diff --git a/src/fstapi.c b/src/fstapi.c
index 7c67459..1a8ea98 100644
--- a/src/fstapi.c
+++ b/src/fstapi.c
@@ -3791,7 +3791,8 @@ static int fstReaderRecreateHierFile(struct fstReaderContext *xc)
             }
             gzclose(zhandle);
         } else if (htyp == FST_BL_HIER_LZ4DUO) {
-            unsigned char *lz4_cmem = (unsigned char *)malloc(clen);
+            /* extra null byte to catch any unterminated varint */
+            unsigned char *lz4_cmem = (unsigned char *)calloc(1, (uint64_t)clen + 1);
             unsigned char *lz4_ucmem = (unsigned char *)malloc(uclen);
             unsigned char *lz4_ucmem2;
             uint64_t uclen2;
@@ -3800,8 +3801,10 @@ static int fstReaderRecreateHierFile(struct fstReaderContext *xc)
             fstFread(lz4_cmem, clen, 1, xc->f);
 
             uclen2 = fstGetVarint64(lz4_cmem, &skiplen2);
+
             lz4_ucmem2 = (unsigned char *)malloc(uclen2);
             pass_status =
+                (skiplen2 <= (int)clen) &&
                 (uclen2 == (uint64_t)LZ4_decompress_safe_partial((char *)lz4_cmem + skiplen2,
                                                                  (char *)lz4_ucmem2,
                                                                  clen - skiplen2,
diff --git a/tests/data/malformed/hierarchy_lz4duo_shorter_than_its_varint.fst b/tests/data/malformed/hierarchy_lz4duo_shorter_than_its_varint.fst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4af215b
Binary files /dev/null and b/tests/data/malformed/hierarchy_lz4duo_shorter_than_its_varint.fst differ
diff --git a/tests/meson.build b/tests/meson.build
index 8a7dadb..bc49406 100644
--- a/tests/meson.build
+++ b/tests/meson.build
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ malformed_cases = [
     'chain_table_unterminated',
     'chain_uncompresses_past_traversal',
     'chain_varint_pair_past_traversal',
+    'hierarchy_lz4duo_shorter_than_its_varint',
     'geometry_short',
     'geometry_varint_unterminated',
     'frame_maxhandle_too_big',
diff --git a/tests/reader_malformed_files.c b/tests/reader_malformed_files.c
index 08f6eae..aaf305c 100644
--- a/tests/reader_malformed_files.c
+++ b/tests/reader_malformed_files.c
@@ -47,6 +47,11 @@
  *       continuation bytes, including the last byte, so its varint is
  *       unterminated
  *
+ *   hierarchy_lz4duo_shorter_than_its_varint.fst
+ *       a doubly LZ4 packed hierarchy section whose data is the single byte
+ *       0x81, a continuation byte, so the varint in front of its data does not
+ *       end inside the section
+ *
  *   geometry_short.fst
  *       a geometry section that announces three handles but holds the width
  *       of only one