diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 6690a5dedd1..d859b959fb6 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
 ### Fixes
 
 - CLI/tasks: reject partially numeric `openclaw tasks audit --limit` values so audit limits must be real positive integers instead of accepting strings like `5abc`. (#84901) Thanks @jbetala7.
+- Status/diagnostics: bound deep Docker audit probes so `openclaw status --deep` reports slow container checks instead of hanging behind unbounded inspection. (#85476) Thanks @giodl73-repo.
 - Twitch: keep stale message-handler cleanup callbacks from removing newer handler registrations for the same account, preserving inbound message delivery after reconnects. Fixes #83888. (#85425) Thanks @alkor2000.
 - Memory/LanceDB: expose public memory artifacts through the active memory provider bridge so memory-wiki imports durable memory files, daily notes, dream reports, and event logs without depending on memory-core internals. Fixes #83604. (#85060) Thanks @brokemac79.
 - Docker setup: stop printing the Gateway bearer token in setup logs and printed follow-up commands.
diff --git a/src/commands/status-runtime-shared.test.ts b/src/commands/status-runtime-shared.test.ts
index 07a142dcccd..46bf54c1f39 100644
--- a/src/commands/status-runtime-shared.test.ts
+++ b/src/commands/status-runtime-shared.test.ts
@@ -326,6 +326,7 @@ describe("status-runtime-shared", () => {
       config: { gateway: {} },
       sourceConfig: { gateway: { mode: "local" } },
       deep: false,
+      deepTimeoutMs: 1234,
       includeFilesystem: true,
       includeChannelSecurity: true,
       loadPluginSecurityCollectors: false,
diff --git a/src/commands/status-runtime-shared.ts b/src/commands/status-runtime-shared.ts
index b9eb072b583..c40ebe17526 100644
--- a/src/commands/status-runtime-shared.ts
+++ b/src/commands/status-runtime-shared.ts
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ function loadGatewayCallModule() {
 export async function resolveStatusSecurityAudit(params: {
   config: OpenClawConfig;
   sourceConfig: OpenClawConfig;
+  timeoutMs?: number;
 }) {
   const { runSecurityAudit } = await loadSecurityAuditModule();
   const readOnlyPlugins = resolveReadOnlyChannelPluginsForConfig(params.config, {
@@ -37,6 +38,7 @@ export async function resolveStatusSecurityAudit(params: {
     config: params.config,
     sourceConfig: params.sourceConfig,
     deep: false,
+    ...(params.timeoutMs !== undefined ? { deepTimeoutMs: params.timeoutMs } : {}),
     includeFilesystem: true,
     includeChannelSecurity: true,
     loadPluginSecurityCollectors: false,
@@ -221,6 +223,7 @@ export async function resolveStatusRuntimeSnapshot(params: {
   resolveSecurityAudit?: (input: {
     config: OpenClawConfig;
     sourceConfig: OpenClawConfig;
+    timeoutMs?: number;
   }) => Promise<StatusSecurityAudit>;
   resolveUsage?: (input: StatusUsageSummaryOptions) => Promise<StatusUsageSummary>;
   resolveHealth?: (input: {
@@ -232,6 +235,7 @@ export async function resolveStatusRuntimeSnapshot(params: {
     ? await (params.resolveSecurityAudit ?? resolveStatusSecurityAudit)({
         config: params.config,
         sourceConfig: params.sourceConfig,
+        timeoutMs: params.timeoutMs,
       })
     : undefined;
   const runtimeDetails = await resolveStatusRuntimeDetails({
diff --git a/src/security/audit-extra.async.ts b/src/security/audit-extra.async.ts
index b47ee845669..f522be4baf2 100644
--- a/src/security/audit-extra.async.ts
+++ b/src/security/audit-extra.async.ts
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@ type ExecDockerRawFn = (
   opts?: { allowFailure?: boolean; input?: Buffer | string; signal?: AbortSignal },
 ) => Promise<import("../agents/sandbox/docker.js").ExecDockerRawResult>;
 
+const DEFAULT_SANDBOX_BROWSER_DOCKER_PROBE_TIMEOUT_MS = 5000;
+
 type CodeSafetySummaryCache = Map<string, Promise<unknown>>;
 let skillsModulePromise: Promise<typeof import("../agents/skills.js")> | undefined;
 let configModulePromise: Promise<typeof import("../config/config.js")> | undefined;
@@ -274,13 +276,63 @@ function normalizeDockerLabelValue(raw: string | undefined): string | null {
   return trimmed;
 }
 
-async function listSandboxBrowserContainers(
-  execDockerRawFn: ExecDockerRawFn,
-): Promise<string[] | null> {
+class DockerProbeTimeoutError extends Error {
+  constructor(timeoutMs: number) {
+    super(`Docker probe timed out after ${timeoutMs}ms`);
+    this.name = "DockerProbeTimeoutError";
+  }
+}
+
+function normalizeDockerProbeTimeoutMs(timeoutMs: number | undefined): number {
+  if (Number.isFinite(timeoutMs) && timeoutMs !== undefined) {
+    return Math.max(250, Math.floor(timeoutMs));
+  }
+  return DEFAULT_SANDBOX_BROWSER_DOCKER_PROBE_TIMEOUT_MS;
+}
+
+async function withDockerProbeTimeout<T>(
+  timeoutMs: number,
+  run: (signal: AbortSignal) => Promise<T>,
+): Promise<T> {
+  const controller = new AbortController();
+  let timeout: NodeJS.Timeout | undefined;
+  let timedOut = false;
+  const timeoutPromise = new Promise<never>((_, reject) => {
+    timeout = setTimeout(() => {
+      timedOut = true;
+      controller.abort();
+      reject(new DockerProbeTimeoutError(timeoutMs));
+    }, timeoutMs);
+  });
   try {
-    const result = await execDockerRawFn(
-      ["ps", "-a", "--filter", "label=openclaw.sandboxBrowser=1", "--format", "{{.Names}}"],
-      { allowFailure: true },
+    return await Promise.race([run(controller.signal), timeoutPromise]);
+  } catch (err) {
+    if (timedOut || controller.signal.aborted) {
+      throw new DockerProbeTimeoutError(timeoutMs);
+    }
+    throw err;
+  } finally {
+    if (timeout) {
+      clearTimeout(timeout);
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+function isDockerProbeTimeoutError(error: unknown): boolean {
+  return error instanceof DockerProbeTimeoutError;
+}
+
+async function listSandboxBrowserContainers(params: {
+  execDockerRawFn: ExecDockerRawFn;
+  timeoutMs: number;
+  onTimeout?: () => void;
+}): Promise<string[] | null> {
+  try {
+    const result = await withDockerProbeTimeout(params.timeoutMs, (signal) =>
+      params.execDockerRawFn(
+        ["ps", "-a", "--filter", "label=openclaw.sandboxBrowser=1", "--format", "{{.Names}}"],
+        { allowFailure: true, signal },
+      ),
     );
     if (result.code !== 0) {
       return null;
@@ -290,7 +342,10 @@ async function listSandboxBrowserContainers(
       .split(/\r?\n/)
       .map((entry) => entry.trim())
       .filter(Boolean);
-  } catch {
+  } catch (err) {
+    if (isDockerProbeTimeoutError(err)) {
+      params.onTimeout?.();
+    }
     return null;
   }
 }
@@ -298,16 +353,20 @@ async function listSandboxBrowserContainers(
 async function readSandboxBrowserHashLabels(params: {
   containerName: string;
   execDockerRawFn: ExecDockerRawFn;
+  timeoutMs: number;
+  onTimeout?: () => void;
 }): Promise<{ configHash: string | null; epoch: string | null } | null> {
   try {
-    const result = await params.execDockerRawFn(
-      [
-        "inspect",
-        "-f",
-        '{{ index .Config.Labels "openclaw.configHash" }}\t{{ index .Config.Labels "openclaw.browserConfigEpoch" }}',
-        params.containerName,
-      ],
-      { allowFailure: true },
+    const result = await withDockerProbeTimeout(params.timeoutMs, (signal) =>
+      params.execDockerRawFn(
+        [
+          "inspect",
+          "-f",
+          '{{ index .Config.Labels "openclaw.configHash" }}\t{{ index .Config.Labels "openclaw.browserConfigEpoch" }}',
+          params.containerName,
+        ],
+        { allowFailure: true, signal },
+      ),
     );
     if (result.code !== 0) {
       return null;
@@ -317,7 +376,10 @@ async function readSandboxBrowserHashLabels(params: {
       configHash: normalizeDockerLabelValue(hashRaw),
       epoch: normalizeDockerLabelValue(epochRaw),
     };
-  } catch {
+  } catch (err) {
+    if (isDockerProbeTimeoutError(err)) {
+      params.onTimeout?.();
+    }
     return null;
   }
 }
@@ -349,11 +411,16 @@ function isLoopbackPublishHost(host: string): boolean {
 async function readSandboxBrowserPortMappings(params: {
   containerName: string;
   execDockerRawFn: ExecDockerRawFn;
+  timeoutMs: number;
+  onTimeout?: () => void;
 }): Promise<string[] | null> {
   try {
-    const result = await params.execDockerRawFn(["port", params.containerName], {
-      allowFailure: true,
-    });
+    const result = await withDockerProbeTimeout(params.timeoutMs, (signal) =>
+      params.execDockerRawFn(["port", params.containerName], {
+        allowFailure: true,
+        signal,
+      }),
+    );
     if (result.code !== 0) {
       return null;
     }
@@ -362,21 +429,37 @@ async function readSandboxBrowserPortMappings(params: {
       .split(/\r?\n/)
       .map((entry) => entry.trim())
       .filter(Boolean);
-  } catch {
+  } catch (err) {
+    if (isDockerProbeTimeoutError(err)) {
+      params.onTimeout?.();
+    }
     return null;
   }
 }
 
 export async function collectSandboxBrowserHashLabelFindings(params?: {
   execDockerRawFn?: ExecDockerRawFn;
+  timeoutMs?: number;
 }): Promise<SecurityAuditFinding[]> {
   const findings: SecurityAuditFinding[] = [];
+  const timeoutMs = normalizeDockerProbeTimeoutMs(params?.timeoutMs);
+  let timedOut = false;
+  const markTimedOut = () => {
+    timedOut = true;
+  };
   const [execFn, browserHashEpoch] = await Promise.all([
     params?.execDockerRawFn ? Promise.resolve(params.execDockerRawFn) : loadExecDockerRaw(),
     loadSandboxBrowserSecurityHashEpoch(),
   ]);
-  const containers = await listSandboxBrowserContainers(execFn);
+  const containers = await listSandboxBrowserContainers({
+    execDockerRawFn: execFn,
+    timeoutMs,
+    onTimeout: markTimedOut,
+  });
   if (!containers || containers.length === 0) {
+    if (timedOut) {
+      findings.push(buildSandboxBrowserDockerProbeTimeoutFinding(timeoutMs));
+    }
     return findings;
   }
 
@@ -385,7 +468,15 @@ export async function collectSandboxBrowserHashLabelFindings(params?: {
   const nonLoopbackPublished: string[] = [];
 
   for (const containerName of containers) {
-    const labels = await readSandboxBrowserHashLabels({ containerName, execDockerRawFn: execFn });
+    const labels = await readSandboxBrowserHashLabels({
+      containerName,
+      execDockerRawFn: execFn,
+      timeoutMs,
+      onTimeout: markTimedOut,
+    });
+    if (timedOut) {
+      break;
+    }
     if (!labels) {
       continue;
     }
@@ -398,7 +489,12 @@ export async function collectSandboxBrowserHashLabelFindings(params?: {
     const portMappings = await readSandboxBrowserPortMappings({
       containerName,
       execDockerRawFn: execFn,
+      timeoutMs,
+      onTimeout: markTimedOut,
     });
+    if (timedOut) {
+      break;
+    }
     if (!portMappings?.length) {
       continue;
     }
@@ -449,9 +545,26 @@ export async function collectSandboxBrowserHashLabelFindings(params?: {
     });
   }
 
+  if (timedOut) {
+    findings.push(buildSandboxBrowserDockerProbeTimeoutFinding(timeoutMs));
+  }
+
   return findings;
 }
 
+function buildSandboxBrowserDockerProbeTimeoutFinding(timeoutMs: number): SecurityAuditFinding {
+  return {
+    checkId: "sandbox.browser_container.docker_probe_timeout",
+    severity: "warn",
+    title: "Sandbox browser Docker audit probe timed out",
+    detail:
+      `Docker did not answer within ${timeoutMs}ms while checking sandbox browser containers. ` +
+      "OpenClaw skipped any remaining sandbox browser container drift checks for this status run.",
+    remediation:
+      "Retry after Docker is responsive, or recreate sandbox browser containers if drift is suspected.",
+  };
+}
+
 export async function collectIncludeFilePermFindings(params: {
   configSnapshot: ConfigFileSnapshot;
   env?: NodeJS.ProcessEnv;
diff --git a/src/security/audit-sandbox-browser.test.ts b/src/security/audit-sandbox-browser.test.ts
index 27f16f8cb57..a35f69ea429 100644
--- a/src/security/audit-sandbox-browser.test.ts
+++ b/src/security/audit-sandbox-browser.test.ts
@@ -76,6 +76,62 @@ describe("security audit sandbox browser findings", () => {
     expect(hasFinding("sandbox.browser_container.hash_epoch_stale", "warn", findings)).toBe(false);
   });
 
+  it("bounds sandbox browser Docker probes that do not return", async () => {
+    let probeSignal: AbortSignal | undefined;
+    const startedAt = Date.now();
+
+    const findings = await collectSandboxBrowserHashLabelFindings({
+      timeoutMs: 1,
+      execDockerRawFn: async (_args, opts) => {
+        probeSignal = opts?.signal;
+        return await new Promise((_, reject) =>
+          opts?.signal?.addEventListener("abort", () => reject(new Error("aborted")), {
+            once: true,
+          }),
+        );
+      },
+    });
+
+    expect(Date.now() - startedAt).toBeLessThan(1000);
+    expect(probeSignal?.aborted).toBe(true);
+    expect(findings).toEqual([
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        checkId: "sandbox.browser_container.docker_probe_timeout",
+        severity: "warn",
+      }),
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it("stops probing remaining sandbox browser containers after a Docker timeout", async () => {
+    const calls: string[] = [];
+
+    const findings = await collectSandboxBrowserHashLabelFindings({
+      timeoutMs: 1,
+      execDockerRawFn: async (args, opts) => {
+        calls.push(`${args[0] ?? ""}:${args.at(-1) ?? ""}`);
+        if (args[0] === "ps") {
+          return {
+            stdout: Buffer.from("openclaw-sbx-browser-hung\nopenclaw-sbx-browser-next\n"),
+            stderr: Buffer.alloc(0),
+            code: 0,
+          };
+        }
+        return await new Promise((_, reject) =>
+          opts?.signal?.addEventListener("abort", () => reject(new Error("aborted")), {
+            once: true,
+          }),
+        );
+      },
+    });
+
+    expect(calls).toEqual(["ps:{{.Names}}", "inspect:openclaw-sbx-browser-hung"]);
+    expect(findings).toEqual([
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        checkId: "sandbox.browser_container.docker_probe_timeout",
+      }),
+    ]);
+  });
+
   it("flags sandbox browser containers with non-loopback published ports", async () => {
     const findings = await collectSandboxBrowserHashLabelFindings({
       execDockerRawFn: async (args: string[]) => {
diff --git a/src/security/audit.ts b/src/security/audit.ts
index c9d4514b191..3d9abaaa35f 100644
--- a/src/security/audit.ts
+++ b/src/security/audit.ts
@@ -1096,6 +1096,7 @@ export async function runSecurityAudit(opts: SecurityAuditOptions): Promise<Secu
     findings.push(
       ...(await auditNonDeep.collectSandboxBrowserHashLabelFindings({
         execDockerRawFn: context.execDockerRawFn,
+        timeoutMs: context.deepTimeoutMs,
       })),
     );
     findings.push(...(await auditNonDeep.collectPluginsTrustFindings({ cfg, stateDir })));