diff --git a/backend/src/mimic/templating/__init__.py b/backend/src/mimic/templating/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b707538
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/src/mimic/templating/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+"""Jinja2 sandboxed templating used for cleanup commands and payloads."""
+
+from mimic.templating.sandbox import CleanupRenderer, RenderError, render_cleanup
+
+__all__ = ["CleanupRenderer", "RenderError", "render_cleanup"]
diff --git a/backend/src/mimic/templating/filters.py b/backend/src/mimic/templating/filters.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b7be750
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/src/mimic/templating/filters.py
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+"""Custom Jinja2 filters.
+
+`regex_extract(text, pattern, group=1, default="")` uses google-re2 for
+linear-time matching to neutralize ReDoS on adversarial C2 output. If the
+library isn't installed the implementation falls back to `re` with a hard
+length cap.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import re
+
+try:  # pragma: no cover - presence depends on environment
+    import re2 as _re2  # type: ignore[import-not-found]
+
+    _HAS_RE2 = True
+except ImportError:  # pragma: no cover
+    _re2 = None
+    _HAS_RE2 = False
+
+
+_FALLBACK_MAX_INPUT = 1 * 1024 * 1024  # 1 MB safety cap when re2 missing
+
+
+def regex_extract(
+    text: object,
+    pattern: str,
+    group: int = 1,
+    default: str = "",
+) -> str:
+    """Return capture group `group` of the first match of `pattern` in `text`."""
+    if text is None:
+        return default
+    haystack = text if isinstance(text, str) else str(text)
+
+    if _HAS_RE2:
+        compiled = _re2.compile(pattern)
+        match = compiled.search(haystack)
+    else:
+        if len(haystack) > _FALLBACK_MAX_INPUT:
+            haystack = haystack[:_FALLBACK_MAX_INPUT]
+        compiled_py = re.compile(pattern)
+        match = compiled_py.search(haystack)
+
+    if match is None:
+        return default
+    try:
+        captured = match.group(group)
+    except (IndexError, _IndexErrors):
+        return default
+    return captured if captured is not None else default
+
+
+# `re2.error` is `_re2.error`; `re.error` differs. Tuple them for safe catch.
+_IndexErrors = (re.error,)
diff --git a/backend/src/mimic/templating/sandbox.py b/backend/src/mimic/templating/sandbox.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..671bd17
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/src/mimic/templating/sandbox.py
@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+"""Sandboxed Jinja2 environment used to resolve cleanup commands and payloads.
+
+Spec H26 / D-005: two output accessors are exposed.
+
+- `{{ params.<key> }}` — straight from the merged TTP/scenario parameters.
+- `{{ outputs.text }}` — `run_step.output_text` (stdout / UTF-8 text).
+- `{{ outputs.blob("name") }}` — decoded `output_blob_ref` content, 10 MB cap,
+  UTF-8 with latin-1 fallback, silent empty string on non-decodable data.
+
+The custom `regex_extract` filter operates on the resulting string only.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from collections.abc import Mapping
+from dataclasses import dataclass
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import Any
+
+from jinja2 import StrictUndefined, TemplateError
+from jinja2.sandbox import SandboxedEnvironment
+
+from mimic.config import get_settings
+from mimic.templating.filters import regex_extract
+
+
+class RenderError(RuntimeError):
+    """Raised when a cleanup / payload template cannot be rendered safely."""
+
+
+@dataclass(frozen=True, slots=True)
+class StepOutputs:
+    """Read-only view of the previous step's outputs exposed to templates."""
+
+    text: str = ""
+    blob_path: Path | None = None
+    blob_max_bytes: int = 10 * 1024 * 1024
+
+    def blob(self, _name: str = "default") -> str:
+        """Read the binary output blob, decoded (UTF-8 → latin-1 fallback).
+
+        The argument is accepted for future multi-blob support but ignored in
+        v1 — a step has at most one blob attachment.
+        """
+        if self.blob_path is None:
+            return ""
+        try:
+            raw = self.blob_path.read_bytes()
+        except OSError:
+            return ""
+        if len(raw) > self.blob_max_bytes:
+            raw = raw[: self.blob_max_bytes]
+        try:
+            return raw.decode("utf-8")
+        except UnicodeDecodeError:
+            try:
+                return raw.decode("latin-1")
+            except UnicodeDecodeError:  # pragma: no cover - latin-1 never fails
+                return ""
+
+
+class CleanupRenderer:
+    """Sandboxed Jinja2 renderer for cleanup commands and payload templates."""
+
+    def __init__(self) -> None:
+        env = SandboxedEnvironment(
+            undefined=StrictUndefined,
+            autoescape=False,
+            trim_blocks=False,
+            lstrip_blocks=False,
+            keep_trailing_newline=False,
+        )
+        env.filters["regex_extract"] = regex_extract
+        self._env = env
+
+    def render(
+        self,
+        template_text: str,
+        *,
+        params: Mapping[str, Any] | None = None,
+        outputs: StepOutputs | None = None,
+    ) -> str:
+        try:
+            tmpl = self._env.from_string(template_text)
+            return tmpl.render(
+                params=dict(params or {}),
+                outputs=outputs or StepOutputs(),
+            )
+        except TemplateError as exc:
+            raise RenderError(str(exc)) from exc
+
+
+_RENDERER = CleanupRenderer()
+
+
+def render_cleanup(
+    template_text: str,
+    *,
+    params: Mapping[str, Any] | None = None,
+    outputs: StepOutputs | None = None,
+) -> str:
+    """Module-level convenience: render with the singleton renderer."""
+    if outputs is None:
+        settings = get_settings()
+        outputs = StepOutputs(blob_max_bytes=settings.output_blob_max_bytes)
+    return _RENDERER.render(template_text, params=params, outputs=outputs)