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Examples include zero-width, metadata, tokenizer, or prompt injection.

    SBOM · PROVENANCE · ATTESTATION · MODEL LINEAGE

    Software and AI Supply-Chain Artifacts

    Inspect manifests, lock files, SBOMs, build provenance, attestations, signatures, model cards, dataset records, and dependency graphs as machine-readable evidence.

    Quick answer

    What does this Machine Tradecraft expansion explain?

    Supply-chain artifacts make composition and lineage inspectable, but they provide value only when generated at the correct stage, bound to the exact artifact, verified against policy, and understood as evidence rather than proof that software or a model is safe.

    Composition
    SBOMs describe components, services, dependencies, identifiers, licenses, and completeness.
    Provenance
    Attestations bind subjects to materials, builders, parameters, and build environments.
    Verification limit
    A perfectly signed malicious artifact remains malicious.
    Reviewed implementation boundary

    Know what is measured, approximated, and still external.

    The submitted report remains byte-identical. This separate review, checked 2026-08-26, narrows implementation claims and gives visitors a decision path before they generalize from a local result.

    IMPLEMENTATION MODE Inert structural manifest and provenance inventory
    VISIBLE SOURCE PROFILE 6 standards/specifications · 0 research · 1 government · 3 implementation
    SOURCE BODY Preserved; corrections live in this review layer
    Directly computed

    Output produced deterministically by the local runtime.

    • Exact bounded source, JSON syntax, selected XML text patterns, component/name strings, internal references, digest syntax candidates, duplicate values, and provenance-related claims
    • A deterministic normalized summary and local JSON download
    • No package, dependency, vulnerability feed, certificate, transparency log, registry, or external reference is contacted
    Bounded approximation

    Useful model or subset that must not be mistaken for full conformance.

    • Format detection and field inventory are heuristic and do not provide full SPDX, CycloneDX, in-toto, SLSA, DSSE, or model-card schema validation
    • Digest syntax checks do not bind claims to downloaded artifacts
    • Graph completeness, license meaning, vulnerability applicability, builder identity, and policy compliance are not established
    Requires external verification

    Conclusion that needs an exact implementation, trust system, model, parser, or human review.

    • Cryptographic verification requires the exact artifact digest, envelope, certificate or identity policy, transparency evidence, and trusted verifier
    • Dependency and vulnerability status require authorized current registries and feeds
    • Build-provenance claims require expected builder identities and consumer-side policy enforcement
    Decision support

    Choose the next evidence step instead of treating one result as a verdict.

    QuestionWhat the local page can answerWhat it does not establishNext evidence step
    What components, references, digests, and claims are declared?The bounded structural inventory reports selected fields.Schema conformance, completeness, or truth.Validate with the exact specification schema and compare to the artifact.
    Is the attestation or signature valid?No cryptographic verification occurs.Identity, certificate, transparency, builder, or subject binding.Use an approved verifier and expected-identity policy.
    Is the artifact safe to deploy?No safety or deployment decision is made.Vulnerabilities, malicious behavior, license, or organizational policy.Combine verification, scanning, review, and admission policy.
    Focused deterministic fixture

    CycloneDX and in-toto structural pair

    Separates component graphs, provenance claims, digest syntax, and cryptographic verification.

    Expected boundary: Both fixtures parse deterministically without resolving any external artifact.

    Open prepared laboratory
    Version and authority checkpoints
    • SLSA 1.2Current official specification endpoint reviewed on 2026-08-26
    • CycloneDX 1.7Current specification version, released 2025-10-21
    • SPDX 3.0Current final document version; 3.1 is a release candidate
    Compare independent views

    One artifact, several machine-readable representations

    No single view is automatically authoritative. Preserve the source, identify each parser or receiver, and compare their outputs before authorizing a consequential decision.

    01Intent manifest

    Requested dependencies, versions, sources, or model configuration.

    02Resolved graph

    Exact components and transitive relationships used by a build.

    03SBOM or BOM

    Composition, services, identifiers, licenses, hashes, and completeness.

    04Provenance attestation

    Subjects, materials, builder, parameters, and workflow claims.

    05Signature and identity

    Cryptographic authorization requiring certificate and policy verification.

    06Runtime evidence

    What was actually deployed or loaded, compared with published metadata.

    Bounded method

    Analysis workflow

    The workflow preserves evidence before transformation and keeps structural inspection separate from execution, remote verification, or model behavior.

    1. Generate the BOM and provenance inside the build that produces the artifact.
    2. Bind every subject and material by strong digest.
    3. Sign attestations through a controlled identity and protected builder.
    4. Verify identity, signature, transparency, and policy before deployment.
    5. Compare the deployed inventory with the published SBOM.
    6. Retain model, tokenizer, dataset, configuration, and evaluation lineage together.
    Defense in depth

    Controls carried into implementation

    These controls are contextual. They reduce a defined risk; they do not guarantee safety, truth, attribution, or resistance to every adaptive attack.

    01

    Pin dependencies and verify lock-file hashes.

    02

    Declare BOM completeness and unresolved relationships explicitly.

    03

    Keep structural inspection separate from cryptographic verification.

    04

    Treat model weights, tokenizers, adapters, and datasets as separate signed subjects.

    05

    Enforce consumer-side admission policy rather than merely publishing metadata.

    Shared vocabulary

    Key terms

    Definitions are linked into the site-wide glossary and back to the full report.

    SBOM

    A machine-readable inventory of software components and relationships.

    Attestation

    An authenticated statement about an artifact or process.

    Attestation subject

    An output artifact to which an attestation applies, usually identified by digest.

    ML-BOM

    A bill of materials describing models, datasets, configurations, and AI relationships.

    Lock file

    A deterministic record of resolved dependency versions and often hashes.

    Dependency graph

    A directed graph of direct and transitive component relationships.

    Continue with primary material

    External standards and research

    These links are provided for visitors who want the governing specification, paper, framework, or implementation documentation. Links open in a new tab; the site does not fetch them during runtime analysis.

    Primary standard Specification

    SLSA specification

    Build provenance levels, tracks, and verification.

    Normative or first-party specification material.
    slsa.dev
    Primary standard Specification

    SPDX specifications

    Software, build, licensing, security, AI, and dataset models.

    Normative or first-party specification material.
    spdx.dev
    Primary standard Specification

    CycloneDX specification overview

    Components, services, dependencies, vulnerabilities, and formulation.

    Normative or first-party specification material.
    cyclonedx.org
    Primary standard Government standard

    NIST SSDF SP 800-218

    Secure software development practices.

    Normative or first-party specification material.
    csrc.nist.gov
    Primary standard Government standard

    NIST SP 800-218A

    AI model development community profile.

    Normative or first-party specification material.
    csrc.nist.gov
    Authoritative guidance Government guidance

    CISA Secure by Design

    Secure-by-design principles.

    First-party guidance, framework, registry, or standards-program material.
    www.cisa.gov
    Implementation reference Specification guidance

    CycloneDX ML-BOM

    Model and dataset transparency capabilities.

    Tool, vendor, or implementation documentation; behavior is version-specific.
    cyclonedx.org
    Implementation reference Implementation documentation

    Sigstore overview

    Keyless signing and transparency concepts.

    Tool, vendor, or implementation documentation; behavior is version-specific.
    docs.sigstore.dev
    Implementation reference Implementation documentation

    Cosign quickstart

    Signing and verification workflow.

    Tool, vendor, or implementation documentation; behavior is version-specific.
    docs.sigstore.dev
    Implementation reference Assessment tool

    OpenSSF Scorecard

    Automated open-source security posture signals.

    Tool, vendor, or implementation documentation; behavior is version-specific.
    securityscorecards.dev
    Continue the investigation

    Read the evidence, then test the bounded model

    The full submitted report is preserved byte-for-byte in the governed research library and in durable repository documentation. The laboratory turns selected concepts into deterministic local output without external calls or hidden persistence.

    Detailed report

    Software and AI Artifact Provenance: SBOMs, SLSA, SPDX, CycloneDX, Sigstore, and ML Supply Chains

    A structural analysis of manifests, lock files, SPDX, CycloneDX, SLSA, in-toto attestations, Sigstore, model and dataset artifacts, tampering risks, secure release controls, verification, and metadata limits.

    Read governed report
    Focused laboratory

    Manifest and Provenance Inspector

    Inspect bounded CycloneDX, SPDX, in-toto, SLSA-like, lock-file, or model-card JSON/XML/text as inert structure without resolving dependencies or verifying remote signatures.

    Open bounded laboratory