diff --git a/src/lib/ndpi_main.c b/src/lib/ndpi_main.c
index 781fc1e2988..5447c03e0e5 100644
--- a/src/lib/ndpi_main.c
+++ b/src/lib/ndpi_main.c
@@ -4151,13 +4151,15 @@ int ndpi_add_ip_risk_mask(struct ndpi_detection_module_struct *ndpi_str,
   if(!is_ipv6 && ndpi_str->ip_risk_mask_ptree) {
     struct in_addr pin;
 
-    pin.s_addr = inet_addr(addr);
+    if(inet_pton(AF_INET, addr, &pin) != 1)
+      return(-1);
     node = add_to_ptree(ndpi_str->ip_risk_mask_ptree, AF_INET,
 			&pin, cidr ? atoi(cidr) : 32 /* bits */);
   } else if(is_ipv6 && ndpi_str->ip_risk_mask_ptree6) {
     struct in6_addr pin6;
 
-    inet_pton(AF_INET6, addr, &pin6);
+    if(inet_pton(AF_INET6, addr, &pin6) != 1)
+      return(-1);
     node = add_to_ptree(ndpi_str->ip_risk_mask_ptree6, AF_INET6,
 			&pin6, cidr ? atoi(cidr) : 128 /* bits */);
   } else {