diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index acd1cb2f..8ed9f124 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -29,6 +29,16 @@ jobs:
           go install golang.org/x/tools/cmd/goimports@latest
           files=$(goimports -l .); if [[ -n "$files" ]]; then echo "$files"; exit 1; fi
       - run: go vet ./...
+      # go vet has no unchecked-type-assertion check. See .golangci.yml: an
+      # unchecked assertion in an informer handler is fatal, not recoverable.
+      # Must be built with Go >= the go directive in go.mod, otherwise it
+      # refuses to load the config ("the Go language version used to build
+      # golangci-lint is lower than the targeted Go version").
+      - name: golangci-lint (forcetypeassert)
+        uses: golangci/golangci-lint-action@v8
+        with:
+          version: v2.13.2
+          args: --timeout=8m
       # /containers transitively imports github.com/NVIDIA/go-nvml. The
       # bindings register NVML symbols (including some only present in
       # very recent libnvidia-ml.so versions, e.g.
diff --git a/.golangci.yml b/.golangci.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c2d1e2ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.golangci.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+version: "2"
+
+# Deliberately narrow. This config exists to gate one class of defect, not to
+# impose a style regime on an existing codebase — a linter that fails on
+# hundreds of pre-existing findings gets disabled instead of fixed.
+#
+# forcetypeassert: an unchecked type assertion panics on an unexpected type.
+# In this agent that is not a recoverable error: informer handlers run on
+# client-go's shared goroutine, where a panic reaches apimachinery's runtime
+# handler and terminates the process. A customer cluster crashlooped node-agent
+# 14 times in 12 hours on exactly one such assertion — a cache.DeletedFinalState
+# Unknown tombstone asserted straight to *v1.Pod. go vet does not catch this.
+linters:
+  default: none
+  enable:
+    - forcetypeassert
+
+  exclusions:
+    generated: lax
+    rules:
+      # Test code asserting on values it just constructed is not a production
+      # crash risk, and failing a test is already a visible outcome.
+      - path: _test\.go$
+        linters:
+          - forcetypeassert
+
+issues:
+  # Every finding is a potential process-killing panic; do not collapse
+  # repeats of the same one.
+  max-issues-per-linter: 0
+  max-same-issues: 0
diff --git a/common/ip_resolver.go b/common/ip_resolver.go
index 60f1db6c..ee71bf07 100644
--- a/common/ip_resolver.go
+++ b/common/ip_resolver.go
@@ -376,13 +376,19 @@ func (resolver *K8sIPResolver) StartWatching() error {
 func (resolve *K8sIPResolver) addReplicaSetHandlers(replicaSetInformer cache.SharedIndexInformer) {
 	replicaSetInformer.AddEventHandler(cache.ResourceEventHandlerFuncs{
 		AddFunc: func(obj interface{}) {
-			rs := obj.(*appsv1.ReplicaSet)
+			rs, ok := objectAs[*appsv1.ReplicaSet](obj)
+			if !ok {
+				return
+			}
 			resolve.snapshot.ReplicaSets.Store(rs.UID, MinimalOwnerInfo{
 				OwnerReferences: rs.OwnerReferences,
 			})
 		},
 		UpdateFunc: func(oldObj, newObj interface{}) {
-			rs := newObj.(*appsv1.ReplicaSet)
+			rs, ok := objectAs[*appsv1.ReplicaSet](newObj)
+			if !ok {
+				return
+			}
 			resolve.snapshot.ReplicaSets.Store(rs.UID, MinimalOwnerInfo{
 				OwnerReferences: rs.OwnerReferences,
 			})
@@ -427,16 +433,43 @@ func deletedObject[T any](obj interface{}) (T, bool) {
 	return zero, false
 }
 
+// objectAs asserts an add/update informer payload to T without panicking.
+//
+// Add and update never carry a tombstone, so unlike deletedObject there is
+// nothing to unwrap — but the assertion is still on the shared informer's
+// goroutine, where a panic reaches apimachinery's runtime handler and kills the
+// process. The informers here also register transform functions (stripPod,
+// stripNode, stripService) that return the object unchanged when their own
+// assertion fails, so an unexpected type can reach a handler rather than being
+// filtered out.
+//
+// Skipping the event is the right failure mode: the resolver loses one object
+// until the next resync, instead of taking the agent down.
+func objectAs[T any](obj interface{}) (T, bool) {
+	if o, ok := obj.(T); ok {
+		return o, true
+	}
+	var zero T
+	klog.V(2).Infof("ignoring event with unexpected payload %T", obj)
+	return zero, false
+}
+
 func (resolve *K8sIPResolver) addDaemonSetHandlers(daemonSetInformer cache.SharedIndexInformer) {
 	daemonSetInformer.AddEventHandler(cache.ResourceEventHandlerFuncs{
 		AddFunc: func(obj interface{}) {
-			ds := obj.(*appsv1.DaemonSet)
+			ds, ok := objectAs[*appsv1.DaemonSet](obj)
+			if !ok {
+				return
+			}
 			resolve.snapshot.DaemonSets.Store(ds.UID, MinimalOwnerInfo{
 				OwnerReferences: ds.OwnerReferences,
 			})
 		},
 		UpdateFunc: func(oldObj, newObj interface{}) {
-			ds := newObj.(*appsv1.DaemonSet)
+			ds, ok := objectAs[*appsv1.DaemonSet](newObj)
+			if !ok {
+				return
+			}
 			resolve.snapshot.DaemonSets.Store(ds.UID, MinimalOwnerInfo{
 				OwnerReferences: ds.OwnerReferences,
 			})
@@ -454,13 +487,19 @@ func (resolve *K8sIPResolver) addDaemonSetHandlers(daemonSetInformer cache.Share
 func (resolve *K8sIPResolver) addStatefulSetHandlers(statefulSetInformer cache.SharedIndexInformer) {
 	statefulSetInformer.AddEventHandler(cache.ResourceEventHandlerFuncs{
 		AddFunc: func(obj interface{}) {
-			ss := obj.(*appsv1.StatefulSet)
+			ss, ok := objectAs[*appsv1.StatefulSet](obj)
+			if !ok {
+				return
+			}
 			resolve.snapshot.StatefulSets.Store(ss.UID, MinimalOwnerInfo{
 				OwnerReferences: ss.OwnerReferences,
 			})
 		},
 		UpdateFunc: func(oldObj, newObj interface{}) {
-			ss := newObj.(*appsv1.StatefulSet)
+			ss, ok := objectAs[*appsv1.StatefulSet](newObj)
+			if !ok {
+				return
+			}
 			resolve.snapshot.StatefulSets.Store(ss.UID, MinimalOwnerInfo{
 				OwnerReferences: ss.OwnerReferences,
 			})
@@ -478,13 +517,19 @@ func (resolve *K8sIPResolver) addStatefulSetHandlers(statefulSetInformer cache.S
 func (resolve *K8sIPResolver) addJobHandlers(jobInformer cache.SharedIndexInformer) {
 	jobInformer.AddEventHandler(cache.ResourceEventHandlerFuncs{
 		AddFunc: func(obj interface{}) {
-			job := obj.(*batchv1.Job)
+			job, ok := objectAs[*batchv1.Job](obj)
+			if !ok {
+				return
+			}
 			resolve.snapshot.Jobs.Store(job.UID, MinimalOwnerInfo{
 				OwnerReferences: job.OwnerReferences,
 			})
 		},
 		UpdateFunc: func(oldObj, newObj interface{}) {
-			job := newObj.(*batchv1.Job)
+			job, ok := objectAs[*batchv1.Job](newObj)
+			if !ok {
+				return
+			}
 			resolve.snapshot.Jobs.Store(job.UID, MinimalOwnerInfo{
 				OwnerReferences: job.OwnerReferences,
 			})
@@ -502,13 +547,19 @@ func (resolve *K8sIPResolver) addJobHandlers(jobInformer cache.SharedIndexInform
 func (resolve *K8sIPResolver) addCronJobHandlers(cronJobInformer cache.SharedIndexInformer) {
 	cronJobInformer.AddEventHandler(cache.ResourceEventHandlerFuncs{
 		AddFunc: func(obj interface{}) {
-			cronJob := obj.(*batchv1.CronJob)
+			cronJob, ok := objectAs[*batchv1.CronJob](obj)
+			if !ok {
+				return
+			}
 			resolve.snapshot.CronJobs.Store(cronJob.UID, MinimalOwnerInfo{
 				OwnerReferences: cronJob.OwnerReferences,
 			})
 		},
 		UpdateFunc: func(oldObj, newObj interface{}) {
-			cronJob := newObj.(*batchv1.CronJob)
+			cronJob, ok := objectAs[*batchv1.CronJob](newObj)
+			if !ok {
+				return
+			}
 			resolve.snapshot.CronJobs.Store(cronJob.UID, MinimalOwnerInfo{
 				OwnerReferences: cronJob.OwnerReferences,
 			})
@@ -526,7 +577,10 @@ func (resolve *K8sIPResolver) addCronJobHandlers(cronJobInformer cache.SharedInd
 func (resolve *K8sIPResolver) addServiceHandlers(serviceInformer cache.SharedIndexInformer) {
 	serviceInformer.AddEventHandler(cache.ResourceEventHandlerFuncs{
 		AddFunc: func(obj interface{}) {
-			service := obj.(*v1.Service)
+			service, ok := objectAs[*v1.Service](obj)
+			if !ok {
+				return
+			}
 			minSvc := MinimalService{
 				Name:       service.Name,
 				Namespace:  service.Namespace,
@@ -542,8 +596,14 @@ func (resolve *K8sIPResolver) addServiceHandlers(serviceInformer cache.SharedInd
 			}
 		},
 		UpdateFunc: func(oldObj, newObj interface{}) {
-			oldService := oldObj.(*v1.Service)
-			service := newObj.(*v1.Service)
+			oldService, ok := objectAs[*v1.Service](oldObj)
+			if !ok {
+				return
+			}
+			service, ok := objectAs[*v1.Service](newObj)
+			if !ok {
+				return
+			}
 			minSvc := MinimalService{
 				Name:       service.Name,
 				Namespace:  service.Namespace,
@@ -586,13 +646,19 @@ func (resolve *K8sIPResolver) addServiceHandlers(serviceInformer cache.SharedInd
 func (resolve *K8sIPResolver) addDeploymentHandlers(deploymentInformer cache.SharedIndexInformer) {
 	deploymentInformer.AddEventHandler(cache.ResourceEventHandlerFuncs{
 		AddFunc: func(obj interface{}) {
-			deployment := obj.(*appsv1.Deployment)
+			deployment, ok := objectAs[*appsv1.Deployment](obj)
+			if !ok {
+				return
+			}
 			resolve.snapshot.Deployments.Store(deployment.UID, MinimalOwnerInfo{
 				OwnerReferences: deployment.OwnerReferences,
 			})
 		},
 		UpdateFunc: func(oldObj, newObj interface{}) {
-			deployment := newObj.(*appsv1.Deployment)
+			deployment, ok := objectAs[*appsv1.Deployment](newObj)
+			if !ok {
+				return
+			}
 			resolve.snapshot.Deployments.Store(deployment.UID, MinimalOwnerInfo{
 				OwnerReferences: deployment.OwnerReferences,
 			})
@@ -610,12 +676,21 @@ func (resolve *K8sIPResolver) addDeploymentHandlers(deploymentInformer cache.Sha
 func (resolver *K8sIPResolver) addPodHandlers(podInformer cache.SharedIndexInformer) {
 	podInformer.AddEventHandler(cache.ResourceEventHandlerFuncs{
 		AddFunc: func(obj interface{}) {
-			pod := obj.(*v1.Pod)
+			pod, ok := objectAs[*v1.Pod](obj)
+			if !ok {
+				return
+			}
 			resolver.handlePodAdd(pod)
 		},
 		UpdateFunc: func(oldObj, newObj interface{}) {
-			oldPod := oldObj.(*v1.Pod)
-			newPod := newObj.(*v1.Pod)
+			oldPod, ok := objectAs[*v1.Pod](oldObj)
+			if !ok {
+				return
+			}
+			newPod, ok := objectAs[*v1.Pod](newObj)
+			if !ok {
+				return
+			}
 			// Clean old IPs that are no longer present
 			newIPs := make(map[string]bool, len(newPod.Status.PodIPs))
 			for _, ip := range newPod.Status.PodIPs {
@@ -686,14 +761,20 @@ func (resolver *K8sIPResolver) handlePodAdd(pod *v1.Pod) bool {
 func (resolver *K8sIPResolver) addNodeHandlers(nodeInformer cache.SharedIndexInformer) {
 	nodeInformer.AddEventHandler(cache.ResourceEventHandlerFuncs{
 		AddFunc: func(obj interface{}) {
-			node := obj.(*v1.Node)
+			node, ok := objectAs[*v1.Node](obj)
+			if !ok {
+				return
+			}
 			shouldReturn := resolver.handleNodeEvent(node)
 			if shouldReturn {
 				return
 			}
 		},
 		UpdateFunc: func(oldObj, newObj interface{}) {
-			node := newObj.(*v1.Node)
+			node, ok := objectAs[*v1.Node](newObj)
+			if !ok {
+				return
+			}
 			shouldReturn := resolver.handleNodeEvent(node)
 			if shouldReturn {
 				return
@@ -935,7 +1016,11 @@ func (resolver *K8sIPResolver) getControllerOfOwner(owner *metav1.OwnerReference
 	if !ok {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("%w: %s %s", errOwnerNotCached, owner.Kind, owner.UID)
 	}
-	info := val.(MinimalOwnerInfo)
+	info, ok := val.(MinimalOwnerInfo)
+	if !ok {
+		klog.V(5).Infof("type confusion in owner cache for %s %s", owner.Kind, owner.UID)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("%w: %s %s", errOwnerNotCached, owner.Kind, owner.UID)
+	}
 	return getControllerOwnerRef(info.OwnerReferences), nil
 }
 
@@ -1113,8 +1198,17 @@ func (resolver *K8sIPResolver) resolvePodDescriptor(pod *MinimalPod) Workload {
 
 func (resolver *K8sIPResolver) ResolvePodOwner(podName string, podNamespace string) Workload {
 	if uidVal, ok := resolver.snapshot.PodNameIndex.Load(podNamespace + "/" + podName); ok {
-		if podVal, ok := resolver.snapshot.Pods.Load(uidVal.(types.UID)); ok {
-			pod := podVal.(MinimalPod)
+		uid, ok := uidVal.(types.UID)
+		if !ok {
+			klog.V(5).Infof("type confusion in PodNameIndex for %s/%s", podNamespace, podName)
+			return Workload{}
+		}
+		if podVal, ok := resolver.snapshot.Pods.Load(uid); ok {
+			pod, ok := podVal.(MinimalPod)
+			if !ok {
+				klog.V(5).Infof("type confusion in Pods cache for %s/%s", podNamespace, podName)
+				return Workload{}
+			}
 			return resolver.resolvePodDescriptor(&pod)
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/containers/cilium.go b/containers/cilium.go
index 2494ff9a..6fafb200 100644
--- a/containers/cilium.go
+++ b/containers/cilium.go
@@ -110,7 +110,13 @@ func lookupCilium4(src, dst netaddr.IPPort) *netaddr.IPPort {
 	if err != nil || v == nil {
 		return nil
 	}
-	e := v.(*ctmap.CtEntry)
+	// Cilium BPF structs are decoded from bpffs, so a Cilium version whose
+	// layout differs from the one we build against can yield an unexpected
+	// type here. Degrade to "unresolved" rather than panicking the agent.
+	e, ok := v.(*ctmap.CtEntry)
+	if !ok {
+		return nil
+	}
 
 	backendKey := lbmap.NewBackend4KeyV3(loadbalancer.BackendID(e.BackendID))
 	b, err := backends4Map.Lookup(backendKey)
@@ -151,7 +157,13 @@ func lookupCilium6(src, dst netaddr.IPPort) *netaddr.IPPort {
 	if err != nil || v == nil {
 		return nil
 	}
-	e := v.(*ctmap.CtEntry)
+	// Cilium BPF structs are decoded from bpffs, so a Cilium version whose
+	// layout differs from the one we build against can yield an unexpected
+	// type here. Degrade to "unresolved" rather than panicking the agent.
+	e, ok := v.(*ctmap.CtEntry)
+	if !ok {
+		return nil
+	}
 	backendKey := lbmap.NewBackend6KeyV3(loadbalancer.BackendID(e.BackendID))
 	b, err := backends6Map.Lookup(backendKey)
 	if err != nil || b == nil {
diff --git a/containers/container.go b/containers/container.go
index 994a95a3..7bb2ce62 100644
--- a/containers/container.go
+++ b/containers/container.go
@@ -416,7 +416,7 @@ func (c *Container) Collect(ch chan<- prometheus.Metric) {
 		for _, ctr := range p.parser.GetCounters() {
 			if ctr.Level == logparser.LevelCritical || ctr.Level == logparser.LevelError {
 				sample, _ := c.logSamples.LoadOrStore(ctr.Hash, common.TruncateUtf8(ctr.Sample, *flags.MaxLabelLength))
-				ch <- c.counter(metrics.LogMessages, float64(ctr.Messages), source, ctr.Level.String(), ctr.Hash, sample.(string))
+				ch <- c.counter(metrics.LogMessages, float64(ctr.Messages), source, ctr.Level.String(), ctr.Hash, sampleString(sample))
 			}
 		}
 		for _, sc := range p.parser.GetSensitiveCounters() {
@@ -2306,3 +2306,15 @@ func (c *Container) gauge(desc *prometheus.Desc, value float64, labelValues ...s
 	allLabels = append(allLabels, labelValues...)
 	return prometheus.MustNewConstMetric(desc, prometheus.GaugeValue, value, allLabels...)
 }
+
+// sampleValue renders a log sample stored in c.logSamples as a metric label.
+//
+// The map only ever holds strings, but this is a metric-collection path that
+// runs on every scrape: a type confusion here should degrade the label, not
+// take the agent down.
+func sampleString(v interface{}) string {
+	if s, ok := v.(string); ok {
+		return s
+	}
+	return ""
+}
diff --git a/ebpftracer/tracer.go b/ebpftracer/tracer.go
index 71370c7b..9e03d4ea 100644
--- a/ebpftracer/tracer.go
+++ b/ebpftracer/tracer.go
@@ -448,7 +448,13 @@ func getLostSamplesTracker(name string) *lostSamplesTracker {
 	if !ok {
 		tracker, _ = lostSamplesTrackers.LoadOrStore(name, &lostSamplesTracker{interval: 10})
 	}
-	return tracker.(*lostSamplesTracker)
+	t, ok := tracker.(*lostSamplesTracker)
+	if !ok {
+		// Only this function ever writes the map, so this is unreachable; return a
+		// throwaway rather than panicking in a metrics path.
+		return &lostSamplesTracker{interval: 10}
+	}
+	return t
 }
 
 // safeDuration converts a uint64 nanosecond value from eBPF to time.Duration.
diff --git a/pinger/pinger.go b/pinger/pinger.go
index 16c9520e..d7d8a1e5 100644
--- a/pinger/pinger.go
+++ b/pinger/pinger.go
@@ -214,7 +214,11 @@ func openConn() (*net.IPConn, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	ipconn := conn.(*net.IPConn)
+	ipconn, ok := conn.(*net.IPConn)
+	if !ok {
+		conn.Close()
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unexpected connection type %T for ip4:icmp", conn)
+	}
 	f, err := ipconn.File()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err