diff --git a/pkg/cmd/hub/hub/hub.go b/pkg/cmd/hub/hub/hub.go
index d4cde80762..2cc5eeec9a 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/hub/hub/hub.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/hub/hub/hub.go
@@ -17,9 +17,12 @@ package hub
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
+	"net"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
 	"os/user"
+	"strings"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/joho/godotenv"
 	"github.com/spf13/viper"
@@ -39,6 +42,9 @@ const (
 	artifactHubCatInfoEndpoint   = "/api/v1/packages/tekton"
 	artifactHubTaskType          = 7
 	artifactHubPipelineType      = 11
+
+	httpClientTimeout = 30 * time.Second
+	maxRedirects      = 10
 )
 
 type Client interface {
@@ -126,8 +132,7 @@ func (t *tektonHubClient) Get(endpoint string) ([]byte, int, error) {
 
 func resolveUrl(apiURL, envVariable, defaultUrl string) (string, error) {
 	if apiURL != "" {
-		_, err := url.ParseRequestURI(apiURL)
-		if err != nil {
+		if err := validateHubURLString(apiURL); err != nil {
 			return "", err
 		}
 
@@ -140,8 +145,7 @@ func resolveUrl(apiURL, envVariable, defaultUrl string) (string, error) {
 
 	viper.AutomaticEnv()
 	if apiURL := viper.GetString(envVariable); apiURL != "" {
-		_, err := url.ParseRequestURI(apiURL)
-		if err != nil {
+		if err := validateHubURLString(apiURL); err != nil {
 			return "", fmt.Errorf("invalid url set for %s: %s : %v", envVariable, apiURL, err)
 		}
 		return apiURL, nil
@@ -170,15 +174,20 @@ func get(url string) ([]byte, int, error) {
 	return data, status, err
 }
 
-// httpGet gets raw data given the url
-func httpGet(url string) ([]byte, int, error) {
+// httpGet gets raw data given the url.
+// Only https is allowed, except http to loopback addresses used by a local Hub.
+func httpGet(rawURL string) ([]byte, int, error) {
 
 	err := loadConfigFile()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, 0, err
 	}
 
-	resp, err := http.Get(url)
+	if err := validateHubURLString(rawURL); err != nil {
+		return nil, 0, err
+	}
+
+	resp, err := hubHTTPClient.Get(rawURL)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, 0, err
 	}
@@ -192,6 +201,53 @@ func httpGet(url string) ([]byte, int, error) {
 	return data, resp.StatusCode, err
 }
 
+var hubHTTPClient = &http.Client{
+	Timeout: httpClientTimeout,
+	CheckRedirect: func(req *http.Request, via []*http.Request) error {
+		if len(via) >= maxRedirects {
+			return fmt.Errorf("stopped after %d redirects", maxRedirects)
+		}
+		if !strings.EqualFold(req.URL.Scheme, "https") {
+			return fmt.Errorf("refusing non-HTTPS redirect to %q", req.URL.Redacted())
+		}
+		return validateHubURL(req.URL)
+	},
+}
+
+func validateHubURLString(rawURL string) error {
+	u, err := url.ParseRequestURI(rawURL)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return validateHubURL(u)
+}
+
+func validateHubURL(u *url.URL) error {
+	if u == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("invalid url")
+	}
+
+	switch strings.ToLower(u.Scheme) {
+	case "https":
+		return nil
+	case "http":
+		if isLoopbackHost(u.Hostname()) {
+			return nil
+		}
+		return fmt.Errorf("refusing insecure HTTP URL %q; use HTTPS", u.Redacted())
+	default:
+		return fmt.Errorf("unsupported URL scheme %q; only https is allowed", u.Scheme)
+	}
+}
+
+func isLoopbackHost(host string) bool {
+	if strings.EqualFold(host, "localhost") {
+		return true
+	}
+	ip := net.ParseIP(host)
+	return ip != nil && ip.IsLoopback()
+}
+
 // Looks for config file at $HOME/.tekton/hub-config and loads into
 // in the environment
 func loadConfigFile() error {
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/hub/hub/hub_test.go b/pkg/cmd/hub/hub/hub_test.go
index 22137a5f0e..9529df8d83 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/hub/hub/hub_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/hub/hub/hub_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package hub
 
 import (
+	"net/url"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
@@ -11,10 +12,10 @@ func TestSetURL_TektonHub(t *testing.T) {
 	err := tHub.SetURL("http://localhost:80000")
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
-	err = tHub.SetURL("localhost:8000")
+	err = tHub.SetURL("https://api.hub.tekton.dev")
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
-	err = tHub.SetURL("http://80.80.79.9:80")
+	err = tHub.SetURL("http://127.0.0.1:8080")
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
 	// default url
@@ -28,10 +29,10 @@ func TestSetURL_ArtifactHub(t *testing.T) {
 	err := aHub.SetURL("http://localhost:80000")
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
-	err = aHub.SetURL("localhost:8000")
+	err = aHub.SetURL("https://artifacthub.io")
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
-	err = aHub.SetURL("http://80.80.79.9:80")
+	err = aHub.SetURL("http://127.0.0.1:8080")
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
 	// default url
@@ -46,4 +47,40 @@ func TestSetURL_InvalidCase(t *testing.T) {
 	err := hub.SetURL("abc")
 	assert.Error(t, err)
 	assert.EqualError(t, err, "parse \"abc\": invalid URI for request")
+
+	err = hub.SetURL("localhost:8000")
+	assert.EqualError(t, err, "unsupported URL scheme \"localhost\"; only https is allowed")
+
+	err = hub.SetURL("http://80.80.79.9:80")
+	assert.EqualError(t, err, "refusing insecure HTTP URL \"http://80.80.79.9:80\"; use HTTPS")
+}
+
+func TestValidateHubURL(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		raw     string
+		wantErr string
+	}{
+		{raw: "https://artifacthub.io"},
+		{raw: "https://api.hub.tekton.dev/v1/resource/tekton/task/git-clone/0.9/yaml"},
+		{raw: "http://localhost:8080"},
+		{raw: "http://127.0.0.1:8080"},
+		{raw: "http://[::1]:8080"},
+		{raw: "http://evil.example", wantErr: "refusing insecure HTTP URL"},
+		{raw: "file:///etc/passwd", wantErr: "unsupported URL scheme"},
+		{raw: "ftp://artifacthub.io", wantErr: "unsupported URL scheme"},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range tests {
+		t.Run(tc.raw, func(t *testing.T) {
+			u, err := url.ParseRequestURI(tc.raw)
+			assert.NoError(t, err)
+			err = validateHubURL(u)
+			if tc.wantErr == "" {
+				assert.NoError(t, err)
+				return
+			}
+			assert.Error(t, err)
+			assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), tc.wantErr)
+		})
+	}
 }
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/hub/installer/action.go b/pkg/cmd/hub/installer/action.go
index f780d9ce66..29161c3a62 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/hub/installer/action.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/hub/installer/action.go
@@ -36,8 +36,18 @@ const (
 	communitySupportTier        = "Community"
 	verifiedSupportTier         = "Verified"
 	verifiedCatOrg              = "tektoncd"
+	tektonAPIGroup              = "tekton.dev"
 )
 
+// installableKinds are catalog resource definitions. Runnable kinds such as
+// TaskRun or PipelineRun are rejected so a compromised Hub response cannot
+// execute workloads immediately.
+var installableKinds = map[string]struct{}{
+	"Task":       {},
+	"Pipeline":   {},
+	"StepAction": {},
+}
+
 // Errors
 var (
 	ErrAlreadyExist             = errors.New("resource already exists")
@@ -99,6 +109,11 @@ func (i *Installer) Install(data []byte, hubType, org, catalog, namespace string
 		return nil, errors
 	}
 
+	if err := validateInstallableResource(newRes); err != nil {
+		errors = append(errors, err)
+		return nil, errors
+	}
+
 	newResPipMinVersion := newRes.GetAnnotations()[ResourceMinVersion]
 	err = i.checkVersion("v" + newResPipMinVersion)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -187,6 +202,11 @@ func (i *Installer) updateByAction(data []byte, catalog, namespace string, actio
 		return nil, errors
 	}
 
+	if err := validateInstallableResource(newRes); err != nil {
+		errors = append(errors, err)
+		return nil, errors
+	}
+
 	newResPipMinVersion := newRes.GetAnnotations()[ResourceMinVersion]
 
 	err = i.checkVersion("v" + newResPipMinVersion)
@@ -315,6 +335,24 @@ func (i *Installer) updateRes(existing, new *unstructured.Unstructured, catalog,
 	return res, nil
 }
 
+func validateInstallableResource(res *unstructured.Unstructured) error {
+	if res == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("refusing to install resource: empty manifest")
+	}
+
+	gvk := res.GroupVersionKind()
+	if gvk.Group != tektonAPIGroup {
+		return fmt.Errorf("refusing to install %s: hub can only install tekton.dev resources", gvk.String())
+	}
+	if gvk.Kind == "" {
+		return fmt.Errorf("refusing to install resource: missing kind")
+	}
+	if _, ok := installableKinds[gvk.Kind]; !ok {
+		return fmt.Errorf("refusing to install kind %s: hub can only install Task, Pipeline, or StepAction resources", gvk.Kind)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func toUnstructured(data []byte) (*unstructured.Unstructured, error) {
 
 	r := bytes.NewReader(data)
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/hub/installer/action_test.go b/pkg/cmd/hub/installer/action_test.go
index f9f74b3b87..9cf4629d3f 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/hub/installer/action_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/hub/installer/action_test.go
@@ -103,6 +103,102 @@ func TestToUnstructuredAndAddLabel(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestValidateInstallableResource(t *testing.T) {
+	const catalogKindErr = "hub can only install Task, Pipeline, or StepAction resources"
+	tests := []struct {
+		name    string
+		data    string
+		wantErr string
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "allows Task",
+			data: res,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "allows Pipeline",
+			data: `apiVersion: tekton.dev/v1
+kind: Pipeline
+metadata:
+  name: foo
+spec: {}
+`,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "allows StepAction",
+			data: `apiVersion: tekton.dev/v1beta1
+kind: StepAction
+metadata:
+  name: git-clone
+spec:
+  image: alpine
+`,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "rejects ClusterTask",
+			data: `apiVersion: tekton.dev/v1beta1
+kind: ClusterTask
+metadata:
+  name: foo
+spec: {}
+`,
+			wantErr: "refusing to install kind ClusterTask: " + catalogKindErr,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "rejects TaskRun",
+			data: `apiVersion: tekton.dev/v1beta1
+kind: TaskRun
+metadata:
+  name: foo
+spec: {}
+`,
+			wantErr: "refusing to install kind TaskRun: " + catalogKindErr,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "rejects PipelineRun",
+			data: `apiVersion: tekton.dev/v1
+kind: PipelineRun
+metadata:
+  name: foo
+spec: {}
+`,
+			wantErr: "refusing to install kind PipelineRun: " + catalogKindErr,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "rejects core Secret",
+			data: `apiVersion: v1
+kind: Secret
+metadata:
+  name: evil
+`,
+			wantErr: "refusing to install /v1, Kind=Secret: hub can only install tekton.dev resources",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range tests {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			obj, err := toUnstructured([]byte(tc.data))
+			assert.NoError(t, err)
+			err = validateInstallableResource(obj)
+			if tc.wantErr == "" {
+				assert.NoError(t, err)
+				return
+			}
+			assert.EqualError(t, err, tc.wantErr)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestInstall_RejectsClusterTask(t *testing.T) {
+	clusterTask := `apiVersion: tekton.dev/v1beta1
+kind: ClusterTask
+metadata:
+  name: foo
+spec: {}
+`
+	_, errs := New(nil).Install([]byte(clusterTask), hub.TektonHubType, "", "tekton", "hub")
+	assert.EqualError(t, errs[0], "refusing to install kind ClusterTask: hub can only install Task, Pipeline, or StepAction resources")
+}
+
 func TestListInstalled(t *testing.T) {
 	existingTask := &v1beta1.Task{
 		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/hub/test/config.go b/pkg/cmd/hub/test/config.go
index 97aa246338..76ee35a62d 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/hub/test/config.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/hub/test/config.go
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 // API is test URL
-const API string = "http://test.hub.cli"
+const API string = "https://test.hub.cli"
 
 type cli struct {
 	hub    hub.Client