diff --git a/server/lib/pathMatch.ts b/server/lib/pathMatch.ts
index 2c3444b24..ebc03783a 100644
--- a/server/lib/pathMatch.ts
+++ b/server/lib/pathMatch.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-const MAX_RECURSION_DEPTH = 100;
-
 const segmentRegexCache = new Map<string, RegExp>();
 
 function getSegmentRegex(patternPart: string): RegExp {
@@ -56,55 +54,39 @@ export function isPathAllowed(pattern: string, path: string): boolean {
     const patternParts = decodeAndResolvePath(pattern);
     const pathParts = decodeAndResolvePath(path);
 
-    function matchSegments(
-        patternIndex: number,
-        pathIndex: number,
-        depth: number = 0
-    ): boolean {
-        if (depth > MAX_RECURSION_DEPTH) {
-            return false;
-        }
+    // Iterative dynamic-programming matcher. The previous recursive
+    // implementation forked on every bare `*`, which backtracked
+    // exponentially and let an unauthenticated path rule pin the event loop.
+    // `dp[i][j]` is true when patternParts[i..] matches pathParts[j..].
+    const m = patternParts.length;
+    const n = pathParts.length;
+    const dp: boolean[][] = Array.from({ length: m + 1 }, () =>
+        new Array<boolean>(n + 1).fill(false)
+    );
 
-        const currentPatternPart = patternParts[patternIndex];
-        const currentPathPart = pathParts[pathIndex];
-
-        if (patternIndex >= patternParts.length) {
-            return pathIndex >= pathParts.length;
-        }
-
-        if (pathIndex >= pathParts.length) {
-            return patternParts.slice(patternIndex).every((p) => p === "*");
-        }
-
-        if (currentPatternPart === "*") {
-            if (matchSegments(patternIndex + 1, pathIndex, depth + 1)) {
-                return true;
-            }
-            if (matchSegments(patternIndex, pathIndex + 1, depth + 1)) {
-                return true;
-            }
-            return false;
-        }
-
-        if (currentPatternPart.includes("*")) {
-            const regex = getSegmentRegex(currentPatternPart);
-
-            if (regex.test(currentPathPart)) {
-                return matchSegments(
-                    patternIndex + 1,
-                    pathIndex + 1,
-                    depth + 1
-                );
-            }
-            return false;
-        }
-
-        if (currentPatternPart !== currentPathPart) {
-            return false;
-        }
-
-        return matchSegments(patternIndex + 1, pathIndex + 1, depth + 1);
+    dp[m][n] = true;
+    for (let j = 0; j < n; j++) {
+        dp[m][j] = false;
+    }
+    for (let i = m - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
+        dp[i][n] = patternParts.slice(i).every((p) => p === "*");
     }
 
-    return matchSegments(0, 0, 0);
+    for (let i = m - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
+        const currentPatternPart = patternParts[i];
+        for (let j = n - 1; j >= 0; j--) {
+            if (currentPatternPart === "*") {
+                // match zero segments, or consume one path segment
+                dp[i][j] = dp[i + 1][j] || dp[i][j + 1];
+            } else if (currentPatternPart.includes("*")) {
+                const regex = getSegmentRegex(currentPatternPart);
+                dp[i][j] = regex.test(pathParts[j]) && dp[i + 1][j + 1];
+            } else {
+                dp[i][j] =
+                    currentPatternPart === pathParts[j] && dp[i + 1][j + 1];
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    return dp[0][0];
 }