diff --git a/util.go b/util.go
index 015a44ec..4bc1ad8b 100644
--- a/util.go
+++ b/util.go
@@ -66,11 +66,12 @@ func parseString(in []byte) (out string, rest []byte, ok bool) {
 		return
 	}
 	length := binary.BigEndian.Uint32(in)
-	if uint32(len(in)) < 4+length {
+	in = in[4:]
+	if uint32(len(in)) < length {
 		return
 	}
-	out = string(in[4 : 4+length])
-	rest = in[4+length:]
+	out = string(in[:length])
+	rest = in[length:]
 	ok = true
 	return
 }
diff --git a/util_test.go b/util_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3c43b293
--- /dev/null
+++ b/util_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+package ssh
+
+import (
+	"encoding/binary"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestParseStringValid(t *testing.T) {
+	in := make([]byte, 4+5)
+	binary.BigEndian.PutUint32(in, 5)
+	copy(in[4:], []byte("hello"))
+	out, rest, ok := parseString(in)
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatal("expected ok for a well-formed string")
+	}
+	if out != "hello" {
+		t.Fatalf("got %q, want %q", out, "hello")
+	}
+	if len(rest) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("got %d bytes of rest, want 0", len(rest))
+	}
+}
+
+func TestParseStringLengthTooLarge(t *testing.T) {
+	// length prefix of 0xFFFFFFFF. In the old code 4+length overflowed the
+	// uint32 to 3, defeating the bounds check and slicing in[4:3].
+	in := []byte{0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0x00, 0x00}
+	out, rest, ok := parseString(in)
+	if ok {
+		t.Fatalf("expected ok=false for oversized length, got out=%q", out)
+	}
+	if rest != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("expected nil rest, got %v", rest)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestParsePtyRequestOversizedTerm(t *testing.T) {
+	// A pty-req whose term-string length is 0xFFFFFFFF must be rejected, not panic.
+	payload := []byte{0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00}
+	_, ok := parsePtyRequest(payload)
+	if ok {
+		t.Fatal("expected ok=false for malformed pty-req")
+	}
+}