diff --git a/ext/openssl/ossl_ssl.c b/ext/openssl/ossl_ssl.c
index 1d8de8985..e58764a26 100644
--- a/ext/openssl/ossl_ssl.c
+++ b/ext/openssl/ossl_ssl.c
@@ -1901,6 +1901,8 @@ ossl_ssl_read(VALUE self, VALUE len, VALUE str)
         rb_raise(eSSLError, "SSL session is not started yet");
 
     ilen = NUM2INT(len);
+    if (ilen < 0)
+        rb_raise(rb_eArgError, "negative length %d given", ilen);
     StringValue(str);
     if ((rb_len_t)rb_str_capacity(str) >= ilen)
         rb_str_modify(str);
diff --git a/lib/openssl/buffering.rb b/lib/openssl/buffering.rb
index 3578c3ca9..f611f2899 100644
--- a/lib/openssl/buffering.rb
+++ b/lib/openssl/buffering.rb
@@ -111,13 +111,9 @@ def readbyte
   # See IO#read for full details.
 
   def read(size=nil, buf=nil)
-    if size == 0
-      if buf
-        buf.clear
-        return buf
-      else
-        return String.new
-      end
+    if size
+      return buf&.clear || String.new if size == 0
+      raise ArgumentError, "negative length #{size} given" if size < 0
     end
     until @eof
       break if size && size <= @rbuffer.size
@@ -139,13 +135,9 @@ def read(size=nil, buf=nil)
   # See IO#readpartial for full details.
 
   def readpartial(maxlen, buf=nil)
-    if maxlen == 0
-      if buf
-        buf.clear
-        return buf
-      else
-        return String.new
-      end
+    if maxlen
+      return buf&.clear || String.new if maxlen == 0
+      raise ArgumentError, "negative length #{maxlen} given" if maxlen < 0
     end
     if @rbuffer.empty?
       return sysread(maxlen, buf)
@@ -193,13 +185,9 @@ def readpartial(maxlen, buf=nil)
   # it will return +nil+ instead of raising EOFError.
 
   def read_nonblock(maxlen, buf=nil, exception: true)
-    if maxlen == 0
-      if buf
-        buf.clear
-        return buf
-      else
-        return String.new
-      end
+    if maxlen
+      return buf&.clear || String.new if maxlen == 0
+      raise ArgumentError, "negative length #{maxlen} given" if maxlen < 0
     end
     if @rbuffer.empty?
       return sysread_nonblock(maxlen, buf, exception: exception)
diff --git a/test/openssl/test_pair.rb b/test/openssl/test_pair.rb
index a19a60b50..c51002125 100644
--- a/test/openssl/test_pair.rb
+++ b/test/openssl/test_pair.rb
@@ -339,6 +339,7 @@ def test_readpartial
       assert_raise(EOFError) { s1.readpartial(10) }
       assert_raise(EOFError) { s1.readpartial(10) }
       assert_equal("", s1.readpartial(0))
+      assert_raise(ArgumentError) { s1.readpartial(-1) }
     }
   end
 
@@ -440,6 +441,10 @@ def test_sysread_and_syswrite
       obj.define_singleton_method(:to_s) { str }
       s1.syswrite(obj)
       assert_equal(str, s2.sysread(str.bytesize))
+
+      # https://bugs.ruby-lang.org/issues/18880
+      next if !s2.is_a?(OpenSSL::SSL::SSLSocket) && RUBY_VERSION < "3.2"
+      assert_raise(ArgumentError) { s2.sysread(-1) }
     }
   end
 
@@ -461,6 +466,8 @@ def test_read_nonblock
       s1.close
       IO.select([s2])
       assert_raise(EOFError) { s2.read_nonblock(10) }
+
+      assert_raise(ArgumentError) { s2.read_nonblock(-1) }
     }
   end
 
@@ -506,6 +513,9 @@ def test_read_with_outbuf
       ret = s2.read(0, buf)
       assert_same buf, ret
       assert_equal "", ret
+
+      buf = +"garbage"
+      assert_raise(ArgumentError) { s2.read(-1, buf) }
     }
   end