diff --git a/src/permission/path-restriction.test.ts b/src/permission/path-restriction.test.ts
index 8d677dab5..53811091d 100644
--- a/src/permission/path-restriction.test.ts
+++ b/src/permission/path-restriction.test.ts
@@ -48,6 +48,22 @@ test("workspace-relative paths are unrestricted", () => {
   expect(r.isRestricted("src/index.ts", true)).toBe(false);
 });
 
+test("an empty-string root does not turn containment into allow-all", () => {
+  // Regression for CL-6700: root + sep === sep when root is "", which every
+  // absolute path starts with. A sensitive absolute path resolved against
+  // a provider that yields "" roots must still be denied.
+  const r = createPathRestriction(cwd, () => [""], home);
+  expect(r.isRestricted("/etc/passwd", false)).toBe(true);
+  expect(r.isRestricted("/etc/passwd", true)).toBe(true);
+});
+
+test("a root of exactly \"/\" is not the same bug: it is not an allow-all prefix", () => {
+  // Documents the non-bug: "/" + sep is "//", which "/etc/passwd" does not
+  // start with, so an unrelated absolute path stays outside the workspace.
+  const r = createPathRestriction(cwd, () => ["/"], home);
+  expect(r.isRestricted("/etc/passwd", false)).toBe(true);
+});
+
 test("a directory sharing a string prefix with the workspace root is still restricted", async () => {
   // "<cwd>baz" shares a string prefix with cwd but is a distinct sibling
   // directory outside the workspace — the boundary check must not leak into
diff --git a/src/permission/path-restriction.ts b/src/permission/path-restriction.ts
index 6950df9a6..9f24bd2b4 100644
--- a/src/permission/path-restriction.ts
+++ b/src/permission/path-restriction.ts
@@ -58,8 +58,12 @@ function realpathNearestOr(path: string): string {
   }
 }
 
+// An empty root must never reach the prefix compare: `"" + sep` is just
+// `sep` (e.g. "/" on Unix), which every absolute path starts with, turning
+// containment into allow-all. A root of exactly `sep` itself is not this bug
+// — `startsWith(sep + sep)` correctly rejects unrelated absolute paths.
 const inKnownRoots = (real: string, roots: readonly string[]): boolean =>
-  roots.some((root) => real === root || real.startsWith(root + sep));
+  roots.some((root) => root.length > 0 && (real === root || real.startsWith(root + sep)));
 
 // Resolves `path` (relative or absolute, possibly traversing `..`) against
 // `cwd` and checks it against the workspace boundary: `cwd` itself plus every