diff --git a/backend/app/api/v1/endpoints/municipal_receipts.py b/backend/app/api/v1/endpoints/municipal_receipts.py
index 63e8432..c4127ad 100644
--- a/backend/app/api/v1/endpoints/municipal_receipts.py
+++ b/backend/app/api/v1/endpoints/municipal_receipts.py
@@ -2,11 +2,14 @@ from datetime import datetime
 from dateutil.relativedelta import relativedelta
 from typing import Optional
 
+import asyncio
+
 from fastapi import APIRouter, Depends, Query, UploadFile
 from pydantic import BaseModel
 from sqlmodel import Session, select
 
 from app.auth import get_current_user
+from app.uploads import read_pdf_upload
 from app.db import get_session
 from app.models.models import (
     Category,
@@ -204,8 +207,9 @@ async def upload_municipal_receipt(
     errors: list[str] = []
 
     try:
-        pdf_bytes = await file.read()
-        data = extract_municipal_receipt(pdf_bytes, filename)
+        pdf_bytes = await read_pdf_upload(file)
+        # pdftotext runs as a subprocess; keep the event loop free
+        data = await asyncio.to_thread(extract_municipal_receipt, pdf_bytes, filename)
     except ValueError as e:
         return MunicipalReceiptUploadResult(imported=0, updated=0, errors=[str(e)])
     except Exception as e:
diff --git a/backend/app/api/v1/endpoints/pensions.py b/backend/app/api/v1/endpoints/pensions.py
index 2410981..c5d23b3 100644
--- a/backend/app/api/v1/endpoints/pensions.py
+++ b/backend/app/api/v1/endpoints/pensions.py
@@ -1,10 +1,13 @@
 from datetime import date
 
+import asyncio
+
 from fastapi import APIRouter, Depends, UploadFile
 from pydantic import BaseModel
 from sqlmodel import Session, select
 
 from app.auth import get_current_user
+from app.uploads import read_pdf_upload
 from app.db import get_session
 from app.models.models import Bank, PensionSnapshot, PensionSnapshotRead
 from app.services.pension_pdf import parse_pension_pdf
@@ -115,8 +118,11 @@ async def upload_pension_pdfs(
     for file in files:
         filename = file.filename or "unknown.pdf"
         try:
-            pdf_bytes = await file.read()
-            fund_snapshots = parse_pension_pdf(pdf_bytes, filename)
+            pdf_bytes = await read_pdf_upload(file)
+            # pdftotext runs as a subprocess (up to 30s); keep the event loop free
+            fund_snapshots = await asyncio.to_thread(
+                parse_pension_pdf, pdf_bytes, filename
+            )
         except ValueError as e:
             errors.append(str(e))
             continue
diff --git a/backend/app/uploads.py b/backend/app/uploads.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..413cd03
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/app/uploads.py
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+from fastapi import UploadFile
+
+MAX_UPLOAD_BYTES = 10 * 1024 * 1024  # 10 MB — statements are a few hundred KB
+
+
+async def read_pdf_upload(
+    file: UploadFile, max_bytes: int = MAX_UPLOAD_BYTES
+) -> bytes:
+    """Read an uploaded PDF with a size cap and magic-byte check.
+
+    Raises ValueError with a user-readable, filename-prefixed message —
+    upload endpoints surface these in their per-file `errors` list.
+    """
+    filename = file.filename or "unknown.pdf"
+    data = await file.read(max_bytes + 1)
+    if len(data) > max_bytes:
+        raise ValueError(
+            f"{filename}: file exceeds the {max_bytes // (1024 * 1024)} MB limit"
+        )
+    if not data.startswith(b"%PDF"):
+        raise ValueError(f"{filename}: not a PDF file")
+    return data
diff --git a/backend/tests/test_uploads.py b/backend/tests/test_uploads.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d110bbb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/tests/test_uploads.py
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+"""Upload validation: size cap and PDF magic-byte check (SEC-06)."""
+
+import asyncio
+from io import BytesIO
+
+import pytest
+from fastapi import UploadFile
+
+from app.uploads import read_pdf_upload
+
+
+def make_upload(data: bytes, filename: str = "test.pdf") -> UploadFile:
+    return UploadFile(file=BytesIO(data), filename=filename)
+
+
+def test_valid_pdf_accepted():
+    data = b"%PDF-1.7 fake content"
+    out = asyncio.run(read_pdf_upload(make_upload(data)))
+    assert out == data
+
+
+def test_non_pdf_rejected_with_filename():
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match=r"evil\.pdf: not a PDF"):
+        asyncio.run(read_pdf_upload(make_upload(b"MZ\x90\x00binary", "evil.pdf")))
+
+
+def test_oversized_rejected():
+    big = b"%PDF" + b"x" * 100
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="exceeds the 0 MB limit"):
+        asyncio.run(read_pdf_upload(make_upload(big), max_bytes=50))
+
+
+def test_exact_limit_accepted():
+    data = b"%PDF" + b"x" * 46  # exactly 50 bytes
+    out = asyncio.run(read_pdf_upload(make_upload(data), max_bytes=50))
+    assert len(out) == 50
+
+
+def test_empty_file_rejected():
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="not a PDF"):
+        asyncio.run(read_pdf_upload(make_upload(b"")))