diff --git a/cmd/cli/cli.go b/cmd/cli/cli.go
index 596c88f..a903d24 100644
--- a/cmd/cli/cli.go
+++ b/cmd/cli/cli.go
@@ -650,6 +650,19 @@ const defaultDeactivationPin = -1
 // cdDeactivationPin is used in cd mode to decide whether stop and uninstall commands can be run.
 var cdDeactivationPin atomic.Int64
 
+// Brute-force protection for the deactivation PIN endpoint on the control socket.
+// After deactivationMaxFailedAttempts consecutive wrong PINs, further attempts are
+// rejected for deactivationLockoutSeconds. Counter resets on a correct PIN.
+const (
+	deactivationMaxFailedAttempts = 5
+	deactivationLockoutSeconds    = 60
+)
+
+var (
+	deactivationFailedAttempts atomic.Int64
+	deactivationLockedUntil    atomic.Int64
+)
+
 func init() {
 	cdDeactivationPin.Store(defaultDeactivationPin)
 }
@@ -1788,6 +1801,9 @@ var errInvalidDeactivationPin = errors.New("deactivation pin is invalid")
 // errRequiredDeactivationPin indicates that the deactivation pin is required but not provided by users.
 var errRequiredDeactivationPin = errors.New("deactivation pin is required to stop or uninstall the service")
 
+// errTooManyDeactivationPin represents an error indicating excessive deactivation PIN request attempts.
+var errTooManyDeactivationPin = errors.New("too many request attempts")
+
 // checkDeactivationPin validates if the deactivation pin matches one in ControlD config.
 func checkDeactivationPin(s service.Service, stopCh chan struct{}) error {
 	mainLog.Load().Debug().Msg("Checking deactivation pin")
@@ -1816,6 +1832,9 @@ func checkDeactivationPin(s service.Service, stopCh chan struct{}) error {
 		case http.StatusBadRequest:
 			mainLog.Load().Error().Msg(errRequiredDeactivationPin.Error())
 			return errRequiredDeactivationPin // pin is required
+		case http.StatusTooManyRequests:
+			mainLog.Load().Error().Msg(errTooManyDeactivationPin.Error())
+			return errTooManyDeactivationPin
 		case http.StatusOK:
 			return nil // valid pin
 		case http.StatusNotFound:
@@ -1828,7 +1847,9 @@ func checkDeactivationPin(s service.Service, stopCh chan struct{}) error {
 
 // isCheckDeactivationPinErr reports whether there is an error during check deactivation pin process.
 func isCheckDeactivationPinErr(err error) bool {
-	return errors.Is(err, errInvalidDeactivationPin) || errors.Is(err, errRequiredDeactivationPin)
+	return errors.Is(err, errInvalidDeactivationPin) ||
+		errors.Is(err, errRequiredDeactivationPin) ||
+		errors.Is(err, errTooManyDeactivationPin)
 }
 
 // ensureUninstall ensures that s.Uninstall will remove ctrld service from system completely.
diff --git a/cmd/cli/control_server.go b/cmd/cli/control_server.go
index cd5d4b0..b716686 100644
--- a/cmd/cli/control_server.go
+++ b/cmd/cli/control_server.go
@@ -61,12 +61,18 @@ func newControlServer(addr string) (*controlServer, error) {
 func (s *controlServer) start() error {
 	_ = os.Remove(s.addr)
 	unixListener, err := net.Listen("unix", s.addr)
-	if l, ok := unixListener.(*net.UnixListener); ok {
-		l.SetUnlinkOnClose(true)
-	}
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	// Restrict socket permissions to owner-only (0600) so that only the
+	// process owner (typically root) can connect. Defense-in-depth since
+	// the control server endpoints carry no authentication of their own.
+	if err := os.Chmod(s.addr, 0600); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if l, ok := unixListener.(*net.UnixListener); ok {
+		l.SetUnlinkOnClose(true)
+	}
 	go s.server.Serve(unixListener)
 	return nil
 }
@@ -222,6 +228,13 @@ func (p *prog) registerControlServerHandler() {
 		}
 
 		loggerCtx := ctrld.LoggerCtx(context.Background(), p.logger.Load())
+
+		// Reject further attempts while locked out due to repeated wrong PINs.
+		if now := time.Now().Unix(); now < deactivationLockedUntil.Load() {
+			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusTooManyRequests)
+			return
+		}
+
 		// Re-fetch pin code from API.
 		rcReq := &controld.ResolverConfigRequest{
 			RawUID:   cdUID,
@@ -255,6 +268,7 @@ func (p *prog) registerControlServerHandler() {
 		switch req.Pin {
 		case cdDeactivationPin.Load():
 			code = http.StatusOK
+			deactivationFailedAttempts.Store(0)
 			select {
 			case p.pinCodeValidCh <- struct{}{}:
 			default:
@@ -262,6 +276,11 @@ func (p *prog) registerControlServerHandler() {
 		case defaultDeactivationPin:
 			// If the pin code was set, but users do not provide --pin, return proper code to client.
 			code = http.StatusBadRequest
+		default:
+			if deactivationFailedAttempts.Add(1) >= deactivationMaxFailedAttempts {
+				deactivationLockedUntil.Store(time.Now().Unix() + deactivationLockoutSeconds)
+				deactivationFailedAttempts.Store(0)
+			}
 		}
 		w.WriteHeader(code)
 	}))