diff --git a/bin/individuals_merge.py b/bin/individuals_merge.py
index ae0e3ad..8601dfd 100755
--- a/bin/individuals_merge.py
+++ b/bin/individuals_merge.py
@@ -14,7 +14,26 @@ def compress(archive, input_dir):
 
 def extract_all(archive, output_dir):
     with tarfile.open(archive, "r:*") as f:
-        f.extractall(os.path.basename(output_dir))
+        def is_within_directory(directory, target):
+            
+            abs_directory = os.path.abspath(directory)
+            abs_target = os.path.abspath(target)
+        
+            prefix = os.path.commonprefix([abs_directory, abs_target])
+            
+            return prefix == abs_directory
+        
+        def safe_extract(tar, path=".", members=None, *, numeric_owner=False):
+        
+            for member in tar.getmembers():
+                member_path = os.path.join(path, member.name)
+                if not is_within_directory(path, member_path):
+                    raise Exception("Attempted Path Traversal in Tar File")
+        
+            tar.extractall(path, members, numeric_owner=numeric_owner) 
+            
+        
+        safe_extract(f, os.path.basename(output_dir))
         flist = f.getnames()
         if flist[0] == '':
             flist = flist[1:]
diff --git a/bin/individuals_merge_mpi.py b/bin/individuals_merge_mpi.py
index 4982591..52365ef 100755
--- a/bin/individuals_merge_mpi.py
+++ b/bin/individuals_merge_mpi.py
@@ -18,7 +18,26 @@ def compress(archive, input_dir):
 
 def extract_all(archive, output_dir):
     with tarfile.open(archive, "r:*") as file:
-        file.extractall(os.path.basename(output_dir))
+        def is_within_directory(directory, target):
+            
+            abs_directory = os.path.abspath(directory)
+            abs_target = os.path.abspath(target)
+        
+            prefix = os.path.commonprefix([abs_directory, abs_target])
+            
+            return prefix == abs_directory
+        
+        def safe_extract(tar, path=".", members=None, *, numeric_owner=False):
+        
+            for member in tar.getmembers():
+                member_path = os.path.join(path, member.name)
+                if not is_within_directory(path, member_path):
+                    raise Exception("Attempted Path Traversal in Tar File")
+        
+            tar.extractall(path, members, numeric_owner=numeric_owner) 
+            
+        
+        safe_extract(file, os.path.basename(output_dir))
         flist = file.getnames()
         if flist[0] == '':
             flist = flist[1:]