diff --git a/security/apparmor/policy_unpack.c b/security/apparmor/policy_unpack.c
index 93fcafdaa548..e4f079a19388 100644
--- a/security/apparmor/policy_unpack.c
+++ b/security/apparmor/policy_unpack.c
@@ -841,9 +841,18 @@ static struct aa_profile *unpack_profile(struct aa_ext *e, char **ns_name)
 			error = -EPROTO;
 			goto fail;
 		}
-		if (!unpack_u32(e, &profile->policy.start[0], "start"))
+		if (!unpack_u32(e, &profile->policy.start[0], "start")) {
 			/* default start state */
 			profile->policy.start[0] = DFA_START;
+		} else {
+			size_t state_count = profile->policy.dfa->tables[YYTD_ID_BASE]->td_lolen;
+
+			if (profile->policy.start[0] >= state_count) {
+				info = "invalid dfa start state";
+				goto fail;
+			}
+		}
+
 		/* setup class index */
 		for (i = AA_CLASS_FILE; i <= AA_CLASS_LAST; i++) {
 			profile->policy.start[i] =
@@ -864,9 +873,17 @@ static struct aa_profile *unpack_profile(struct aa_ext *e, char **ns_name)
 		info = "failed to unpack profile file rules";
 		goto fail;
 	} else if (profile->file.dfa) {
-		if (!unpack_u32(e, &profile->file.start, "dfa_start"))
+		if (!unpack_u32(e, &profile->file.start, "dfa_start")) {
 			/* default start state */
 			profile->file.start = DFA_START;
+		} else {
+			size_t state_count = profile->file.dfa->tables[YYTD_ID_BASE]->td_lolen;
+
+			if (profile->file.start >= state_count) {
+				info = "invalid dfa start state";
+				goto fail;
+			}
+		}
 	} else if (profile->policy.dfa &&
 		   profile->policy.start[AA_CLASS_FILE]) {
 		profile->file.dfa = aa_get_dfa(profile->policy.dfa);