()
+		data, err = platform.ReadConfigFile(file)
 	}
 
 	if err != nil {