diff --git a/pkg/fieldpath/paved.go b/pkg/fieldpath/paved.go
index bcfc90bad..bbc9482e8 100644
--- a/pkg/fieldpath/paved.go
+++ b/pkg/fieldpath/paved.go
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@ import (
 	"github.com/crossplane/crossplane-runtime/pkg/errors"
 )
 
+// DefaultMaxFieldPathIndex is the max allowed index in a field path.
+const DefaultMaxFieldPathIndex = 1024
+
 type errNotFound struct {
 	error
 }
@@ -46,19 +49,40 @@ func IsNotFound(err error) bool {
 
 // A Paved JSON object supports getting and setting values by their field path.
 type Paved struct {
-	object map[string]any
+	object            map[string]any
+	maxFieldPathIndex uint
 }
 
+// PavedOption can be used to configure a Paved behavior.
+type PavedOption func(paved *Paved)
+
 // PaveObject paves a runtime.Object, making it possible to get and set values
 // by field path. o must be a non-nil pointer to an object.
-func PaveObject(o runtime.Object) (*Paved, error) {
+func PaveObject(o runtime.Object, opts ...PavedOption) (*Paved, error) {
 	u, err := runtime.DefaultUnstructuredConverter.ToUnstructured(o)
-	return Pave(u), errors.Wrap(err, "cannot convert object to unstructured data")
+	return Pave(u, opts...), errors.Wrap(err, "cannot convert object to unstructured data")
 }
 
 // Pave a JSON object, making it possible to get and set values by field path.
-func Pave(object map[string]any) *Paved {
-	return &Paved{object: object}
+func Pave(object map[string]any, opts ...PavedOption) *Paved {
+	p := &Paved{object: object, maxFieldPathIndex: DefaultMaxFieldPathIndex}
+
+	for _, opt := range opts {
+		opt(p)
+	}
+
+	return p
+}
+
+// WithMaxFieldPathIndex returns a PavedOption that sets the max allowed index for field paths, 0 means no limit.
+func WithMaxFieldPathIndex(max uint) PavedOption {
+	return func(paved *Paved) {
+		paved.maxFieldPathIndex = max
+	}
+}
+
+func (p *Paved) maxFieldPathIndexEnabled() bool {
+	return p.maxFieldPathIndex > 0
 }
 
 // MarshalJSON to the underlying object.
@@ -338,13 +362,13 @@ func (p *Paved) setValue(s Segments, value any) error {
 	// any per https://golang.org/pkg/encoding/json/#Unmarshal. We
 	// marshal our value to JSON and unmarshal it into an any to ensure
 	// it meets these criteria before setting it within p.object.
-	var v any
-	j, err := json.Marshal(value)
+	v, err := toValidJSON(value)
 	if err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrap(err, "cannot marshal value to JSON")
+		return err
 	}
-	if err := json.Unmarshal(j, &v); err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrap(err, "cannot unmarshal value from JSON")
+
+	if err := p.validateSegments(s); err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
 
 	var in any = p.object
@@ -385,6 +409,18 @@ func (p *Paved) setValue(s Segments, value any) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func toValidJSON(value any) (any, error) {
+	var v any
+	j, err := json.Marshal(value)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "cannot marshal value to JSON")
+	}
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(j, &v); err != nil {
+		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "cannot unmarshal value from JSON")
+	}
+	return v, nil
+}
+
 func prepareElement(array []any, current, next Segment) {
 	// If this segment is not the final one and doesn't exist we need to
 	// create it for our next segment.
@@ -456,6 +492,18 @@ func (p *Paved) SetValue(path string, value any) error {
 	return p.setValue(segments, value)
 }
 
+func (p *Paved) validateSegments(s Segments) error {
+	if !p.maxFieldPathIndexEnabled() {
+		return nil
+	}
+	for _, segment := range s {
+		if segment.Type == SegmentIndex && segment.Index > p.maxFieldPathIndex {
+			return errors.Errorf("index %v is greater than max allowed index %d", segment.Index, p.maxFieldPathIndex)
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 // SetString value at the supplied field path.
 func (p *Paved) SetString(path, value string) error {
 	return p.SetValue(path, value)
diff --git a/pkg/fieldpath/paved_test.go b/pkg/fieldpath/paved_test.go
index 1828b949c..37ceaf0ce 100644
--- a/pkg/fieldpath/paved_test.go
+++ b/pkg/fieldpath/paved_test.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 package fieldpath
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/google/go-cmp/cmp"
@@ -593,6 +594,7 @@ func TestSetValue(t *testing.T) {
 	type args struct {
 		path  string
 		value any
+		opts  []PavedOption
 	}
 	type want struct {
 		object map[string]any
@@ -737,6 +739,38 @@ func TestSetValue(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 			},
 		},
+		"RejectsHighIndexes": {
+			reason: "Paths having indexes above the maximum default value are rejected",
+			data:   []byte(`{"data":["a"]}`),
+			args: args{
+				path:  fmt.Sprintf("data[%v]", DefaultMaxFieldPathIndex+1),
+				value: "c",
+			},
+			want: want{
+				object: map[string]any{
+					"data": []any{"a"}},
+				err: errors.Errorf("index %v is greater than max allowed index %v",
+					DefaultMaxFieldPathIndex+1, DefaultMaxFieldPathIndex),
+			},
+		},
+		"NotRejectsHighIndexesIfNoDefaultOptions": {
+			reason: "Paths having indexes above the maximum default value are not rejected if default disabled",
+			data:   []byte(`{"data":["a"]}`),
+			args: args{
+				path:  fmt.Sprintf("data[%v]", DefaultMaxFieldPathIndex+1),
+				value: "c",
+				opts:  []PavedOption{WithMaxFieldPathIndex(0)},
+			},
+			want: want{
+				object: map[string]any{
+					"data": func() []any {
+						res := make([]any, DefaultMaxFieldPathIndex+2)
+						res[0] = "a"
+						res[DefaultMaxFieldPathIndex+1] = "c"
+						return res
+					}()},
+			},
+		},
 		"MapStringString": {
 			reason: "A map of string to string should be converted to a map of string to any",
 			data:   []byte(`{"metadata":{}}`),
@@ -817,7 +851,7 @@ func TestSetValue(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			in := make(map[string]any)
 			_ = json.Unmarshal(tc.data, &in)
-			p := Pave(in)
+			p := Pave(in, tc.args.opts...)
 
 			err := p.SetValue(tc.args.path, tc.args.value)
 			if diff := cmp.Diff(tc.want.err, err, test.EquateErrors()); diff != "" {