diff --git a/libyara/re.c b/libyara/re.c
index 6174af1478..d161acf031 100644
--- a/libyara/re.c
+++ b/libyara/re.c
@@ -1573,6 +1573,16 @@ static int _yr_re_fiber_sync(
     case RE_OPCODE_REPEAT_END_UNGREEDY:
 
       repeat_args = (RE_REPEAT_ARGS*) (fiber->ip + 1);
+
+#if YR_PARANOID_EXEC
+      // A REPEAT_END with no matching REPEAT_START leaves sp at -1 and the
+      // access below would read and write before the stack. In normal
+      // conditions this never happens, but it can with compiled rules that
+      // have been hand-crafted by a malicious actor.
+      if (fiber->sp < 0)
+        return ERROR_INTERNAL_FATAL_ERROR;
+#endif
+
       fiber->stack[fiber->sp]++;
 
       if (fiber->stack[fiber->sp] < repeat_args->min)
diff --git a/tests/test-re-split.c b/tests/test-re-split.c
index 0f49f86715..52fe94acba 100644
--- a/tests/test-re-split.c
+++ b/tests/test-re-split.c
@@ -149,6 +149,58 @@ static void test_repeat_stack_overflow(void)
   }
 }
 
+// A compiled rule hand-crafted by a malicious actor can carry a regexp whose
+// bytecode reaches a REPEAT_END with no matching REPEAT_START. The compiler
+// always emits a REPEAT_START (which pushes onto the fiber's repeat stack)
+// before the matching REPEAT_END, so the stack pointer is never negative for
+// legitimate rules, but loaded bytecode is not validated. _yr_re_fiber_sync
+// increments stack[sp] on REPEAT_END, so such a stream must be rejected
+// instead of writing before the stack with sp still -1.
+static void test_repeat_stack_underflow(void)
+{
+  // A single REPEAT_END (opcode byte followed by RE_REPEAT_ARGS, a packed
+  // { uint16 min; uint16 max; int32 offset } of 8 bytes) with no preceding
+  // REPEAT_START, followed by a MATCH.
+  uint8_t code[1 + 8 + 1];
+  uint16_t min = 1;
+  uint16_t max = 2;
+  int32_t offset = 0;
+
+  code[0] = RE_OPCODE_REPEAT_END_GREEDY;
+  memcpy(code + 1, &min, sizeof(min));
+  memcpy(code + 3, &max, sizeof(max));
+  memcpy(code + 5, &offset, sizeof(offset));
+  code[9] = RE_OPCODE_MATCH;
+
+  YR_SCAN_CONTEXT context;
+  memset(&context, 0, sizeof(context));
+
+  uint8_t input[1] = {0};
+  int matches = 0;
+
+  int result = yr_re_exec(
+      &context,
+      code,
+      input,
+      sizeof(input),
+      0,
+      RE_FLAGS_SCAN,
+      re_match_callback,
+      NULL,
+      &matches);
+
+  assert(result == ERROR_INTERNAL_FATAL_ERROR);
+
+  RE_FIBER* fiber = context.re_fiber_pool.fibers.head;
+
+  while (fiber != NULL)
+  {
+    RE_FIBER* next = fiber->next;
+    yr_free(fiber);
+    fiber = next;
+  }
+}
+
 int main(int argc, char** argv)
 {
   int result = 0;
@@ -201,6 +253,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
 
   test_split_id_overflow();
   test_repeat_stack_overflow();
+  test_repeat_stack_underflow();
 
   yr_finalize();