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SECURITY.md

Security Policy — ATF Protocol Standard

Supported Versions

Version RFC Status Security Support
v3.0.0 RFC-ATF-3 Current ✅ Active
v2.0.0 RFC-ATF-2 Maintained ✅ Active
v1.0.0 RFC-ATF-1 Maintained ✅ Active

All supported versions receive security advisories and errata. Older patch versions are superseded by the current release.

> **Full implementation-level threat model:** [THREAT_MODEL.md](./THREAT_MODEL.md)
> 13 attack vectors across 4 surfaces — receipt integrity, numeric edge cases,
> OEP archive, cross-language canonicalization. All findings have corresponding
> tests in `tests/test_threat_model.py`.

Cryptographic Policy

Property Value
Signing Algorithm ML-DSA-65 (Dilithium-3, FIPS 204)
Security Level NIST Level 3 — 128-bit post-quantum security
Hash Algorithm SHA-256 (content hash)
Key Format Base64-encoded ML-DSA-65 keypair
Signature Coverage content_hash field — all excluded fields are protocol-defined
Offline Verifiability Required by EAP-INV-005 — no platform trust required

Cryptographic Limitations

  1. Clock Trust: TAR admission timestamps rely on the local system clock. ATF does not specify a trusted time source — implementations SHOULD use NTP with authentication or HSM timestamping.
  2. Revocation Propagation: ATF does not define a real-time revocation protocol. HALT status propagates within an execution session; inter-session revocation requires out-of-band coordination.
  3. Key Rotation: ATF receipts are signed with the key active at issuance. Key rotation does not retroactively invalidate prior receipts — this is a design property, not a limitation.

Threat Model Summary

ID Threat ATF Mitigation
TM-001 Unauthorized agent authority expansion ATF-INV-001 (MAR) — enforced cryptographically
TM-002 Receipt tampering post-issuance content_hash + PQC signature — ATF-INV-004
TM-003 Authority chain forgery chain_root_id + delegation_depth — ATF-INV-003
TM-004 Expired delegation reuse TAR admission timestamp check — ATF-INV-006
TM-005 CES score manipulation RGC-INV-002 — formula is fixed, not configurable
TM-006 HALT suppression RGC-INV-004 — HALT propagates atomically
TM-007 Evidence archive tampering Merkle-chained ARH + PQC signature — EAP-INV-001
TM-008 Unauthorized forensic export FEA-INV-001–005 — export authentication required
TM-009 Verifier non-determinism FVP-INV-007 — same key + same evidence = same result
**Implementation-level threats** (identified in v3.3.0 code audit — see [THREAT_MODEL.md](./THREAT_MODEL.md)):

| ID | Threat | Severity | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| IMP-TM-001 | ATF-INV-004 bypass via content_hash suffix `"01"` | Critical | ✅ Fixed v3.3.0 |
| IMP-TM-002 | Hash + sig bypass via placeholder pqc_signature | High | ✅ Documented boundary |
| IMP-TM-003 | NaN bypasses MAR at receipt creation | High | ✅ Fixed v3.3.0 |
| IMP-TM-004 | Negative authority budgets pass MAR | Medium | ✅ Fixed v3.3.0 |
| IMP-TM-005 | CES components accept values > 100 | Medium | ✅ Fixed v3.3.0 |
| XL-TM-001 | Parser differential on missing authority_budget_delegator | High | 🔶 Schema-protected |
| OEP-TM-001 | ZIP bomb via spoofed header size | Medium | ✅ Guarded (512 MB) |
| OEP-TM-002 | Path traversal in ZIP entries | Medium | ✅ Guarded |

Hardening Guidelines by Deployment Context

Production (Cloud / On-Premises)

  • Store ML-DSA-65 private keys in an HSM or KMS with audit logging
  • Set OMNIX_ANTI_REPLAY_MODE=strict
  • Do NOT set AVM_AUTO_APPROVE=true — disables the AMG approval gate
  • Do NOT set FORENSIC_EXPORT_ALLOW_CALLER_KEYS=true — FEA-INV-005 violation
  • Configure ADMIN_ALLOWED_IPS to restrict admin endpoints
  • Use Redis with TLS for anti-replay state

Regulatory / Forensic Contexts

  • Enable HOT→WARM→COLD lifecycle transitions (ELR-INV-001–004)
  • Retain COLD-tier evidence for ≥7 years per ELR-INV-004
  • Verify OEP packages are self-contained before archival (OEP-INV-001)
  • Maintain key custody chain documentation alongside COLD archives

Development / Testing

  • Use TESTING=true ONLY in development — disables AVM scheduler and alerts
  • Generate ephemeral keypairs for local development
  • Never use production keys in development environments

Reporting a Vulnerability

Contact: security@omnixquantum.com

PGP: Available on request from standards@omnixquantum.com

Response SLA:

Severity Acknowledgement Triage Resolution
Critical (P0) 24 hours 48 hours 7 days
High (P1) 48 hours 72 hours 30 days
Medium (P2) 5 days 10 days 90 days
Low (P3) 10 days 30 days Next release

Severity criteria:

  • Critical: Cryptographic break, MAR bypass, HALT suppression, evidence forgery
  • High: Verifier non-determinism, CES formula manipulation, unauthorized export
  • Medium: Clock manipulation attacks, partial revocation bypass
  • Low: Documentation inconsistencies, minor invariant ambiguities

Disclosure policy: We follow coordinated disclosure. Please do not publicly disclose vulnerabilities before a fix is available and agreed upon.


Protocol Invariant Security Properties

The 40 ATF invariants are security properties, not implementation guidelines. Any deviation from an invariant constitutes a security violation, not a configuration choice.

Security-critical invariants (non-negotiable):

Invariant Property Consequence of violation
ATF-INV-001 (MAR) Authority monotonicity Privilege escalation
ATF-INV-004 Signature integrity Receipt forgery
ATF-INV-005 Offline verifiability Audit capture failure
RGC-INV-002 CES formula integrity Continuity score manipulation
RGC-INV-004 HALT propagation Unauthorized continued execution
EAP-INV-001 Archive chain integrity Evidence tampering
FVP-INV-007 Verifier determinism Inconsistent audit outcomes

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