diff --git a/packages/safe-chain/src/config/configFile.js b/packages/safe-chain/src/config/configFile.js
index 7273f7a..901e7d7 100644
--- a/packages/safe-chain/src/config/configFile.js
+++ b/packages/safe-chain/src/config/configFile.js
@@ -3,14 +3,48 @@ import path from "path";
 import os from "os";
 import { ui } from "../environment/userInteraction.js";
 
+/**
+ * @typedef {Object} SafeChainConfig
+ *
+ * This should be a number, but can be anything because it is user-input.
+ * We cannot trust the input and should add the necessary validations.
+ * @property {any} scanTimeout
+ */
+
 /**
  * @returns {number}
  */
 export function getScanTimeout() {
-  const config = /** @type {{scanTimeout?: number}} */ (readConfigFile());
+  const config = readConfigFile();
 
-  // @ts-expect-error values of process.env can be string | undefined
-  return parseInt(process.env.AIKIDO_SCAN_TIMEOUT_MS) || config.scanTimeout || 10000 // Default to 10 seconds
+  if (process.env.AIKIDO_SCAN_TIMEOUT_MS) {
+    const scanTimeout = validateTimeout(process.env.AIKIDO_SCAN_TIMEOUT_MS);
+    if (scanTimeout != null) {
+      return scanTimeout;
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (config.scanTimeout) {
+    const scanTimeout = validateTimeout(config.scanTimeout);
+    if (scanTimeout != null) {
+      return scanTimeout;
+    }
+  }
+
+  return 10000; // Default to 10 seconds
+}
+
+/**
+ *
+ * @param {any} value
+ * @returns {number?}
+ */
+function validateTimeout(value) {
+  const timeout = Number(value);
+  if (!Number.isNaN(timeout) && timeout > 0) {
+    return timeout;
+  }
+  return null;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -68,17 +102,25 @@ export function readDatabaseFromLocalCache() {
 }
 
 /**
- * @returns {unknown}
+ * @returns {SafeChainConfig}
  */
 function readConfigFile() {
   const configFilePath = getConfigFilePath();
 
   if (!fs.existsSync(configFilePath)) {
-    return {};
+    return {
+      scanTimeout: undefined,
+    };
   }
 
-  const data = fs.readFileSync(configFilePath, "utf8");
-  return JSON.parse(data);
+  try {
+    const data = fs.readFileSync(configFilePath, "utf8");
+    return JSON.parse(data);
+  } catch {
+    return {
+      scanTimeout: undefined,
+    };
+  }
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/packages/safe-chain/src/config/configFile.spec.js b/packages/safe-chain/src/config/configFile.spec.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8ec980c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/safe-chain/src/config/configFile.spec.js
@@ -0,0 +1,172 @@
+import { describe, it, beforeEach, afterEach, mock } from "node:test";
+import assert from "node:assert";
+
+describe("getScanTimeout", () => {
+  let originalEnv;
+  let fsMock;
+  let getScanTimeout;
+
+  beforeEach(async () => {
+    // Save original environment
+    originalEnv = process.env.AIKIDO_SCAN_TIMEOUT_MS;
+
+    // Mock fs module
+    fsMock = {
+      existsSync: mock.fn(() => false),
+      readFileSync: mock.fn(() => "{}"),
+      writeFileSync: mock.fn(),
+      mkdirSync: mock.fn(),
+    };
+
+    mock.module("fs", {
+      namedExports: fsMock,
+    });
+
+    // Re-import the module to get the mocked version
+    const configFileModule = await import(
+      `./configFile.js?update=${Date.now()}`
+    );
+    getScanTimeout = configFileModule.getScanTimeout;
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    // Restore original environment
+    if (originalEnv !== undefined) {
+      process.env.AIKIDO_SCAN_TIMEOUT_MS = originalEnv;
+    } else {
+      delete process.env.AIKIDO_SCAN_TIMEOUT_MS;
+    }
+
+    // Reset all mocks
+    mock.restoreAll();
+  });
+
+  it("should return default timeout of 10000ms when no config or env var is set", () => {
+    delete process.env.AIKIDO_SCAN_TIMEOUT_MS;
+    // Mock: config file doesn't exist
+    fsMock.existsSync.mock.mockImplementation(() => false);
+
+    const timeout = getScanTimeout();
+
+    assert.strictEqual(timeout, 10000);
+  });
+
+  it("should return timeout from config file when set", () => {
+    delete process.env.AIKIDO_SCAN_TIMEOUT_MS;
+    // Mock: config file exists with scanTimeout: 5000
+    fsMock.existsSync.mock.mockImplementation(() => true);
+    fsMock.readFileSync.mock.mockImplementation(() =>
+      JSON.stringify({ scanTimeout: 5000 })
+    );
+
+    const timeout = getScanTimeout();
+
+    assert.strictEqual(timeout, 5000);
+  });
+
+  it("should prioritize environment variable over config file", () => {
+    process.env.AIKIDO_SCAN_TIMEOUT_MS = "20000";
+    // Mock: config file exists with scanTimeout: 5000
+    fsMock.existsSync.mock.mockImplementation(() => true);
+    fsMock.readFileSync.mock.mockImplementation(() =>
+      JSON.stringify({ scanTimeout: 5000 })
+    );
+
+    const timeout = getScanTimeout();
+
+    assert.strictEqual(timeout, 20000);
+  });
+
+  it("should handle invalid environment variable and fall back to config", () => {
+    process.env.AIKIDO_SCAN_TIMEOUT_MS = "invalid";
+    // Mock: config file exists with scanTimeout: 7000
+    fsMock.existsSync.mock.mockImplementation(() => true);
+    fsMock.readFileSync.mock.mockImplementation(() =>
+      JSON.stringify({ scanTimeout: 7000 })
+    );
+
+    const timeout = getScanTimeout();
+
+    assert.strictEqual(timeout, 7000);
+  });
+
+  it("should ignore zero and negative values and fall back to default", () => {
+    // Mock: config file doesn't exist
+    fsMock.existsSync.mock.mockImplementation(() => false);
+
+    process.env.AIKIDO_SCAN_TIMEOUT_MS = "0";
+
+    let timeout = getScanTimeout();
+    assert.strictEqual(timeout, 10000);
+
+    process.env.AIKIDO_SCAN_TIMEOUT_MS = "-5000";
+
+    timeout = getScanTimeout();
+    assert.strictEqual(timeout, 10000);
+  });
+
+  it("should ignore textual non-numeric values in environment variable and fall back to config", () => {
+    process.env.AIKIDO_SCAN_TIMEOUT_MS = "fast";
+    // Mock: config file exists with scanTimeout: 8000
+    fsMock.existsSync.mock.mockImplementation(() => true);
+    fsMock.readFileSync.mock.mockImplementation(() =>
+      JSON.stringify({ scanTimeout: 8000 })
+    );
+
+    const timeout = getScanTimeout();
+
+    assert.strictEqual(timeout, 8000);
+  });
+
+  it("should ignore textual non-numeric values in config file and fall back to default", () => {
+    delete process.env.AIKIDO_SCAN_TIMEOUT_MS;
+    // Mock: config file exists with scanTimeout: "slow"
+    fsMock.existsSync.mock.mockImplementation(() => true);
+    fsMock.readFileSync.mock.mockImplementation(() =>
+      JSON.stringify({ scanTimeout: "slow" })
+    );
+
+    const timeout = getScanTimeout();
+
+    assert.strictEqual(timeout, 10000);
+  });
+
+  it("should ignore textual non-numeric values in both env and config, fall back to default", () => {
+    process.env.AIKIDO_SCAN_TIMEOUT_MS = "quick";
+    // Mock: config file exists with scanTimeout: "medium"
+    fsMock.existsSync.mock.mockImplementation(() => true);
+    fsMock.readFileSync.mock.mockImplementation(() =>
+      JSON.stringify({ scanTimeout: "medium" })
+    );
+
+    const timeout = getScanTimeout();
+
+    assert.strictEqual(timeout, 10000);
+  });
+
+  it("should ignore mixed alphanumeric strings in environment variable", () => {
+    process.env.AIKIDO_SCAN_TIMEOUT_MS = "5000ms";
+    // Mock: config file exists with scanTimeout: 6000
+    fsMock.existsSync.mock.mockImplementation(() => true);
+    fsMock.readFileSync.mock.mockImplementation(() =>
+      JSON.stringify({ scanTimeout: 6000 })
+    );
+
+    const timeout = getScanTimeout();
+
+    assert.strictEqual(timeout, 6000);
+  });
+
+  it("should ignore mixed alphanumeric strings in config file", () => {
+    delete process.env.AIKIDO_SCAN_TIMEOUT_MS;
+    // Mock: config file exists with scanTimeout: "3000ms"
+    fsMock.existsSync.mock.mockImplementation(() => true);
+    fsMock.readFileSync.mock.mockImplementation(() =>
+      JSON.stringify({ scanTimeout: "3000ms" })
+    );
+
+    const timeout = getScanTimeout();
+
+    assert.strictEqual(timeout, 10000);
+  });
+});