diff --git a/tests/test_security_guards.py b/tests/test_security_guards.py
index 9f9297e..47eacbc 100644
--- a/tests/test_security_guards.py
+++ b/tests/test_security_guards.py
@@ -92,6 +92,20 @@ class PermissionGuardTests(GuardRepoFixture):
         self.assertEqual(result.returncode, 1)
         self.assertIn("invalid JSON", result.stdout)
 
+    def test_malformed_settings_shape_fails_cleanly(self):
+        for data, message in [
+            ([], "top-level JSON value must be an object"),
+            ({"permissions": []}, "permissions must be an object"),
+            ({"permissions": {"allow": "Bash(*)"}}, "permissions.allow must be a list of strings"),
+            ({"permissions": {"allow": [1]}}, "permissions.allow must be a list of strings"),
+        ]:
+            with self.subTest(data=data):
+                self.settings.write_text(json.dumps(data))
+                result = run_guards(self.root)
+                self.assertEqual(result.returncode, 1)
+                self.assertIn(message, result.stdout)
+                self.assertNotIn("Traceback", result.stderr)
+
 
 class GitignoreGuardTests(GuardRepoFixture):
     def test_each_missing_personal_data_rule_fails(self):
@@ -134,6 +148,18 @@ class ManifestGuardTests(GuardRepoFixture):
         self.assertEqual(result.returncode, 1)
         self.assertIn("trustedDependencies", result.stdout)
 
+    def test_malformed_manifest_shape_fails_cleanly(self):
+        for data, message in [
+            ([], "top-level JSON value must be an object"),
+            ({"name": "example-cli", "scripts": []}, "scripts must be an object"),
+        ]:
+            with self.subTest(data=data):
+                self.write_manifest(data)
+                result = run_guards(self.root)
+                self.assertEqual(result.returncode, 1)
+                self.assertIn(message, result.stdout)
+                self.assertNotIn("Traceback", result.stderr)
+
     def test_benign_scripts_pass(self):
         self.write_manifest(
             {"name": "example-cli", "scripts": {"start": "bun run src/cli.ts", "test": "bun test", "typecheck": "tsc --noEmit"}}
diff --git a/tools/security_guards.py b/tools/security_guards.py
index 22802f6..4eb783f 100644
--- a/tools/security_guards.py
+++ b/tools/security_guards.py
@@ -65,7 +65,17 @@ def check_permissions() -> None:
     except (OSError, json.JSONDecodeError) as exc:
         errors.append(f".claude/settings.json: unreadable or invalid JSON: {exc}")
         return
-    allow = data.get("permissions", {}).get("allow", [])
+    if not isinstance(data, dict):
+        errors.append(".claude/settings.json: top-level JSON value must be an object")
+        return
+    permissions = data.get("permissions", {})
+    if not isinstance(permissions, dict):
+        errors.append(".claude/settings.json: permissions must be an object")
+        return
+    allow = permissions.get("allow", [])
+    if not isinstance(allow, list) or not all(isinstance(entry, str) for entry in allow):
+        errors.append(".claude/settings.json: permissions.allow must be a list of strings")
+        return
     for entry in allow:
         if entry not in ALLOWED_PERMISSIONS:
             errors.append(
@@ -110,7 +120,14 @@ def check_package_manifests() -> None:
         except (OSError, json.JSONDecodeError) as exc:
             errors.append(f"{relpath}: unreadable or invalid JSON: {exc}")
             continue
-        bad = FORBIDDEN_SCRIPTS & set(data.get("scripts", {}))
+        if not isinstance(data, dict):
+            errors.append(f"{relpath}: top-level JSON value must be an object")
+            continue
+        scripts = data.get("scripts", {})
+        if not isinstance(scripts, dict):
+            errors.append(f"{relpath}: scripts must be an object")
+            continue
+        bad = FORBIDDEN_SCRIPTS & set(scripts)
         if bad:
             errors.append(
                 f"{relpath}: lifecycle script(s) {sorted(bad)} are forbidden - they execute "