{ "cells": [ { "cell_type": "markdown", "metadata": {}, "source": [ "# Lecture 6: Merkle Transparency Logs\n", "\n", "Transparency logs make signed statements auditable. PACTA uses an RFC 9162-style Merkle accumulator over signed proof-check attestations. A provider signs the tree head, and an agent verifies an inclusion proof before acting on the attestation.\n" ] }, { "cell_type": "markdown", "metadata": {}, "source": [ "## Learning Objectives\n", "\n", "- Implement leaf and node hashing with domain separation.\n", "- Compute a Merkle root.\n", "- Generate and verify inclusion proofs.\n", "- Generate and verify consistency proofs.\n", "- Explain Signed Tree Heads and signature policy.\n", "- Explain why ML-DSA must fail closed when unavailable.\n" ] }, { "cell_type": "markdown", "metadata": {}, "source": [ "## RFC 9162 Hash Shape\n", "\n", "PACTA follows the Certificate Transparency hash structure:\n", "\n", "- Empty tree hash: `SHA256(\"\")`\n", "- Leaf hash: `SHA256(0x00 || leaf_input)`\n", "- Node hash: `SHA256(0x01 || left || right)`\n", "\n", "The prefix bytes prevent a leaf value from being confused with an internal node value.\n" ] }, { "cell_type": "code", "execution_count": null, "metadata": {}, "outputs": [], "source": [ "from pathlib import Path\n", "import sys\n", "\n", "repo_root = Path.cwd()\n", "if not (repo_root / \"src\" / \"pacta\").exists():\n", " repo_root = repo_root.parent\n", "sys.path.insert(0, str(repo_root / \"src\"))\n", "\n", "from pacta.transparency import (\n", " leaf_hash,\n", " node_hash,\n", " merkle_root,\n", " inclusion_proof,\n", " verify_inclusion,\n", " consistency_proof,\n", " verify_consistency,\n", ")\n", "\n", "leaves = [f\"attestation-{i}\".encode() for i in range(1, 6)]\n", "root = merkle_root(leaves)\n", "print(root.hex())\n" ] }, { "cell_type": "code", "execution_count": null, "metadata": {}, "outputs": [], "source": [ "for index, leaf in enumerate(leaves):\n", " proof = inclusion_proof(leaves, index)\n", " ok = verify_inclusion(leaf, index, len(leaves), proof, root)\n", " print(index, ok, [node.hex()[:12] for node in proof])\n" ] }, { "cell_type": "markdown", "metadata": {}, "source": [ "## Consistency Proofs\n", "\n", "An inclusion proof answers: \"Is this leaf in this tree?\"\n", "\n", "A consistency proof answers: \"Is the newer tree an append-only extension of the older tree?\"\n", "\n", "Both are needed for a monitored transparency system. Inclusion is enough for one agent to bind one attestation to one signed tree head. Consistency lets monitors detect equivocation or tree rewrites across time.\n" ] }, { "cell_type": "code", "execution_count": null, "metadata": {}, "outputs": [], "source": [ "old_size = 3\n", "old_root = merkle_root(leaves[:old_size])\n", "new_root = merkle_root(leaves)\n", "proof = consistency_proof(leaves, old_size)\n", "print(\"old:\", old_root.hex())\n", "print(\"new:\", new_root.hex())\n", "print(\"proof:\", [node.hex()[:12] for node in proof])\n", "print(\"consistent:\", verify_consistency(old_size, len(leaves), old_root, new_root, proof))\n" ] }, { "cell_type": "markdown", "metadata": {}, "source": [ "## Signed Tree Heads\n", "\n", "A Signed Tree Head records:\n", "\n", "- log ID,\n", "- tree size,\n", "- timestamp,\n", "- root hash,\n", "- hash algorithm,\n", "- signatures.\n", "\n", "PACTA signs the canonical JSON STH payload with Ed25519 through OpenSSL. It also records an ML-DSA-65 slot. On this host, if no real ML-DSA backend is present, the slot is `unavailable`.\n", "\n", "Policy matters:\n", "\n", "- `require-signatures ed25519`: verify Ed25519 and allow ML-DSA to be unavailable.\n", "- `require-signatures both`: require Ed25519 and ML-DSA verified. If ML-DSA is unavailable, fail closed.\n" ] }, { "cell_type": "code", "execution_count": null, "metadata": {}, "outputs": [], "source": [ "from pacta.postquantum import detect_ml_dsa\n", "\n", "capability = detect_ml_dsa()\n", "print(capability.available)\n", "print(capability.backend)\n", "print(capability.reason)\n" ] }, { "cell_type": "markdown", "metadata": {}, "source": [ "## Why Ed25519 and ML-DSA Together?\n", "\n", "Ed25519 is useful because it is widely deployed, fast, and directly relevant to the Ed25519 proof corpus. That creates a deliberate \"eat your own dogfood\" loop: the proof-checking ecosystem signs evidence using a primitive whose implementation family is under formal scrutiny.\n", "\n", "ML-DSA adds post-quantum robustness for the accumulator signature layer. But it must be a real signature, not an aspirational label. If a host lacks ML-DSA, the correct result is an explicit blocker.\n" ] }, { "cell_type": "markdown", "metadata": {}, "source": [ "## Exercises\n", "\n", "- Tamper with one leaf and show that inclusion verification fails.\n", "- Explain why the tree head signature must cover tree size as well as root hash.\n", "- Write a policy for when an autonomous agent should require `both` signatures.\n", "- Research checkpoint: compare PACTA's local prototype to production Certificate Transparency monitor/gossip requirements.\n" ] } ], "metadata": { "kernelspec": { "display_name": "Python 3", "language": "python", "name": "python3" }, "language_info": { "name": "python", "pygments_lexer": "ipython3" } }, "nbformat": 4, "nbformat_minor": 5 }