diff --git a/src/Core/Storage/EncryptedFile.cs b/src/Core/Storage/EncryptedFile.cs
index 5736b0e..e26920c 100644
--- a/src/Core/Storage/EncryptedFile.cs
+++ b/src/Core/Storage/EncryptedFile.cs
@@ -13,6 +13,10 @@ public static class EncryptedFile
 {
     private const string Format = "plm-wallet-aesgcm-v1";
     private const int DefaultIterations = 600_000;
+    // Upper bound on the iteration count read from the container: the value is
+    // attacker-controlled in a tampered file, and an absurd count would hang the
+    // wallet at open (PBKDF2 DoS). Leaves ample room for future increases.
+    private const int MaxIterations = 10_000_000;
     private const int SaltSize = 16;
     private const int NonceSize = 12;
     private const int TagSize = 16;
@@ -62,23 +66,51 @@ public static class EncryptedFile
             Convert.ToBase64String(tag), Convert.ToBase64String(cipher)));
     }
 
-    /// <summary>Throws <see cref="WrongPasswordException"/> if the password is wrong or the file is tampered with.</summary>
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Throws <see cref="WrongPasswordException"/> if the password is wrong or the
+    /// ciphertext is tampered with, <see cref="InvalidDataException"/> for any
+    /// malformed container (broken JSON, missing fields, bad base64, wrong
+    /// nonce/tag size, out-of-range iteration count) — never a raw parsing exception.
+    /// </summary>
     public static string Decrypt(string fileContent, string password)
     {
-        var container = JsonSerializer.Deserialize<Container>(fileContent)
-            ?? throw new InvalidDataException("Contenitore cifrato non valido.");
+        Container? container;
+        try
+        {
+            container = JsonSerializer.Deserialize<Container>(fileContent);
+        }
+        catch (JsonException)
+        {
+            throw new InvalidDataException("Invalid encrypted container.");
+        }
+        if (container is null)
+            throw new InvalidDataException("Invalid encrypted container.");
         if (container.Format != Format)
-            throw new InvalidDataException($"Formato sconosciuto: {container.Format}");
+            throw new InvalidDataException($"Unknown container format: {container.Format}");
+        if (container.Iterations is <= 0 or > MaxIterations)
+            throw new InvalidDataException($"Iteration count out of range: {container.Iterations}");
 
-        var key = DeriveKey(password, Convert.FromBase64String(container.Salt), container.Iterations);
-        var cipher = Convert.FromBase64String(container.Data);
+        byte[] salt, nonce, tag, cipher;
+        try
+        {
+            salt   = Convert.FromBase64String(container.Salt);
+            nonce  = Convert.FromBase64String(container.Nonce);
+            tag    = Convert.FromBase64String(container.Tag);
+            cipher = Convert.FromBase64String(container.Data);
+        }
+        catch (Exception ex) when (ex is FormatException or ArgumentNullException)
+        {
+            throw new InvalidDataException("Invalid encrypted container.");
+        }
+        if (nonce.Length != NonceSize || tag.Length != TagSize)
+            throw new InvalidDataException("Invalid encrypted container.");
+
+        var key = DeriveKey(password, salt, container.Iterations);
         var plain = new byte[cipher.Length];
         try
         {
             using var aes = new AesGcm(key, TagSize);
-            aes.Decrypt(
-                Convert.FromBase64String(container.Nonce), cipher,
-                Convert.FromBase64String(container.Tag), plain);
+            aes.Decrypt(nonce, cipher, tag, plain);
         }
         catch (AuthenticationTagMismatchException)
         {
diff --git a/tests/PalladiumWallet.Tests/Storage/StorageTests.cs b/tests/PalladiumWallet.Tests/Storage/StorageTests.cs
index 0921ddc..fe44106 100644
--- a/tests/PalladiumWallet.Tests/Storage/StorageTests.cs
+++ b/tests/PalladiumWallet.Tests/Storage/StorageTests.cs
@@ -57,6 +57,22 @@ public class StorageTests
         Assert.NotEqual(c1, c2);
     }
 
+    [Theory]
+    [InlineData("not json at all")]                                     // broken JSON
+    [InlineData("null")]                                                // JSON null
+    [InlineData("""{"Format":"plm-wallet-aesgcm-v1"}""")]               // missing fields → null strings
+    [InlineData("""{"Format":"plm-wallet-aesgcm-v1","Iterations":600000,"Salt":"$$$","Nonce":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA","Tag":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==","Data":""}""")] // bad base64
+    [InlineData("""{"Format":"plm-wallet-aesgcm-v1","Iterations":600000,"Salt":"AA==","Nonce":"AA==","Tag":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==","Data":""}""")] // wrong nonce size
+    [InlineData("""{"Format":"plm-wallet-aesgcm-v1","Iterations":0,"Salt":"AA==","Nonce":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA","Tag":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==","Data":""}""")] // iterations 0
+    [InlineData("""{"Format":"plm-wallet-aesgcm-v1","Iterations":2147483647,"Salt":"AA==","Nonce":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA","Tag":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==","Data":""}""")] // PBKDF2 DoS
+    public void Un_contenitore_malformato_produce_sempre_InvalidDataException(string container)
+    {
+        // A tampered/corrupted file must map to the two typed exceptions, never to a
+        // raw JsonException/FormatException/ArgumentNullException (found by fuzzing);
+        // the absurd iteration count would otherwise hang the wallet at open.
+        Assert.Throws<InvalidDataException>(() => EncryptedFile.Decrypt(container, "pass"));
+    }
+
     [Fact]
     public void Ogni_encrypt_produce_salt_diverso()
     {