diff --git a/src/lib/__tests__/get-client-ip.test.ts b/src/lib/__tests__/get-client-ip.test.ts
index 290a2d6ab..e56e586f7 100644
--- a/src/lib/__tests__/get-client-ip.test.ts
+++ b/src/lib/__tests__/get-client-ip.test.ts
@@ -101,6 +101,40 @@ describe("getClientIp trusted-proxy semantics (V3 audit)", () => {
     expect(ip).toBe("5.6.7.8");
   });
 
+  // v1.4.38 — looksLikeIp now defers to node:net's `isIP` instead of
+  // a hex/dot character-class regex. Structurally invalid candidates
+  // (`:::`, `1.2`, `gg:hh::1`) used to slip through the regex and
+  // pollute the rate-limit / audit log with non-IP strings; they are
+  // now rejected at the helper.
+  it("rejects structurally invalid IPv4 candidates (1.2)", () => {
+    const ip = getClientIp(
+      makeRequest({ "x-forwarded-for": "1.2, 5.6.7.8" }),
+    );
+    expect(ip).toBe("5.6.7.8");
+  });
+
+  it("rejects structurally invalid IPv6 candidates (:::)", () => {
+    const ip = getClientIp(
+      makeRequest({ "x-forwarded-for": ":::, 5.6.7.8" }),
+    );
+    expect(ip).toBe("5.6.7.8");
+  });
+
+  it("rejects hex-but-not-IPv6 chains", () => {
+    const ip = getClientIp(
+      makeRequest({ "x-forwarded-for": "gg:hh::1, 5.6.7.8" }),
+    );
+    expect(ip).toBe("5.6.7.8");
+  });
+
+  it("accepts well-formed IPv6 addresses", () => {
+    process.env.TRUST_PROXY_HOPS = "1";
+    const ip = getClientIp(
+      makeRequest({ "x-forwarded-for": "2001:db8::1" }),
+    );
+    expect(ip).toBe("2001:db8::1");
+  });
+
   it("falls back to x-real-ip if XFF missing", () => {
     const ip = getClientIp(makeRequest({ "x-real-ip": "5.6.7.8" }));
     expect(ip).toBe("5.6.7.8");
diff --git a/src/lib/api-response.ts b/src/lib/api-response.ts
index 84314574c..4245696b8 100644
--- a/src/lib/api-response.ts
+++ b/src/lib/api-response.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { isIP } from "node:net";
 import { NextResponse } from "next/server";
 
 export function apiSuccess<T>(data: T, status = 200) {
@@ -86,8 +87,18 @@ export async function safeJson<T = unknown>(
  *
  * Returns the resolved IP or null when no trusted source is available.
  */
+/**
+ * v1.4.38 — strict IP validation via Node's built-in `net.isIP`. The
+ * earlier regex `/^[0-9a-fA-F.:]+$/` matched any structurally-broken
+ * input the character set accepted (`:::`, `1.2`, `1.2.3`, `gg:hh::`).
+ * The cf-connecting-ip flow trusts the header under the env flag and
+ * the trusted-proxy XFF chain forwards the rightmost entry straight
+ * to the rate-limiter + audit log; a malformed value would land
+ * downstream unchanged. `isIP` returns 4 / 6 for valid v4 / v6 and 0
+ * for anything else — invert to a boolean for the helper's surface.
+ */
 function looksLikeIp(s: string): boolean {
-  return /^[0-9a-fA-F.:]+$/.test(s) && s.length >= 3 && s.length <= 45;
+  return isIP(s) !== 0;
 }
 
 /**