diff --git a/nova/conf/compute.py b/nova/conf/compute.py
index 71707cfd531a..9675fff82937 100644
--- a/nova/conf/compute.py
+++ b/nova/conf/compute.py
@@ -1015,6 +1015,15 @@ Related options:
 * ``[scheduler]query_placement_for_image_type_support`` - enables
   filtering computes based on supported image types, which is required
   to be enabled for this to take effect.
+"""),
+    cfg.ListOpt('vmdk_allowed_types',
+                default=['streamOptimized', 'monolithicSparse'],
+                help="""
+A list of strings describing allowed VMDK "create-type" subformats
+that will be allowed. This is recommended to only include
+single-file-with-sparse-header variants to avoid potential host file
+exposure due to processing named extents. If this list is empty, then no
+form of VMDK image will be allowed.
 """),
     cfg.BoolOpt('packing_host_numa_cells_allocation_strategy',
         default=False,
diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/virt/test_images.py b/nova/tests/unit/virt/test_images.py
index 58581d93ba15..62a61c1e8b76 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/virt/test_images.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/virt/test_images.py
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ import os
 from unittest import mock
 
 from oslo_concurrency import processutils
+from oslo_serialization import jsonutils
+from oslo_utils import imageutils
 
 from nova.compute import utils as compute_utils
 from nova import exception
@@ -135,3 +137,47 @@ class QemuTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase):
                     '-O', 'out_format', '-f', 'in_format', 'source', 'dest')
         mock_disk_op_sema.__enter__.assert_called_once()
         self.assertTupleEqual(expected, mock_execute.call_args[0])
+
+    def test_convert_image_vmdk_allowed_list_checking(self):
+        info = {'format': 'vmdk',
+                'format-specific': {
+                    'type': 'vmdk',
+                    'data': {
+                        'create-type': 'monolithicFlat',
+                }}}
+
+        # If the format is not in the allowed list, we should get an error
+        self.assertRaises(exception.ImageUnacceptable,
+                          images.check_vmdk_image, 'foo',
+                          imageutils.QemuImgInfo(jsonutils.dumps(info),
+                                                 format='json'))
+
+        # With the format in the allowed list, no error
+        self.flags(vmdk_allowed_types=['streamOptimized', 'monolithicFlat',
+                                       'monolithicSparse'],
+                   group='compute')
+        images.check_vmdk_image('foo',
+                                imageutils.QemuImgInfo(jsonutils.dumps(info),
+                                                       format='json'))
+
+        # With an empty list, allow nothing
+        self.flags(vmdk_allowed_types=[], group='compute')
+        self.assertRaises(exception.ImageUnacceptable,
+                          images.check_vmdk_image, 'foo',
+                          imageutils.QemuImgInfo(jsonutils.dumps(info),
+                                                 format='json'))
+
+    @mock.patch.object(images, 'fetch')
+    @mock.patch('nova.privsep.qemu.unprivileged_qemu_img_info')
+    def test_fetch_checks_vmdk_rules(self, mock_info, mock_fetch):
+        info = {'format': 'vmdk',
+                'format-specific': {
+                    'type': 'vmdk',
+                    'data': {
+                        'create-type': 'monolithicFlat',
+                }}}
+        mock_info.return_value = jsonutils.dumps(info)
+        with mock.patch('os.path.exists', return_value=True):
+            e = self.assertRaises(exception.ImageUnacceptable,
+                                  images.fetch_to_raw, None, 'foo', 'anypath')
+            self.assertIn('Invalid VMDK create-type specified', str(e))
diff --git a/nova/virt/images.py b/nova/virt/images.py
index 5358f3766ac3..f13c87229093 100644
--- a/nova/virt/images.py
+++ b/nova/virt/images.py
@@ -110,6 +110,34 @@ def get_info(context, image_href):
     return IMAGE_API.get(context, image_href)
 
 
+def check_vmdk_image(image_id, data):
+    # Check some rules about VMDK files. Specifically we want to make
+    # sure that the "create-type" of the image is one that we allow.
+    # Some types of VMDK files can reference files outside the disk
+    # image and we do not want to allow those for obvious reasons.
+
+    types = CONF.compute.vmdk_allowed_types
+
+    if not len(types):
+        LOG.warning('Refusing to allow VMDK image as vmdk_allowed_'
+                    'types is empty')
+        msg = _('Invalid VMDK create-type specified')
+        raise exception.ImageUnacceptable(image_id=image_id, reason=msg)
+
+    try:
+        create_type = data.format_specific['data']['create-type']
+    except KeyError:
+        msg = _('Unable to determine VMDK create-type')
+        raise exception.ImageUnacceptable(image_id=image_id, reason=msg)
+
+    if create_type not in CONF.compute.vmdk_allowed_types:
+        LOG.warning('Refusing to process VMDK file with create-type of %r '
+                    'which is not in allowed set of: %s', create_type,
+                    ','.join(CONF.compute.vmdk_allowed_types))
+        msg = _('Invalid VMDK create-type specified')
+        raise exception.ImageUnacceptable(image_id=image_id, reason=msg)
+
+
 def fetch_to_raw(context, image_href, path, trusted_certs=None):
     path_tmp = "%s.part" % path
     fetch(context, image_href, path_tmp, trusted_certs)
@@ -129,6 +157,9 @@ def fetch_to_raw(context, image_href, path, trusted_certs=None):
                 reason=(_("fmt=%(fmt)s backed by: %(backing_file)s") %
                         {'fmt': fmt, 'backing_file': backing_file}))
 
+        if fmt == 'vmdk':
+            check_vmdk_image(image_href, data)
+
         if fmt != "raw" and CONF.force_raw_images:
             staged = "%s.converted" % path
             LOG.debug("%s was %s, converting to raw", image_href, fmt)