diff --git a/.github/workflows/architecture-migration-rules.yml b/.github/workflows/architecture-migration-rules.yml
index a8e144119..9153b69e0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/architecture-migration-rules.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/architecture-migration-rules.yml
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ jobs:
     name: Cancel Closed PR Runs
     if: github.event_name == 'pull_request' && github.event.action == 'closed'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 10
     steps:
       - name: Explain cancellation run
         run: echo "PR closed; this run only cancels older runs in the same concurrency group."
@@ -45,6 +46,7 @@ jobs:
     name: Architecture Migration Rules
     if: github.event_name != 'pull_request' || github.event.action != 'closed'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 10
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@9c091bb21b7c1c1d1991bb908d89e4e9dddfe3e0 # v7
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/audit.yml b/.github/workflows/audit.yml
index 408c8684f..bdb4f9425 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/audit.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/audit.yml
@@ -39,7 +39,12 @@ on:
       - 'scripts/security/check_preview_release_workflow.sh'
       - 'scripts/security/check_workflow_pins.sh'
   schedule:
-    - cron: '0 3 * * 0' # Weekly on Sunday 03:00 UTC (staggered after the midnight ci/build crons)
+    # Daily, not weekly. This schedule exists to catch RustSec advisories
+    # published against an unchanged dependency tree; at weekly cadence a new
+    # advisory could sit unnoticed for seven days. The check list is unchanged —
+    # splitting it into a light daily advisories-only run and a weekly full run
+    # would create runs where sources/bans/licenses go unverified.
+    - cron: '0 3 * * *' # Daily 03:00 UTC (staggered after the midnight ci/build crons)
   workflow_dispatch:
 
 permissions:
@@ -59,6 +64,7 @@ jobs:
     name: Cancel Closed PR Runs
     if: github.event_name == 'pull_request' && github.event.action == 'closed'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 10
     steps:
       - name: Explain cancellation run
         run: echo "PR closed; this run only cancels older runs in the same concurrency group."
@@ -120,12 +126,16 @@ jobs:
       - name: Check setup cache-save-if is explicit
         run: ./scripts/security/check_cache_save_if.sh
 
+      - name: Check every job declares a timeout
+        run: ./scripts/security/check_job_timeouts.sh
+
       - name: Check preview release workflow policy
         run: ./scripts/security/check_preview_release_workflow.sh
 
   dependency-review:
     name: Dependency Review
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 30
     if: github.event_name == 'pull_request' && github.event.action != 'closed'
     permissions:
       contents: read
@@ -145,3 +155,26 @@ jobs:
           # conscious re-review of the license/provenance claim (backlog#1181).
           allow-dependencies-licenses: pkg:cargo/rustfs-uring@0.1.0
           comment-summary-in-pr: always
+
+  alert-on-failure:
+    name: Alert on scheduled failure
+    # dependency-review is deliberately excluded: it only runs on pull_request,
+    # so it can never contribute a failure to a scheduled run.
+    needs: [cargo-deny, workflow-pin-report]
+    # A scheduled cargo-deny failure usually means the dependency tree just
+    # matched a newly published advisory — the single most important signal this
+    # workflow produces, and until now it was only visible to whoever happened to
+    # open the Actions tab. Same ci-8 mechanism coverage.yml and
+    # e2e-replication-nightly.yml already use.
+    if: always() && github.event_name == 'schedule' && contains(needs.*.result, 'failure')
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 10
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+      issues: write
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@9c091bb21b7c1c1d1991bb908d89e4e9dddfe3e0 # v7
+      - name: Open or update failure-tracking issue
+        uses: ./.github/actions/schedule-failure-issue
+        with:
+          github-token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 696532a90..63c555f63 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ jobs:
   build-check:
     name: Build Strategy Check
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 30
     outputs:
       should_build: ${{ steps.check.outputs.should_build }}
       build_type: ${{ steps.check.outputs.build_type }}
@@ -164,6 +165,7 @@ jobs:
     name: Prepare Platform Matrix
     needs: build-check
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 30
     outputs:
       matrix: ${{ steps.select.outputs.matrix }}
       selected: ${{ steps.select.outputs.selected }}
@@ -171,10 +173,14 @@ jobs:
       - name: Select target platforms
         id: select
         shell: bash
+        env:
+          # via env, not interpolation: a dispatch input is free-form text and
+          # would otherwise be pasted into the script for bash to evaluate.
+          RAW_PLATFORMS: ${{ github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' && github.event.inputs.platforms || 'all' }}
         run: |
           set -euo pipefail
 
-          selected="${{ github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' && github.event.inputs.platforms || 'all' }}"
+          selected="$RAW_PLATFORMS"
           selected="$(echo "${selected}" | tr -d '[:space:]')"
           if [[ -z "${selected}" ]]; then
             selected="all"
@@ -710,9 +716,14 @@ jobs:
     needs: [ build-check, build-rustfs ]
     if: always() && needs.build-check.outputs.should_build == 'true'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 10
     steps:
       - name: Build completion summary
         shell: bash
+        env:
+          # dispatch input via env: free-form text must not be pasted into the
+          # script for bash to evaluate.
+          INPUT_BUILD_DOCKER: ${{ github.event.inputs.build_docker }}
         run: |
           BUILD_TYPE="${{ needs.build-check.outputs.build_type }}"
           VERSION="${{ needs.build-check.outputs.version }}"
@@ -754,7 +765,7 @@ jobs:
           echo "🐳 Docker Images:"
           if [[ "$BUILD_TYPE" == "preview" ]]; then
             echo "⏭️  Preview tags do not publish Docker images"
-          elif [[ "${{ github.event.inputs.build_docker }}" == "false" ]]; then
+          elif [[ "$INPUT_BUILD_DOCKER" == "false" ]]; then
             echo "⏭️  Docker image build was skipped (binary only build)"
           elif [[ "$BUILD_STATUS" == "success" ]]; then
             echo "🔄 Docker images will be built and pushed automatically via workflow_run event"
@@ -768,6 +779,7 @@ jobs:
     needs: [ build-check, build-rustfs ]
     if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/') && (needs.build-check.outputs.build_type == 'preview' || needs.build-check.outputs.build_type == 'release' || needs.build-check.outputs.build_type == 'prerelease')
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 30
     permissions:
       contents: write
     outputs:
@@ -827,6 +839,7 @@ jobs:
     needs: [ build-check, build-rustfs, create-release ]
     if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/') && (needs.build-check.outputs.build_type == 'preview' || needs.build-check.outputs.build_type == 'release' || needs.build-check.outputs.build_type == 'prerelease')
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 30
     permissions:
       contents: write
       actions: read
@@ -918,6 +931,7 @@ jobs:
     needs: [ build-check, publish-release ]
     if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/') && (needs.build-check.outputs.build_type == 'release' || needs.build-check.outputs.build_type == 'prerelease')
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 30
     steps:
       - name: Update latest.json
         env:
@@ -977,6 +991,7 @@ jobs:
     needs: [ build-check, create-release, upload-release-assets ]
     if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/') && (needs.build-check.outputs.build_type == 'preview' || needs.build-check.outputs.build_type == 'release' || needs.build-check.outputs.build_type == 'prerelease')
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 30
     permissions:
       contents: write
     steps:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index f5567744d..e2a346cd0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ jobs:
     name: Cancel Closed PR Runs
     if: github.event_name == 'pull_request' && github.event.action == 'closed'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 10
     steps:
       - name: Explain cancellation run
         run: echo "PR closed; this run only cancels older runs in the same concurrency group."
@@ -89,6 +90,7 @@ jobs:
     name: Typos
     if: github.event_name != 'pull_request' || github.event.action != 'closed'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 10
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@9c091bb21b7c1c1d1991bb908d89e4e9dddfe3e0 # v7
       - name: Typos check with custom config file
diff --git a/.github/workflows/cla.yml b/.github/workflows/cla.yml
index 622958a14..ef557656d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cla.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cla.yml
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ jobs:
     name: Cancel Closed PR Runs
     if: github.event_name == 'pull_request_target' && github.event.action == 'closed'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 10
     steps:
       - name: Explain cancellation run
         run: echo "PR closed; this run only cancels older runs in the same concurrency group."
@@ -44,6 +45,7 @@ jobs:
   cla:
     if: ${{ (github.event_name != 'issue_comment' || github.event.issue.pull_request) && (github.event_name != 'pull_request_target' || github.event.action != 'closed') }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 30
     steps:
       - name: Report CLA result for merge queue
         if: github.event_name == 'merge_group'
diff --git a/.github/workflows/docker.yml b/.github/workflows/docker.yml
index 75ef45a59..ebb955da8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/docker.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/docker.yml
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ jobs:
        github.event.workflow_run.head_branch != 'main' &&
        !contains(github.event.workflow_run.head_branch, '-preview'))
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 30
     outputs:
       should_build: ${{ steps.check.outputs.should_build }}
       should_push: ${{ steps.check.outputs.should_push }}
@@ -102,6 +103,12 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Check build conditions
         id: check
+        env:
+          # dispatch inputs via env, not `${{ }}` interpolation: they are
+          # free-form strings and would otherwise be evaluated by bash.
+          INPUT_VERSION: ${{ github.event.inputs.version }}
+          INPUT_PUSH_IMAGES: ${{ github.event.inputs.push_images }}
+          INPUT_FORCE_REBUILD: ${{ github.event.inputs.force_rebuild }}
         run: |
           should_build=false
           should_push=false
@@ -202,9 +209,9 @@ jobs:
 
           elif [[ "${{ github.event_name }}" == "workflow_dispatch" ]]; then
             # Manual trigger
-            input_version="${{ github.event.inputs.version }}"
+            input_version="$INPUT_VERSION"
             version="${input_version}"
-            should_push="${{ github.event.inputs.push_images }}"
+            should_push="$INPUT_PUSH_IMAGES"
             should_build=true
 
             # Get short SHA
@@ -212,7 +219,7 @@ jobs:
 
             echo "🎯 Manual Docker build triggered:"
             echo "   📋 Requested version: $input_version"
-            echo "   🔧 Force rebuild: ${{ github.event.inputs.force_rebuild }}"
+            echo "   🔧 Force rebuild: $INPUT_FORCE_REBUILD"
             echo "   🚀 Push images: $should_push"
 
             case "$input_version" in
@@ -439,6 +446,7 @@ jobs:
     needs: [ build-check, build-docker ]
     if: needs.build-check.outputs.should_build == 'true' && needs.build-check.outputs.should_push == 'true'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 30
     permissions:
       contents: read
       security-events: write
@@ -493,6 +501,7 @@ jobs:
     needs: [ build-check, build-docker ]
     if: always() && needs.build-check.outputs.should_build == 'true'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 10
     steps:
       - name: Docker build completion summary
         run: |
diff --git a/.github/workflows/fuzz.yml b/.github/workflows/fuzz.yml
index 713bc1694..3fe5ab0de 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/fuzz.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/fuzz.yml
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ jobs:
     name: Cancel Closed PR Runs
     if: github.event_name == 'pull_request' && github.event.action == 'closed'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 10
     steps:
       - name: Explain cancellation run
         run: echo "PR closed; this run only cancels older runs in the same concurrency group."
diff --git a/.github/workflows/helm-package.yml b/.github/workflows/helm-package.yml
index 7e313c9b6..63c279caf 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/helm-package.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/helm-package.yml
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ permissions:
 jobs:
   build-helm-package:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 30
     if: |
       (github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' && !contains(github.event.inputs.version, '-preview')) ||
       (
@@ -50,15 +51,23 @@ jobs:
       - name: Checkout helm chart repo
         uses: actions/checkout@9c091bb21b7c1c1d1991bb908d89e4e9dddfe3e0 # v7
 
+      # Both inputs reach the shell through env rather than `${{ }}`
+      # interpolation. A git ref name may contain `$(...)` — anything without a
+      # space is a legal tag — and interpolation pastes it into the script
+      # verbatim, where bash would run it. Reading "$RAW_INPUT" instead makes it
+      # data.
       - name: Normalize release version
         id: version
+        env:
+          RAW_INPUT: ${{ github.event.inputs.version }}
+          RAW_BRANCH: ${{ github.event.workflow_run.head_branch }}
         run: |
           set -eux
 
           if [ "${{ github.event_name }}" = "workflow_dispatch" ]; then
-            RAW="${{ github.event.inputs.version }}"
+            RAW="$RAW_INPUT"
           else
-            RAW="${{ github.event.workflow_run.head_branch }}"
+            RAW="$RAW_BRANCH"
           fi
 
           case "$RAW" in
@@ -73,10 +82,13 @@ jobs:
           ./scripts/helm_chart_version.sh "$RAW_TAG"
 
       - name: Replace chart version and app version
+        env:
+          CHART_VERSION: ${{ steps.version.outputs.chart_version }}
+          APP_VERSION: ${{ steps.version.outputs.app_version }}
         run: |
           set -eux
-          sed -i -E 's/^version:.*/version: "${{ steps.version.outputs.chart_version }}"/' helm/rustfs/Chart.yaml
-          sed -i -E 's/^appVersion:.*/appVersion: "${{ steps.version.outputs.app_version }}"/' helm/rustfs/Chart.yaml
+          sed -i -E "s/^version:.*/version: \"${CHART_VERSION}\"/" helm/rustfs/Chart.yaml
+          sed -i -E "s/^appVersion:.*/appVersion: \"${APP_VERSION}\"/" helm/rustfs/Chart.yaml
 
       - name: Set up Helm
         uses: azure/setup-helm@b9e51907a09c216f16ebe8536097933489208112 # v4.3.0
@@ -101,6 +113,7 @@ jobs:
 
   publish-helm-package:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 30
     needs: [ build-helm-package ]
     if: needs.build-helm-package.result == 'success'
 
@@ -123,11 +136,19 @@ jobs:
       - name: Generate index
         run: helm repo index . --url https://charts.rustfs.com
 
+      # app_version is derived from the triggering tag name, and this job holds
+      # the cross-repository push token with rustfs/helm already checked out —
+      # the worst place in the repo to paste an attacker-influenced string into
+      # a shell line. Passed through env so bash treats it as data.
       - name: Push helm package and index file
+        env:
+          GIT_USERNAME: ${{ secrets.USERNAME }}
+          GIT_EMAIL: ${{ secrets.EMAIL_ADDRESS }}
+          APP_VERSION: ${{ needs.build-helm-package.outputs.app_version }}
         run: |
           set -eux
-          git config --global user.name "${{ secrets.USERNAME }}"
-          git config --global user.email "${{ secrets.EMAIL_ADDRESS }}"
+          git config --global user.name "${GIT_USERNAME}"
+          git config --global user.email "${GIT_EMAIL}"
           git add .
-          git commit -m "Update rustfs helm package with ${{ needs.build-helm-package.outputs.app_version }}." || echo "No changes to commit"
+          git commit -m "Update rustfs helm package with ${APP_VERSION}." || echo "No changes to commit"
           git push origin main
diff --git a/.github/workflows/issue-translator.yml b/.github/workflows/issue-translator.yml
index 996ee5061..1bb98a956 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/issue-translator.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/issue-translator.yml
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ permissions:
 jobs:
   build:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 10
     steps:
       - uses: usthe/issues-translate-action@b41f55ddc81d7d54bd542a4f289fe28ec081898e # v2.7
         with:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/nix.yml b/.github/workflows/nix.yml
index dc20702eb..85829ef47 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/nix.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/nix.yml
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ jobs:
     name: Cancel Closed PR Runs
     if: github.event_name == 'pull_request' && github.event.action == 'closed'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 10
     steps:
       - name: Explain cancellation run
         run: echo "PR closed; this run only cancels older runs in the same concurrency group."
diff --git a/.github/workflows/performance-ab.yml b/.github/workflows/performance-ab.yml
index b9848e397..7a831303c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/performance-ab.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/performance-ab.yml
@@ -162,13 +162,15 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Decide exemption
         id: exempt
+        env:
+          INPUT_ALLOW_REGRESSION: ${{ github.event.inputs.allow_regression }}
         run: |
           allow="false"
           if [[ "${{ github.event_name }}" == "pull_request" ]] \
             && ${{ contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'perf-deliberate-tradeoff') }}; then
             allow="true"
           fi
-          if [[ "${{ github.event.inputs.allow_regression }}" == "true" ]]; then
+          if [[ "$INPUT_ALLOW_REGRESSION" == "true" ]]; then
             allow="true"
           fi
           echo "allow_regression=$allow" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
@@ -224,6 +226,8 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Run warp A/B and gate
         id: ab
+        env:
+          INPUT_DURATION: ${{ github.event.inputs.duration }}
         run: |
           set -euo pipefail
           # Budget note: with perf-3's cached baseline the nightly does no source
@@ -234,7 +238,7 @@ jobs:
           # budget, which the rig's previous 60s health poll undershot (the first
           # two nightly failures). perf-6 recalibrates these once the noise study
           # lands.
-          duration="${{ github.event.inputs.duration || '12s' }}"
+          duration="${INPUT_DURATION:-12s}"
           baseline_sha="${{ steps.commits.outputs.baseline_sha }}"
           candidate_sha="${{ steps.commits.outputs.candidate_sha }}"
           baseline_hit="${{ steps.baseline_cache.outputs.cache-hit }}"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/stale.yml b/.github/workflows/stale.yml
index 30520387b..3152e720d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/stale.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/stale.yml
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ on:
 jobs:
   stale:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 30
     steps:
       - uses: actions/stale@5bef64f19d7facfb25b37b414482c7164d639639 # v9
         with:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/star-history.yml b/.github/workflows/star-history.yml
index f7457e6de..82fdb303b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/star-history.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/star-history.yml
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ concurrency:
 jobs:
   update:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 10
     steps:
       - uses: overtrue/repo-visuals-action@72f34d24769ff5d341956da2f23952594ef2f1e2 # v1.3.0
         with:
diff --git a/scripts/security/check_job_timeouts.sh b/scripts/security/check_job_timeouts.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..f9c6fdf09
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/security/check_job_timeouts.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Every job that occupies a runner must declare timeout-minutes.
+#
+# GitHub's default is 360 minutes. This repository has a history of runners
+# stalling intermittently (#5394) and of a plain `git checkout` taking 9m57s
+# under node-level I/O contention, so an undeclared timeout means one wedged job
+# can hold a runner for six hours out of a pool of roughly 15-21.
+#
+# Only jobs with `runs-on` are checked: a job that calls a reusable workflow has
+# no runner of its own and cannot declare a timeout.
+#
+# Usage: scripts/security/check_job_timeouts.sh
+set -euo pipefail
+
+cd "$(dirname "$0")/../.."
+
+status=0
+
+for file in .github/workflows/*.yml .github/workflows/*.yaml; do
+    [ -e "$file" ] || continue
+
+    awk -v file="$file" '
+        function flush() {
+            if (job != "" && has_runs_on && !has_timeout) {
+                printf "%s:%d: job `%s` has runs-on but no timeout-minutes\n", file, job_line, job > "/dev/stderr"
+                bad++
+            }
+            job = ""; has_runs_on = 0; has_timeout = 0
+        }
+        /^jobs:[[:space:]]*$/ { in_jobs = 1; next }
+        {
+            line = $0
+            sub(/[[:space:]]+$/, "", line)
+            if (line ~ /^[[:space:]]*#/ || line ~ /^[[:space:]]*$/) next
+
+            # A non-indented key ends the jobs mapping.
+            if (in_jobs && line !~ /^[[:space:]]/) { flush(); in_jobs = 0 }
+            if (!in_jobs) next
+
+            if (line ~ /^  [a-zA-Z0-9_-]+:[[:space:]]*$/) {
+                flush()
+                job = line
+                sub(/^[[:space:]]*/, "", job)
+                sub(/:.*$/, "", job)
+                job_line = NR
+                next
+            }
+            if (job == "") next
+            if (line ~ /^    runs-on:/) has_runs_on = 1
+            if (line ~ /^    timeout-minutes:/) has_timeout = 1
+        }
+        END { flush(); exit (bad > 0) }
+    ' "$file" || status=1
+done
+
+if [ "$status" -ne 0 ]; then
+    echo "" >&2
+    echo "Add timeout-minutes to each job above. Rough budgets used in this repo:" >&2
+    echo "  10  echo-only and guard-script jobs" >&2
+    echo "  30  jobs that call the GitHub API, upload assets, or push over the network" >&2
+    echo "  90+ anything using ./.github/actions/setup (cold cache restore alone is 11-21 min)" >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+echo "OK: every job with runs-on declares timeout-minutes"