diff --git a/eslint-factory/README.md b/eslint-factory/README.md
index 26a2c5f9a04..4d331957a5a 100644
--- a/eslint-factory/README.md
+++ b/eslint-factory/README.md
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ This project hosts custom ESLint linters for `/actions/setup/js`.
 |---|---|
 | [`no-core-exportvariable-non-string`](#no-core-exportvariable-non-string) | Require explicit string values for `core.exportVariable` calls |
 | [`no-core-setoutput-non-string`](#no-core-setoutput-non-string) | Require explicit string values for `core.setOutput` calls |
+| [`no-empty-catch-block`](#no-empty-catch-block) | Disallow undocumented empty `catch` blocks |
 | [`no-duplicate-constant-values`](#no-duplicate-constant-values) | Report constants with duplicate static primitive values in the same file |
 | [`no-child-process-interpolated-command`](#no-child-process-interpolated-command) | Disallow interpolated command strings in shell-evaluated `child_process` calls |
 | [`no-github-request-interpolated-route`](#no-github-request-interpolated-route) | Disallow interpolated route arguments in Octokit `.request()` calls |
@@ -61,6 +62,12 @@ This project hosts custom ESLint linters for `/actions/setup/js`.
 | [`no-core-error-then-setfailed`](#no-core-error-then-setfailed) | Disallow a redundant `core.error()` call immediately before `core.setFailed()` with the same message |
 | [`require-escaped-regexp-interpolation`](#require-escaped-regexp-interpolation) | Require regex-escaping of interpolated values in `new RegExp()` template literals |
 
+### `no-empty-catch-block`
+
+Disallow empty `catch` blocks, which silently swallow errors that otherwise remain invisible in CI logs.
+
+Empty catch blocks are allowed only when their comment explicitly documents an intentional no-op with `intentional`, `best-effort`, or `best effort` (case-insensitive). Otherwise, log the error, assign a fallback value, or rethrow it.
+
 ### `no-duplicate-constant-values`
 
 Inventory module-level `const` declarations with static primitive initializers and report each declaration after the first one that uses the same value in a file. The diagnostic names both constants and shows the duplicated value.
diff --git a/eslint-factory/eslint.config.cjs b/eslint-factory/eslint.config.cjs
index fc4e3597cf2..bc692cef70a 100644
--- a/eslint-factory/eslint.config.cjs
+++ b/eslint-factory/eslint.config.cjs
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ module.exports = [
       "gh-aw-custom/require-error-code-in-thrown-error": "warn",
       "gh-aw-custom/require-invalid-date-check-before-compare": "warn",
       "gh-aw-custom/require-sync-exec-timeout": "warn",
+      "gh-aw-custom/no-empty-catch-block": "warn",
     },
   },
   {
diff --git a/eslint-factory/src/index.ts b/eslint-factory/src/index.ts
index d1b1e4ab30f..f4a60e69fdd 100644
--- a/eslint-factory/src/index.ts
+++ b/eslint-factory/src/index.ts
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ import { requireFetchResponseBodyTryCatchRule } from "./rules/require-fetch-resp
 import { requireErrorCodeInThrownErrorRule } from "./rules/require-error-code-in-thrown-error";
 import { requireInvalidDateCheckBeforeCompareRule } from "./rules/require-invalid-date-check-before-compare";
 import { requireSyncExecTimeoutRule } from "./rules/require-sync-exec-timeout";
+import { noEmptyCatchBlockRule } from "./rules/no-empty-catch-block";
 
 const plugin = {
   meta: {
@@ -99,6 +100,7 @@ const plugin = {
     "require-error-code-in-thrown-error": requireErrorCodeInThrownErrorRule,
     "require-invalid-date-check-before-compare": requireInvalidDateCheckBeforeCompareRule,
     "require-sync-exec-timeout": requireSyncExecTimeoutRule,
+    "no-empty-catch-block": noEmptyCatchBlockRule,
   },
 };
 
diff --git a/eslint-factory/src/rules/no-empty-catch-block.test.ts b/eslint-factory/src/rules/no-empty-catch-block.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1d250ac418b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/eslint-factory/src/rules/no-empty-catch-block.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+import { RuleTester } from "eslint";
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { noEmptyCatchBlockRule } from "./no-empty-catch-block";
+
+const ruleTester = new RuleTester({
+  languageOptions: {
+    ecmaVersion: 2022,
+    sourceType: "commonjs",
+  },
+});
+
+describe("no-empty-catch-block", () => {
+  it("uses the correct docs URL", () => {
+    expect(noEmptyCatchBlockRule.meta.docs.url).toBe("https://github.com/github/gh-aw/tree/main/eslint-factory#no-empty-catch-block");
+  });
+
+  it("accepts catch blocks that log, assign a fallback, or document intent", () => {
+    ruleTester.run("no-empty-catch-block", noEmptyCatchBlockRule, {
+      valid: [
+        `try { risky(); } catch (err) { core.debug(getErrorMessage(err)); }`,
+        `try { value = JSON.parse(raw); } catch { value = {}; }`,
+        `try { risky(); } catch { /* best-effort cleanup */ }`,
+        `try { risky(); } catch { /* best effort cleanup */ }`,
+        `try { risky(); } catch (err) { throw err; }`,
+        `try { risky(); } catch (err) {\n  // intentional no-op: file may not exist on first run\n}`,
+        `try { risky(); } catch { /* intentional ignore: optional file is absent */ }`,
+      ],
+      invalid: [],
+    });
+  });
+
+  it("reports catch blocks with no statements and no explanatory comment", () => {
+    ruleTester.run("no-empty-catch-block", noEmptyCatchBlockRule, {
+      valid: [],
+      invalid: [
+        {
+          code: `try { risky(); } catch {}`,
+          errors: [{ messageId: "noEmptyCatch" }],
+        },
+        {
+          code: `try { risky(); } catch (err) {}`,
+          errors: [{ messageId: "noEmptyCatch" }],
+        },
+        {
+          code: `try { risky(); } catch (err) {\n\n}`,
+          errors: [{ messageId: "noEmptyCatch" }],
+        },
+        {
+          code: `try { risky(); } catch { /* TODO */ }`,
+          errors: [{ messageId: "noEmptyCatch" }],
+        },
+        {
+          code: `try { risky(); } catch { /* file processing failed */ }`,
+          errors: [{ messageId: "noEmptyCatch" }],
+        },
+        {
+          code: `try { risky(); } catch { /* eslint-ignore */ }`,
+          errors: [{ messageId: "noEmptyCatch" }],
+        },
+      ],
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/eslint-factory/src/rules/no-empty-catch-block.ts b/eslint-factory/src/rules/no-empty-catch-block.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5b3d7418ae0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/eslint-factory/src/rules/no-empty-catch-block.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+import { ESLintUtils, TSESTree } from "@typescript-eslint/utils";
+
+const createRule = ESLintUtils.RuleCreator(name => `https://github.com/github/gh-aw/tree/main/eslint-factory#${name}`);
+
+export const noEmptyCatchBlockRule = createRule({
+  name: "no-empty-catch-block",
+  meta: {
+    type: "problem",
+    docs: {
+      description:
+        "Disallow empty catch blocks in actions/setup/js scripts. Swallowing an error with no logging, fallback assignment, or explicit intentional-ignore comment hides real failures (corrupted state files, cleanup errors) that are hard to diagnose from CI logs.",
+    },
+    schema: [],
+    messages: {
+      noEmptyCatch: "Empty catch block silently swallows the error. Log it (e.g. core.debug/core.warning), assign a fallback value, or add an explicit comment explaining why the error is intentionally ignored.",
+    },
+  },
+  defaultOptions: [],
+  create(context) {
+    const sourceCode = context.sourceCode;
+
+    return {
+      CatchClause(node: TSESTree.CatchClause) {
+        const body = node.body.body;
+        if (body.length !== 0) return;
+
+        // An explicit intentional-ignore comment inside the otherwise empty
+        // braces documents intent, e.g.:
+        //   } catch { /* best-effort cleanup */ }
+        const commentsInside = sourceCode.getCommentsInside(node.body);
+        if (commentsInside.some(comment => /\bintentional\b|\bbest[- ]effort\b/i.test(comment.value))) return;
+
+        context.report({
+          node: node.body,
+          messageId: "noEmptyCatch",
+        });
+      },
+    };
+  },
+});