diff --git a/modules/core/src/persistence_json.cpp b/modules/core/src/persistence_json.cpp
index ae678e1b8b..89914e6534 100644
--- a/modules/core/src/persistence_json.cpp
+++ b/modules/core/src/persistence_json.cpp
@@ -296,6 +296,8 @@ public:
 
         while ( is_eof == false && is_completed == false )
         {
+            if (!ptr)
+                CV_PARSE_ERROR_CPP("Invalid input");
             switch ( *ptr )
             {
                 /* comment */
@@ -381,6 +383,7 @@ public:
         if ( is_eof || !is_completed )
         {
             ptr = fs->bufferStart();
+            CV_Assert(ptr);
             *ptr = '\0';
             fs->setEof();
             if( !is_completed )
@@ -392,6 +395,9 @@ public:
 
     char* parseKey( char* ptr, FileNode& collection, FileNode& value_placeholder )
     {
+        if (!ptr)
+            CV_PARSE_ERROR_CPP("Invalid input");
+
         if( *ptr != '"' )
             CV_PARSE_ERROR_CPP( "Key must start with \'\"\'" );
 
@@ -430,6 +436,9 @@ public:
 
     char* parseValue( char* ptr, FileNode& node )
     {
+        if (!ptr)
+            CV_PARSE_ERROR_CPP("Invalid value input");
+
         ptr = skipSpaces( ptr );
         if( !ptr || !*ptr )
             CV_PARSE_ERROR_CPP( "Unexpected End-Of-File" );
@@ -817,6 +826,9 @@ public:
 
     bool parse( char* ptr )
     {
+        if (!ptr)
+            CV_PARSE_ERROR_CPP("Invalid input");
+
         ptr = skipSpaces( ptr );
         if ( !ptr || !*ptr )
             return false;
diff --git a/modules/core/src/persistence_xml.cpp b/modules/core/src/persistence_xml.cpp
index fb30d90896..89876dd3da 100644
--- a/modules/core/src/persistence_xml.cpp
+++ b/modules/core/src/persistence_xml.cpp
@@ -360,6 +360,9 @@ public:
 
     char* skipSpaces( char* ptr, int mode )
     {
+        if (!ptr)
+            CV_PARSE_ERROR_CPP("Invalid input");
+
         int level = 0;
 
         for(;;)
@@ -441,6 +444,9 @@ public:
 
     char* parseValue( char* ptr, FileNode& node )
     {
+        if (!ptr)
+            CV_PARSE_ERROR_CPP("Invalid input");
+
         FileNode new_elem;
         bool have_space = true;
         int value_type = node.type();
@@ -456,6 +462,8 @@ public:
                 (c == '<' && ptr[1] == '!' && ptr[2] == '-') )
             {
                 ptr = skipSpaces( ptr, 0 );
+                if (!ptr)
+                    CV_PARSE_ERROR_CPP("Invalid input");
                 have_space = true;
                 c = *ptr;
             }
@@ -502,6 +510,8 @@ public:
                 {
                     ptr = fs->parseBase64( ptr, 0, new_elem);
                     ptr = skipSpaces( ptr, 0 );
+                    if (!ptr)
+                        CV_PARSE_ERROR_CPP("Invalid input");
                 }
 
                 ptr = parseTag( ptr, key2, type_name, tag_type );
@@ -645,6 +655,9 @@ public:
     char* parseTag( char* ptr, std::string& tag_name,
                     std::string& type_name, int& tag_type )
     {
+        if (!ptr)
+            CV_PARSE_ERROR_CPP("Invalid tag input");
+
         if( *ptr == '\0' )
             CV_PARSE_ERROR_CPP( "Unexpected end of the stream" );
 
@@ -702,6 +715,8 @@ public:
                 if( *ptr != '=' )
                 {
                     ptr = skipSpaces( ptr, CV_XML_INSIDE_TAG );
+                    if (!ptr)
+                        CV_PARSE_ERROR_CPP("Invalid attribute");
                     if( *ptr != '=' )
                         CV_PARSE_ERROR_CPP( "Attribute name should be followed by \'=\'" );
                 }
@@ -740,6 +755,8 @@ public:
             if( c != '>' )
             {
                 ptr = skipSpaces( ptr, CV_XML_INSIDE_TAG );
+                if (!ptr)
+                    CV_PARSE_ERROR_CPP("Invalid input");
                 c = *ptr;
             }
 
@@ -781,6 +798,8 @@ public:
 
         // CV_XML_INSIDE_TAG is used to prohibit leading comments
         ptr = skipSpaces( ptr, CV_XML_INSIDE_TAG );
+        if (!ptr)
+            CV_PARSE_ERROR_CPP("Invalid input");
 
         if( memcmp( ptr, "<?xml", 5 ) != 0 )  // FIXIT ptr[1..] - out of bounds read without check
             CV_PARSE_ERROR_CPP( "Valid XML should start with \'<?xml ...?>\'" );
@@ -791,6 +810,8 @@ public:
         while( ptr && *ptr != '\0' )
         {
             ptr = skipSpaces( ptr, 0 );
+            if (!ptr)
+                CV_PARSE_ERROR_CPP("Invalid input");
 
             if( *ptr != '\0' )
             {
diff --git a/modules/core/src/persistence_yml.cpp b/modules/core/src/persistence_yml.cpp
index 4129ca1dc5..7742e82770 100644
--- a/modules/core/src/persistence_yml.cpp
+++ b/modules/core/src/persistence_yml.cpp
@@ -330,6 +330,9 @@ public:
 
     char* skipSpaces( char* ptr, int min_indent, int max_comment_indent )
     {
+        if (!ptr)
+            CV_PARSE_ERROR_CPP("Invalid input");
+
         for(;;)
         {
             while( *ptr == ' ' )
@@ -374,6 +377,9 @@ public:
 
     bool getBase64Row(char* ptr, int indent, char* &beg, char* &end)
     {
+        if (!ptr)
+            CV_PARSE_ERROR_CPP("Invalid input");
+
         beg = end = ptr = skipSpaces(ptr, 0, INT_MAX);
         if (!ptr || !*ptr)
             return false; // end of file
@@ -394,6 +400,9 @@ public:
 
     char* parseKey( char* ptr, FileNode& map_node, FileNode& value_placeholder )
     {
+        if (!ptr)
+            CV_PARSE_ERROR_CPP("Invalid input");
+
         char c;
         char *endptr = ptr - 1, *saveptr;
 
@@ -422,6 +431,9 @@ public:
 
     char* parseValue( char* ptr, FileNode& node, int min_indent, bool is_parent_flow )
     {
+        if (!ptr)
+            CV_PARSE_ERROR_CPP("Invalid input");
+
         char* endptr = 0;
         char c = ptr[0], d = ptr[1];
         int value_type = FileNode::NONE;
@@ -508,6 +520,8 @@ public:
 
             *endptr = d;
             ptr = skipSpaces( endptr, min_indent, INT_MAX );
+            if (!ptr)
+                CV_PARSE_ERROR_CPP("Invalid input");
 
             c = *ptr;
 
@@ -634,6 +648,8 @@ public:
                 FileNode elem;
 
                 ptr = skipSpaces( ptr, new_min_indent, INT_MAX );
+                if (!ptr)
+                    CV_PARSE_ERROR_CPP("Invalid input");
                 if( *ptr == '}' || *ptr == ']' )
                 {
                     if( *ptr != d )
@@ -647,6 +663,8 @@ public:
                     if( *ptr != ',' )
                         CV_PARSE_ERROR_CPP( "Missing , between the elements" );
                     ptr = skipSpaces( ptr + 1, new_min_indent, INT_MAX );
+                    if (!ptr)
+                        CV_PARSE_ERROR_CPP("Invalid input");
                 }
 
                 if( struct_type == FileNode::MAP )
@@ -746,6 +764,9 @@ public:
 
     bool parse( char* ptr )
     {
+        if (!ptr)
+            CV_PARSE_ERROR_CPP("Invalid input");
+
         bool first = true;
         bool ok = true;
         FileNode root_collection(fs->getFS(), 0, 0);