diff --git a/llm_team_ui.py b/llm_team_ui.py
index 8d46e2a..74af0c0 100644
--- a/llm_team_ui.py
+++ b/llm_team_ui.py
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ if not _flask_secret:
 app.secret_key = _flask_secret
 app.config["SESSION_COOKIE_HTTPONLY"] = True
 app.config["SESSION_COOKIE_SAMESITE"] = "Lax"
+app.config["SESSION_COOKIE_SECURE"] = True  # served behind nginx TLS; prevents cookie leak over plaintext HTTP
 
 # ─── SECURITY LOGGING ─────────────────────────────────────────
 # Dedicated security log for fail2ban and audit trail.
@@ -7687,6 +7688,16 @@ def _nginx_ban(ip):
     if is_allowlisted(ip):
         sec_log.info("NGINX_BAN_BLOCKED ip=%s — allowlisted, refused to write deny rule", ip)
         return
+    # Defense in depth: validate IP format before interpolating into the
+    # nginx conf. A malformed value (e.g. "1.2.3.4;\n}\nserver{...") would
+    # otherwise inject directives into the deny file. Last write before
+    # reload — last place to stop a bad ban (matches docstring intent).
+    import ipaddress
+    try:
+        ipaddress.ip_address(ip)
+    except ValueError:
+        sec_log.warning("NGINX_BAN_INVALID_IP ip=%r — refused to write deny rule (possible nginx config injection)", ip)
+        return
     import subprocess
     line = f"deny {ip};\n"
     # Each step has its own try/except so we know WHICH step failed.