diff --git a/docs/documentation/stories/asset-configuration.md b/docs/documentation/stories/asset-configuration.md
index 0f1a2a170053..ef910b1d8561 100644
--- a/docs/documentation/stories/asset-configuration.md
+++ b/docs/documentation/stories/asset-configuration.md
@@ -36,4 +36,27 @@ The array below does the same as the default one:
 ]
 ```
 
-The contents of `node_modules/some-package/images/` will be available in `dist/some-package/`.
\ No newline at end of file
+The contents of `node_modules/some-package/images/` will be available in `dist/some-package/`.
+
+## Writing assets outside of `dist/`
+
+Because of the security implications, the CLI will always refuse to read or write files outside of
+the project itself (scoped by `.angular-cli.json`). It is however possible to write assets outside
+the `dist/` build output folder during build.
+
+Because writing files in your project isn't an expected effect of `ng build`, it is disabled by 
+default on every assets. In order to allow this behaviour, you need to set `allowOutsideOutDir` 
+to `true` on your asset definition, like so:
+
+```json
+"assets": [
+  {
+    "glob": "**/*",
+    "input": "./assets/",
+    "output": "../not-dist/some/folder/",
+    "allowOutsideOutDir": true
+  },
+]
+```
+
+This needs to be set for every assets you want to write outside of your build output directory.
diff --git a/packages/@angular/cli/lib/config/schema.json b/packages/@angular/cli/lib/config/schema.json
index 3ba988cb8f08..8520dcc1c9b9 100644
--- a/packages/@angular/cli/lib/config/schema.json
+++ b/packages/@angular/cli/lib/config/schema.json
@@ -72,6 +72,11 @@
                       "type": "string",
                       "default": "",
                       "description": "The output path (relative to the outDir)."
+                    },
+                    "allowOutsideOutDir": {
+                      "type": "boolean",
+                      "description": "Allow assets to be copied outside the outDir.",
+                      "default": false
                     }
                   },
                   "additionalProperties": false
diff --git a/packages/@angular/cli/models/webpack-configs/common.ts b/packages/@angular/cli/models/webpack-configs/common.ts
index 8c2111b25516..a02b82448242 100644
--- a/packages/@angular/cli/models/webpack-configs/common.ts
+++ b/packages/@angular/cli/models/webpack-configs/common.ts
@@ -95,10 +95,26 @@ export function getCommonConfig(wco: WebpackConfigOptions) {
       asset.output = asset.output || '';
       asset.glob = asset.glob || '';
 
-      // Prevent asset configurations from writing outside of the output path
+      // Prevent asset configurations from writing outside of the output path, except if the user
+      // specify a configuration flag.
+      // Also prevent writing outside the project path. That is not overridable.
       const fullOutputPath = path.resolve(buildOptions.outputPath, asset.output);
+      if (!fullOutputPath.startsWith(projectRoot)) {
+        const message = 'An asset cannot be written to a location outside the project.';
+        throw new SilentError(message);
+      }
       if (!fullOutputPath.startsWith(path.resolve(buildOptions.outputPath))) {
-        const message = 'An asset cannot be written to a location outside of the output path.';
+        if (!asset.allowOutsideOutDir) {
+          const message = 'An asset cannot be written to a location outside of the output path. '
+                        + 'You can override this message by setting the `allowOutsideOutDir` '
+                        + 'property on the asset to true in the CLI configuration.';
+          throw new SilentError(message);
+        }
+      }
+
+      // Prevent asset configurations from reading files outside of the project.
+      if (!asset.input.startsWith(projectRoot)) {
+        const message = 'An asset cannot be read from a location outside the project.';
         throw new SilentError(message);
       }
 
diff --git a/packages/@angular/cli/models/webpack-configs/utils.ts b/packages/@angular/cli/models/webpack-configs/utils.ts
index 4eee09a29e78..8679dc5a81cf 100644
--- a/packages/@angular/cli/models/webpack-configs/utils.ts
+++ b/packages/@angular/cli/models/webpack-configs/utils.ts
@@ -92,4 +92,5 @@ export interface AssetPattern {
   glob: string;
   input?: string;
   output?: string;
+  allowOutsideOutDir?: boolean;
 }
diff --git a/tests/e2e/tests/build/assets.ts b/tests/e2e/tests/build/assets.ts
index 20f32e1dbf3f..9b7e91941339 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/tests/build/assets.ts
+++ b/tests/e2e/tests/build/assets.ts
@@ -30,10 +30,40 @@ export default function () {
     .then(() => updateJsonFile('.angular-cli.json', configJson => {
       const app = configJson['apps'][0];
       app['assets'] = [
-        { 'glob': '**/*', 'input': '../node_modules/some-package/', 'output': '../package-folder' }
+        { 'glob': '**/*', 'input': '../node_modules/some-package/', 'output': '../temp' }
       ];
     }))
     .then(() => expectToFail(() => ng('build')))
+
+    // Set an exception for the invalid asset config in .angular-cli.json.
+    .then(() => updateJsonFile('.angular-cli.json', configJson => {
+      const app = configJson['apps'][0];
+      app['assets'] = [
+        { 'glob': '**/*', 'input': '../node_modules/some-package/', 'output': '../temp',
+          'allowOutsideOutDir': true }
+      ];
+    }))
+    .then(() => ng('build'))
+
+    // This asset should fail even with the exception above.
+    .then(() => updateJsonFile('.angular-cli.json', configJson => {
+      const app = configJson['apps'][0];
+      app['assets'] = [
+        { 'glob': '**/*', 'input': '../node_modules/some-package/', 'output': '../../temp',
+          'allowOutsideOutDir': true }
+      ];
+    }))
+    .then(() => expectToFail(() => ng('build')))
+
+    // This asset should also fail from reading from outside the project.
+    .then(() => updateJsonFile('.angular-cli.json', configJson => {
+      const app = configJson['apps'][0];
+      app['assets'] = [
+        { 'glob': '**/*', 'input': '/temp-folder/outside/of/project', 'output': 'temp' }
+      ];
+    }))
+    .then(() => expectToFail(() => ng('build')))
+
     // Add asset config in .angular-cli.json.
     .then(() => updateJsonFile('.angular-cli.json', configJson => {
       const app = configJson['apps'][0];