diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/lang3/Range.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/lang3/Range.java
index 2c1743956d7..e0fca54d101 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/lang3/Range.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/lang3/Range.java
@@ -550,6 +550,15 @@ private void readObject(final ObjectInputStream in) throws IOException, ClassNot
         if (hashCode != hash(minimum, maximum)) {
             throw new InvalidObjectException("Range hashCode does not match minimum/maximum.");
         }
+        if (maximum == null) {
+            throw new InvalidObjectException("maximum null");
+        }
+        if (minimum == null) {
+            throw new InvalidObjectException("minimum null");
+        }
+        if (comparator == null) {
+            throw new InvalidObjectException("comparator null");
+        }
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/lang3/RangeReadObjectTest.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/lang3/RangeReadObjectTest.java
index 866270b596f..be2866ff253 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/lang3/RangeReadObjectTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/lang3/RangeReadObjectTest.java
@@ -21,7 +21,14 @@
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertInstanceOf;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertThrows;
 
+import java.io.ByteArrayInputStream;
+import java.io.ByteArrayOutputStream;
+import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.InvalidObjectException;
+import java.io.ObjectInputStream;
+import java.io.ObjectOutputStream;
+import java.io.Serializable;
+import java.util.Objects;
 
 import org.apache.commons.lang3.reflect.FieldUtils;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
@@ -31,6 +38,59 @@
  */
 class RangeReadObjectTest {
 
+    /**
+     * Standin class used only to drive {@link ObjectOutputStream#writeObject(Object)} into emitting a stream that matches the wire format of {@link Range} but
+     * with caller-controlled field values. The class name and serialVersionUID are spoofed in the stream below via a custom {@link ObjectOutputStream} subclass
+     * so the stream reads back as a {@code Range}.
+     */
+    private static final class RangeForge implements Serializable {
+
+        private static final long serialVersionUID = 2L; // matches Range.serialVersionUID
+        private final Object comparator;
+        private final int hashCode;
+        private final Object maximum;
+        private final Object minimum;
+
+        RangeForge(final Object comparator, final Object minimum, final Object maximum, final int hashCode) {
+            this.comparator = comparator;
+            this.minimum = minimum;
+            this.maximum = maximum;
+            this.hashCode = hashCode;
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static Object deserialize(final byte[] bytes) throws IOException, ClassNotFoundException {
+        try (ObjectInputStream ois = new ObjectInputStream(new ByteArrayInputStream(bytes))) {
+            return ois.readObject();
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Serializes a {@link RangeForge} but rewrites the class descriptor name to "org.apache.commons.lang3.Range" so the resulting bytes deserialize as a
+     * {@link Range}. Because the field set, types, order, and serialVersionUID all match, default deserialization assigns each forged value to the
+     * corresponding Range field via reflection (bypassing the constructor).
+     */
+    private static byte[] forgeRangeStream(final Object comparator, final Object minimum, final Object maximum, final int hashCode) throws IOException {
+        // Build the legitimate-shape bytes via RangeForge, then rewrite the embedded class name.
+        final ByteArrayOutputStream baos = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
+        try (ObjectOutputStream oos = new ObjectOutputStream(baos) {
+
+            @Override
+            protected void writeClassDescriptor(final java.io.ObjectStreamClass desc) throws IOException {
+                if (desc.getName().equals(RangeForge.class.getName())) {
+                    // Emit a descriptor whose name is Range but whose field layout still matches RangeForge.
+                    final java.io.ObjectStreamClass spoofed = java.io.ObjectStreamClass.lookup(Range.class);
+                    super.writeClassDescriptor(spoofed);
+                } else {
+                    super.writeClassDescriptor(desc);
+                }
+            }
+        }) {
+            oos.writeObject(new RangeForge(comparator, minimum, maximum, hashCode));
+        }
+        return baos.toByteArray();
+    }
+
     @Test
     void testBadHashCodeRejected() throws Exception {
         final Range<Integer> range = Range.of(1, 100);
@@ -44,6 +104,47 @@ void testBadHashCodeRejected() throws Exception {
         assertEquals("java.io.InvalidObjectException: Range hashCode does not match minimum/maximum.", ex.getMessage());
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Forged stream with {@code comparator == null}; F-004 hashCode check passes because we set hashCode canonically; {@code contains()} then NPEs on
+     * {@code comparator.compare(...)}.
+     */
+    @Test
+    void testComparatorNullViaForgedStream() throws Exception {
+        final Integer min = Integer.valueOf(1);
+        final Integer max = Integer.valueOf(10);
+        final int canonicalHash = Objects.hash(min, max);
+        final byte[] forged = forgeRangeStream(null, min, max, canonicalHash);
+        assertThrows(InvalidObjectException.class, () -> deserialize(forged));
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Forged stream with {@code maximum == null}; symmetric to F-061b.
+     */
+    @Test
+    void testMaximumNullViaForgedStream() throws Exception {
+        final Integer min = Integer.valueOf(1);
+        final int canonicalHash = Objects.hash(min, (Object) null);
+        final Object comparator = Range.of(Integer.valueOf(1), Integer.valueOf(2)).getComparator();
+        final byte[] forged = forgeRangeStream(comparator, min, null, canonicalHash);
+        assertThrows(InvalidObjectException.class, () -> deserialize(forged));
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Forged stream with {@code minimum == null}; {@code Objects.hash(null, max)} is a valid int, so the F-004 check passes. {@code contains()} NPEs
+     * because {@code comparator.compare(element, null)} unboxes null (or, for ComparableComparator, calls {@code element.compareTo(null)} which is an
+     * NPE-by-contract).
+     */
+    @Test
+    void testMinimumNullViaForgedStream() throws Exception {
+        final Integer max = Integer.valueOf(10);
+        final int canonicalHash = Objects.hash((Object) null, max);
+        // comparator must be non-null here so we isolate the minimum-null gap.
+        // We use ComparableComparator.INSTANCE via deserialization round-trip of a real Range.
+        final Object comparator = Range.of(Integer.valueOf(1), Integer.valueOf(2)).getComparator();
+        final byte[] forged = forgeRangeStream(comparator, null, max, canonicalHash);
+        assertThrows(InvalidObjectException.class, () -> deserialize(forged));
+    }
+
     @Test
     void testRoundTripPreservesCorrectHashCode() throws Exception {
         final Range<String> range = Range.of("apple", "mango");