diff --git a/syft/pkg/cataloger/arch/parse_alpm_db.go b/syft/pkg/cataloger/arch/parse_alpm_db.go
index 6e409824b..1d4066c23 100644
--- a/syft/pkg/cataloger/arch/parse_alpm_db.go
+++ b/syft/pkg/cataloger/arch/parse_alpm_db.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package arch
 
 import (
 	"bufio"
+	"bytes"
 	"compress/gzip"
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
@@ -277,15 +278,31 @@ func parsePkgFiles(pkgFields map[string]any) (*parsedData, error) {
 	return &entry, nil
 }
 
+// maxMtreeSize bounds the decompressed mtree listing. An mtree names every file in a package along
+// with its digests, so even a very large package lands well under this. The cap is here because gzip
+// reaches roughly 1032:1, so without it a small crafted member expands until the process dies, and
+// mtree.ParseSpec materializes every entry before returning any of them.
+const maxMtreeSize = 64 * 1024 * 1024
+
 func parseMtree(r io.Reader) ([]pkg.AlpmFileRecord, error) {
-	var err error
 	var entries []pkg.AlpmFileRecord
 
-	r, err = gzip.NewReader(r)
+	gzReader, err := gzip.NewReader(r)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	specDh, err := mtree.ParseSpec(r)
+
+	// read one byte past the cap so that hitting it is distinguishable from a listing that simply ends
+	// there. Truncating instead would hand back a package silently missing most of its files.
+	data, err := io.ReadAll(io.LimitReader(gzReader, maxMtreeSize+1))
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	if len(data) > maxMtreeSize {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("mtree file is larger than the max allowed size (%d bytes)", maxMtreeSize)
+	}
+
+	specDh, err := mtree.ParseSpec(bytes.NewReader(data))
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/syft/pkg/cataloger/arch/parse_alpm_db_test.go b/syft/pkg/cataloger/arch/parse_alpm_db_test.go
index a046fff88..be4fc0d65 100644
--- a/syft/pkg/cataloger/arch/parse_alpm_db_test.go
+++ b/syft/pkg/cataloger/arch/parse_alpm_db_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@ package arch
 
 import (
 	"bufio"
+	"bytes"
+	"compress/gzip"
+	"io"
 	"os"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
@@ -217,3 +220,48 @@ func TestMtreeParse(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 }
+
+// gzipOfSize returns a gzip member that decompresses to exactly n bytes. The payload is
+// highly compressible, which is the whole point: the caller supplies kilobytes and the
+// decompressed stream is whatever size it asks for.
+func gzipOfSize(t *testing.T, n int64) io.Reader {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	w := gzip.NewWriter(&buf)
+	chunk := make([]byte, 32*1024)
+	for remaining := n; remaining > 0; {
+		size := int64(len(chunk))
+		if remaining < size {
+			size = remaining
+		}
+		written, err := w.Write(chunk[:size])
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		remaining -= int64(written)
+	}
+	require.NoError(t, w.Close())
+
+	return bytes.NewReader(buf.Bytes())
+}
+
+func Test_parseMtree_boundsDecompressedSize(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("rejects a listing past the cap", func(t *testing.T) {
+		r := gzipOfSize(t, maxMtreeSize+1)
+
+		_, err := parseMtree(r)
+
+		require.ErrorContains(t, err, "larger than the max allowed size")
+	})
+
+	t.Run("a listing at the cap is not rejected on size", func(t *testing.T) {
+		// guards the off-by-one: at exactly the cap the size check must not fire, so whatever
+		// happens next is the mtree parser's business and not ours
+		r := gzipOfSize(t, maxMtreeSize)
+
+		_, err := parseMtree(r)
+
+		if err != nil {
+			require.NotContains(t, err.Error(), "larger than the max allowed size")
+		}
+	})
+}