diff --git a/django/utils/archive.py b/django/utils/archive.py
index 235809f2ad..d5a0cf0446 100644
--- a/django/utils/archive.py
+++ b/django/utils/archive.py
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ import stat
 import tarfile
 import zipfile
 
+from django.core.exceptions import SuspiciousOperation
+
 
 class ArchiveException(Exception):
     """
@@ -133,6 +135,13 @@ class BaseArchive:
                 return False
         return True
 
+    def target_filename(self, to_path, name):
+        target_path = os.path.abspath(to_path)
+        filename = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(target_path, name))
+        if not filename.startswith(target_path):
+            raise SuspiciousOperation("Archive contains invalid path: '%s'" % name)
+        return filename
+
     def extract(self):
         raise NotImplementedError('subclasses of BaseArchive must provide an extract() method')
 
@@ -155,7 +164,7 @@ class TarArchive(BaseArchive):
             name = member.name
             if leading:
                 name = self.split_leading_dir(name)[1]
-            filename = os.path.join(to_path, name)
+            filename = self.target_filename(to_path, name)
             if member.isdir():
                 if filename:
                     os.makedirs(filename, exist_ok=True)
@@ -198,8 +207,10 @@ class ZipArchive(BaseArchive):
             info = self._archive.getinfo(name)
             if leading:
                 name = self.split_leading_dir(name)[1]
-            filename = os.path.join(to_path, name)
-            if filename.endswith(('/', '\\')):
+            if not name:
+                continue
+            filename = self.target_filename(to_path, name)
+            if name.endswith(('/', '\\')):
                 # A directory
                 os.makedirs(filename, exist_ok=True)
             else:
diff --git a/docs/releases/2.2.18.txt b/docs/releases/2.2.18.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..45df4fb83c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/releases/2.2.18.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+===========================
+Django 2.2.18 release notes
+===========================
+
+*February 1, 2021*
+
+Django 2.2.18 fixes a security issue with severity "low" in 2.2.17.
+
+CVE-2021-3281: Potential directory-traversal via ``archive.extract()``
+======================================================================
+
+The ``django.utils.archive.extract()`` function, used by
+:option:`startapp --template` and :option:`startproject --template`, allowed
+directory-traversal via an archive with absolute paths or relative paths with
+dot segments.
diff --git a/docs/releases/3.0.12.txt b/docs/releases/3.0.12.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..20d9459fea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/releases/3.0.12.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+===========================
+Django 3.0.12 release notes
+===========================
+
+*February 1, 2021*
+
+Django 3.0.12 fixes a security issue with severity "low" in 3.0.11.
+
+CVE-2021-3281: Potential directory-traversal via ``archive.extract()``
+======================================================================
+
+The ``django.utils.archive.extract()`` function, used by
+:option:`startapp --template` and :option:`startproject --template`, allowed
+directory-traversal via an archive with absolute paths or relative paths with
+dot segments.
diff --git a/docs/releases/3.1.6.txt b/docs/releases/3.1.6.txt
index 2d0a48616d..027d2f3b16 100644
--- a/docs/releases/3.1.6.txt
+++ b/docs/releases/3.1.6.txt
@@ -2,9 +2,17 @@
 Django 3.1.6 release notes
 ==========================
 
-*Expected February 1, 2021*
+*February 1, 2021*
 
-Django 3.1.6 fixes several bugs in 3.1.5.
+Django 3.1.6 fixes a security issue with severity "low" and a bug in 3.1.5.
+
+CVE-2021-3281: Potential directory-traversal via ``archive.extract()``
+======================================================================
+
+The ``django.utils.archive.extract()`` function, used by
+:option:`startapp --template` and :option:`startproject --template`, allowed
+directory-traversal via an archive with absolute paths or relative paths with
+dot segments.
 
 Bugfixes
 ========
diff --git a/docs/releases/index.txt b/docs/releases/index.txt
index 68733d9b24..32d4d71567 100644
--- a/docs/releases/index.txt
+++ b/docs/releases/index.txt
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ versions of the documentation contain the release notes for any later releases.
 .. toctree::
    :maxdepth: 1
 
+   3.0.12
    3.0.11
    3.0.10
    3.0.9
@@ -70,6 +71,7 @@ versions of the documentation contain the release notes for any later releases.
 .. toctree::
    :maxdepth: 1
 
+   2.2.18
    2.2.17
    2.2.16
    2.2.15
diff --git a/tests/utils_tests/test_archive.py b/tests/utils_tests/test_archive.py
index dc7c4b4ebd..8fdf3ec445 100644
--- a/tests/utils_tests/test_archive.py
+++ b/tests/utils_tests/test_archive.py
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ import sys
 import tempfile
 import unittest
 
+from django.core.exceptions import SuspiciousOperation
+from django.test import SimpleTestCase
 from django.utils import archive
 
 
@@ -45,3 +47,22 @@ class TestArchive(unittest.TestCase):
                 # A file is readable even if permission data is missing.
                 filepath = os.path.join(tmpdir, 'no_permissions')
                 self.assertEqual(os.stat(filepath).st_mode & mask, 0o666 & ~umask)
+
+
+class TestArchiveInvalid(SimpleTestCase):
+    def test_extract_function_traversal(self):
+        archives_dir = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'traversal_archives')
+        tests = [
+            ('traversal.tar', '..'),
+            ('traversal_absolute.tar', '/tmp/evil.py'),
+        ]
+        if sys.platform == 'win32':
+            tests += [
+                ('traversal_disk_win.tar', 'd:evil.py'),
+                ('traversal_disk_win.zip', 'd:evil.py'),
+            ]
+        msg = "Archive contains invalid path: '%s'"
+        for entry, invalid_path in tests:
+            with self.subTest(entry), tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmpdir:
+                with self.assertRaisesMessage(SuspiciousOperation, msg % invalid_path):
+                    archive.extract(os.path.join(archives_dir, entry), tmpdir)
diff --git a/tests/utils_tests/traversal_archives/traversal.tar b/tests/utils_tests/traversal_archives/traversal.tar
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..07eede517a
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diff --git a/tests/utils_tests/traversal_archives/traversal_absolute.tar b/tests/utils_tests/traversal_archives/traversal_absolute.tar
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..231566b069
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diff --git a/tests/utils_tests/traversal_archives/traversal_disk_win.tar b/tests/utils_tests/traversal_archives/traversal_disk_win.tar
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..97f0b95501
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diff --git a/tests/utils_tests/traversal_archives/traversal_disk_win.zip b/tests/utils_tests/traversal_archives/traversal_disk_win.zip
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e5ab208398
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