diff --git a/src/actinia_core/core/utils.py b/src/actinia_core/core/utils.py
index 9d9f80a8a..a62ae660e 100644
--- a/src/actinia_core/core/utils.py
+++ b/src/actinia_core/core/utils.py
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 import os
 from actinia_core.core.common.process_object import Process
 from actinia_core.core.common.exceptions import SecurityError
+from actinia_core.core.common.config import global_config
 
 __license__ = "GPLv3"
 __author__ = "Sören Gebbert, Anika Weinmann"
@@ -37,24 +38,90 @@
 __maintainer__ = "mundialis"
 
 
-def os_path_normpath(path_parts):
-    """The function returns a joined norm path or raises an error if it is not
+def ensure_valid_path(path_parts, intent = "r"):
+    """
+    The function returns a joined and normalized path or raises an error if it is not
     as expected.
 
     Args:
-        path_parts (list of strings): The parts of the path in a list
+        - path_parts (list of strings): The parts of the path in a list
+        - intent (string): for what you want the path to be ensured, can be "r" (read),
+            "w" (write) or "rw" (read and write). Default ist to check for read access.
 
     Returns:
         path: joined normalized path
 
     Raise:
-        raises a SecurityError if the path is not as expected
+        - raises a TypeError if the intent is not 'r', 'w' or 'rw'
+        - raises a SecurityError if the path is not valid for the given intent
     """
+    allowed_intents = ["r", "w", "rw"]
+    if intent not in allowed_intents:
+        raise TypeError(f"Intent '{intent}' not allowed, allowed are 'r', 'w' and 'rw'")
+
     path = os.path.normpath(os.path.join(*path_parts))
+    error_message = f"Path '{path}' with intent '{intent}' is insecure."
+
     if not path.startswith(path_parts[0]):
-        raise SecurityError(f"Used path '{path}' is insecure")
+        raise SecurityError(f"{error_message} Too deep path traversal?")
+    if intent == "r" and not path_is_in_allowed_read_paths(path):
+        raise SecurityError(error_message)
+    if intent == "w" and not path_is_in_allowed_write_paths(path):
+        raise SecurityError(error_message)
+    if intent == "rw" and not path_is_in_allowed_read_and_write_paths(path):
+        raise SecurityError(error_message)
+
     return path
 
+# should these two variables be moved to global_config?
+allowed_read_starts = [
+    global_config.GRASS_USER_DATABASE,
+    global_config.GRASS_DATABASE,
+    global_config.GRASS_RESOURCE_DIR
+]
+allowed_write_starts = [
+    global_config.GRASS_USER_DATABASE,
+    global_config.GRASS_RESOURCE_DIR
+]
+
+def path_is_in_allowed_read_and_write_paths(path):
+    """Checks whether the passed path is a valid read and write path, uses the
+    global_config variables `GRASS_USER_DATABASE` and `GRASS_RESOURCE_DIR`
+    for the check.
+
+    Args:
+        path (string): a normalized path
+
+    Returns:
+        (bool) Whether the passed path is a valid write path
+    """
+    return path_is_in_allowed_read_paths(path) and path_is_in_allowed_write_paths(path)
+
+def path_is_in_allowed_read_paths(path):
+    """Checks whether the passed path is a valid read path, uses the global_config
+    variables `GRASS_USER_DATABASE`, `GRASS_DATABASE` and `GRASS_RESOURCE_DIR`
+    for the check.
+
+    Args:
+        path (string): a normalized path
+
+    Returns:
+        (bool) Whether the passed path is a valid write path
+    """
+    return any(path.startswith(allowed) for allowed in allowed_read_starts)
+
+def path_is_in_allowed_write_paths(path):
+    """Checks whether the passed path is a valid write path, uses the global_config
+    variables `GRASS_USER_DATABASE` and `GRASS_RESOURCE_DIR` for the check.
+
+    Args:
+        path (string): a normalized path
+
+    Returns:
+        (bool) Whether the passed path is a valid write path
+    """
+    return any(path.startswith(allowed) for allowed in allowed_write_starts)
+
 
 def get_wget_process(source, url):
     """The function returns a wget Process for the given source and url
diff --git a/src/actinia_core/rest/location_management.py b/src/actinia_core/rest/location_management.py
index 962799480..56bd9c633 100644
--- a/src/actinia_core/rest/location_management.py
+++ b/src/actinia_core/rest/location_management.py
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@
 from actinia_core.models.response_models import SimpleResponseModel
 from actinia_core.rest.base.resource_base import ResourceBase
 from actinia_core.core.common.redis_interface import enqueue_job
-from actinia_core.core.utils import os_path_normpath
+from actinia_core.core.utils import ensure_valid_path
 from actinia_core.processing.common.location_management import (
     read_current_region,
     create_location,
@@ -199,11 +199,11 @@ def delete(self, location_name):
         database.
         """
         # Delete only locations from the user database
-        location = os_path_normpath(
+        location = ensure_valid_path(
             [self.grass_user_data_base, self.user_group, location_name]
         )
-        permanent_mapset = os_path_normpath([location, "PERMANENT"])
-        wind_file = os_path_normpath([permanent_mapset, "WIND"])
+        permanent_mapset = ensure_valid_path([location, "PERMANENT"])
+        wind_file = ensure_valid_path([permanent_mapset, "WIND"])
         # Check the location path, only "valid" locations can be deleted
         if os.path.isdir(location):
             if os.path.isdir(permanent_mapset) and os.path.isfile(wind_file):
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ def post(self, location_name):
         """Create a new location based on EPSG code in the user database."""
         # Create only new locations if they did not exist in the global
         # database
-        location = os_path_normpath([self.grass_data_base, location_name])
+        location = ensure_valid_path([self.grass_data_base, location_name])
 
         # Check the location path
         if os.path.isdir(location):
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ def post(self, location_name):
             )
 
         # Check also for the user database
-        location = os_path_normpath(
+        location = ensure_valid_path(
             [self.grass_user_data_base, self.user_group, location_name]
         )
         # Check the location path
diff --git a/src/actinia_core/rest/resource_streamer.py b/src/actinia_core/rest/resource_streamer.py
index d65bb8689..32910e63d 100644
--- a/src/actinia_core/rest/resource_streamer.py
+++ b/src/actinia_core/rest/resource_streamer.py
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 from actinia_core.core.common.config import global_config
 from actinia_core.core.common.app import auth
 from actinia_core.core.common.api_logger import log_api_call
-from actinia_core.core.utils import os_path_normpath
+from actinia_core.core.utils import ensure_valid_path
 
 
 __license__ = "GPLv3"
@@ -87,12 +87,12 @@ def get(self, user_id, resource_id, file_name):
         """
 
         resource_dir = global_config.GRASS_RESOURCE_DIR
-        user_export_path = os_path_normpath([resource_dir, user_id])
-        resource_export_path = os_path_normpath(
-            [user_export_path, resource_id]
+        user_export_path = ensure_valid_path([resource_dir, user_id], "w")
+        resource_export_path = ensure_valid_path(
+            [user_export_path, resource_id], "w"
         )
-        resource_export_file_path = os_path_normpath(
-            [resource_export_path, file_name]
+        resource_export_file_path = ensure_valid_path(
+            [resource_export_path, file_name], "w"
         )
 
         if (