audit-labs/evidence-seal

Tamper-evident seals and chain of custody for audit evidence.

clone: git clone https://gitbay.org/audit-labs/evidence-seal.git

5a9365de648fbebc60be14161e394e959bdb7e5c

verified · cmc

author: Christian Cleberg <hello@cleberg.net> · 2026-08-06T08:07:13Z

feat: tamper-evident seals and chain of custody for evidence

evidence-seal writes a canonical manifest.json over a directory: per-file
SHA-256, a Merkle root fingerprint, provenance metadata, and a self-derived id.
verify recomputes and names any modified/added/removed file; a 'previous' link
chains sequential seals into an append-only history that catches reordering or a
spliced-out entry. Optional ed25519 signing adds signer attribution.

- hashing: streaming file SHA-256 and a path-bound Merkle root
- manifest: build/verify/chain, canonical id, ignore globs recorded for verify
- signing: lazy-loaded ed25519 (cryptography extra); core is stdlib-only
- cli: seal/verify/chain/keygen/sign with 0/1/2 exit-code contract
- 28 tests, ruff clean
 .gitignore                |  16 ++
 CODEOWNERS                |   1 +
 LICENSE                   | 674 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 README.md                 | 131 +++++++++
 conftest.py               |   6 +
 evidence_seal/__init__.py |   8 +
 evidence_seal/__main__.py |   6 +
 evidence_seal/cli.py      | 226 ++++++++++++++++
 evidence_seal/hashing.py  |  54 ++++
 evidence_seal/manifest.py | 191 +++++++++++++
 evidence_seal/signing.py  | 113 ++++++++
 pyproject.toml            |  28 ++
 requirements-dev.txt      |   3 +
 ruff.toml                 |   7 +
 tests/test_cli.py         |  74 +++++
 tests/test_hashing.py     |  39 +++
 tests/test_manifest.py    | 102 +++++++
 tests/test_signing.py     |  63 +++++
 18 files changed, 1742 insertions(+)

diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bcf5bb0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+.venv
+venv
+
+# Python
+__pycache__/
+**/__pycache__/
+*.py[cod]
+*.egg-info/
+.pytest_cache/
+.ruff_cache/
+build/
+dist/
+
+# Local keys and manifests produced by ad-hoc runs
+*.pem
+/scratch/
diff --git a/CODEOWNERS b/CODEOWNERS
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d99a6ba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CODEOWNERS
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+*	@ccleberg @ekraai2
diff --git a/LICENSE b/LICENSE
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f288702
--- /dev/null
+++ b/LICENSE
@@ -0,0 +1,674 @@
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+License and any other pertinent obligations, then as a consequence you may
+not convey it at all.  For example, if you agree to terms that obligate you
+to collect a royalty for further conveying from those to whom you convey
+the Program, the only way you could satisfy both those terms and this
+License would be to refrain entirely from conveying the Program.
+
+  13. Use with the GNU Affero General Public License.
+
+  Notwithstanding any other provision of this License, you have
+permission to link or combine any covered work with a work licensed
+under version 3 of the GNU Affero General Public License into a single
+combined work, and to convey the resulting work.  The terms of this
+License will continue to apply to the part which is the covered work,
+but the special requirements of the GNU Affero General Public License,
+section 13, concerning interaction through a network will apply to the
+combination as such.
+
+  14. Revised Versions of this License.
+
+  The Free Software Foundation may publish revised and/or new versions of
+the GNU General Public License from time to time.  Such new versions will
+be similar in spirit to the present version, but may differ in detail to
+address new problems or concerns.
+
+  Each version is given a distinguishing version number.  If the
+Program specifies that a certain numbered version of the GNU General
+Public License "or any later version" applies to it, you have the
+option of following the terms and conditions either of that numbered
+version or of any later version published by the Free Software
+Foundation.  If the Program does not specify a version number of the
+GNU General Public License, you may choose any version ever published
+by the Free Software Foundation.
+
+  If the Program specifies that a proxy can decide which future
+versions of the GNU General Public License can be used, that proxy's
+public statement of acceptance of a version permanently authorizes you
+to choose that version for the Program.
+
+  Later license versions may give you additional or different
+permissions.  However, no additional obligations are imposed on any
+author or copyright holder as a result of your choosing to follow a
+later version.
+
+  15. Disclaimer of Warranty.
+
+  THERE IS NO WARRANTY FOR THE PROGRAM, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY
+APPLICABLE LAW.  EXCEPT WHEN OTHERWISE STATED IN WRITING THE COPYRIGHT
+HOLDERS AND/OR OTHER PARTIES PROVIDE THE PROGRAM "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY
+OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO,
+THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
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+ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR OR CORRECTION.
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+  16. Limitation of Liability.
+
+  IN NO EVENT UNLESS REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW OR AGREED TO IN WRITING
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+SUCH DAMAGES.
+
+  17. Interpretation of Sections 15 and 16.
+
+  If the disclaimer of warranty and limitation of liability provided
+above cannot be given local legal effect according to their terms,
+reviewing courts shall apply local law that most closely approximates
+an absolute waiver of all civil liability in connection with the
+Program, unless a warranty or assumption of liability accompanies a
+copy of the Program in return for a fee.
+
+                     END OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS
+
+            How to Apply These Terms to Your New Programs
+
+  If you develop a new program, and you want it to be of the greatest
+possible use to the public, the best way to achieve this is to make it
+free software which everyone can redistribute and change under these terms.
+
+  To do so, attach the following notices to the program.  It is safest
+to attach them to the start of each source file to most effectively
+state the exclusion of warranty; and each file should have at least
+the "copyright" line and a pointer to where the full notice is found.
+
+    <one line to give the program's name and a brief idea of what it does.>
+    Copyright (C) <year>  <name of author>
+
+    This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+    it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+    the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+    (at your option) any later version.
+
+    This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+    but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+    MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+    GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+    You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+    along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+Also add information on how to contact you by electronic and paper mail.
+
+  If the program does terminal interaction, make it output a short
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+
+    <program>  Copyright (C) <year>  <name of author>
+    This program comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY; for details type `show w'.
+    This is free software, and you are welcome to redistribute it
+    under certain conditions; type `show c' for details.
+
+The hypothetical commands `show w' and `show c' should show the appropriate
+parts of the General Public License.  Of course, your program's commands
+might be different; for a GUI interface, you would use an "about box".
+
+  You should also get your employer (if you work as a programmer) or school,
+if any, to sign a "copyright disclaimer" for the program, if necessary.
+For more information on this, and how to apply and follow the GNU GPL, see
+<https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+  The GNU General Public License does not permit incorporating your program
+into proprietary programs.  If your program is a subroutine library, you
+may consider it more useful to permit linking proprietary applications with
+the library.  If this is what you want to do, use the GNU Lesser General
+Public License instead of this License.  But first, please read
+<https://www.gnu.org/licenses/why-not-lgpl.html>.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3181a81
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,131 @@
+# evidence-seal
+
+[![License: GPL v3](https://img.shields.io/badge/License-GPLv3-blue.svg)](LICENSE)
+[![Python](https://img.shields.io/badge/python-3.10%2B-blue.svg)]()
+
+Tamper-evident seals and chain of custody for audit evidence packages.
+
+Every Audit Labs tool assumes the evidence it handles is authentic. `evidence-seal`
+is what makes that assumption checkable. Point it at a directory of evidence — an
+[audit-tools](https://github.com/audit-labs/audit-tools) package, a folder of
+exported screenshots, anything — and it writes a `manifest.json` that pins every
+file's SHA-256 into a single Merkle fingerprint. Later, `verify` proves the
+directory is byte-for-byte what was sealed, and names anything that changed.
+
+- **Integrity** — detect any modified, added, or removed file.
+- **Chain of custody** — link sequential seals so a series of dated packages
+  forms an append-only history; reordering or removing one is detectable.
+- **Attribution** *(optional)* — sign a manifest with an ed25519 key so a named
+  party attests "I collected this," not just "it is unchanged."
+
+The core (`seal`, `verify`, `chain`) is **pure standard library** — no
+dependencies. Signing needs `cryptography` (`pip install evidence-seal[sign]`).
+
+## Install
+
+```bash
+git clone https://github.com/audit-labs/evidence-seal
+cd evidence-seal
+python -m venv .venv && source .venv/bin/activate
+pip install -e ".[sign]"   # drop [sign] for the zero-dependency core
+```
+
+## Usage
+
+```bash
+# Seal a package (manifest written to <dir>.manifest.json alongside it)
+evidence-seal seal ./output/aws_audit_prod_2026-01-01 \
+  --meta engagement=ACME-2026 --meta collector="Christian Cleberg"
+
+# Later, prove nothing changed
+evidence-seal verify ./output/aws_audit_prod_2026-01-01
+# -> intact — 8 files match the seal        (exit 0)
+# -> TAMPERED …  MODIFIED iam_users.csv      (exit 1)
+```
+
+### Chain of custody
+
+Seal each new package against the previous manifest to build a verifiable
+timeline:
+
+```bash
+evidence-seal seal ./pkg_jan --out seals/jan.json
+evidence-seal seal ./pkg_feb --out seals/feb.json --prev seals/jan.json
+evidence-seal seal ./pkg_mar --out seals/mar.json --prev seals/feb.json
+
+evidence-seal chain seals/jan.json seals/feb.json seals/mar.json
+# -> chain intact — 3 seals link correctly
+```
+
+Each manifest's `id` is the hash of its own canonical contents, and `previous`
+holds the prior manifest's id — so a broken, reordered, or spliced-out link is
+caught.
+
+### Signing (attribution)
+
+```bash
+evidence-seal keygen --private acme.key --public acme.pub   # once
+evidence-seal seal ./pkg --sign acme.key                    # seal + sign
+evidence-seal verify ./pkg --pubkey acme.pub                # require this signer
+```
+
+Without `--pubkey`, a present signature is still checked for validity; with it,
+the signer's key must also match, proving *identity* and not just integrity.
+
+## The manifest
+
+Canonical JSON, sorted keys — diff-friendly and reproducible:
+
+```json
+{
+  "algorithm": "sha256",
+  "created_at": "2026-08-06T08:06:05Z",
+  "subject": "aws_audit_prod_2026-01-01",
+  "previous": null,
+  "metadata": { "collector": "Christian Cleberg", "engagement": "ACME-2026" },
+  "root": "23fdf7eb…",
+  "file_count": 8,
+  "files": [ { "path": "iam_users.csv", "sha256": "309b0e45…", "bytes": 412 } ],
+  "id": "08b846a0…",
+  "signature": { "algorithm": "ed25519", "public_key": "1bea5f1d…", "value": "2d7c2d63…" }
+}
+```
+
+- **`root`** — Merkle root over all `(path, sha256)` leaves; one value that
+  changes if any file, name, or byte changes.
+- **`id`** — SHA-256 of the manifest's canonical form (excluding `id` and
+  `signature`); makes it self-verifying and chainable.
+- **`ignore`** — glob patterns skipped at seal time; `verify` reuses them so it
+  never false-flags an intentionally excluded file.
+
+## Exit codes
+
+| Code | Meaning |
+| --- | --- |
+| `0` | Intact / valid. |
+| `1` | Tamper detected, chain broken, or signature invalid. |
+| `2` | Usage error (missing directory, bad `--meta`, missing `cryptography`). |
+
+Fail a pipeline on `1`; treat `2` as a misconfiguration to fix.
+
+## Threat model
+
+`evidence-seal` proves a directory matches a manifest, and (when signed) who
+produced that manifest. It does **not** prove *when* something was sealed beyond
+the self-reported `created_at`, and an unsigned manifest can be regenerated by
+anyone with the files. For strong "sealed at time T by party P" guarantees,
+sign the manifest and retain the public key out of band; optionally submit the
+manifest `id` to an external timestamping authority. Private keys are written
+unencrypted — store them accordingly.
+
+## Development
+
+```bash
+pip install -e ".[dev]"
+pytest
+ruff check .
+```
+
+## License
+
+GPL-3.0-or-later. See [LICENSE](LICENSE).
diff --git a/conftest.py b/conftest.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8ec433a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/conftest.py
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+"""Pin the project root on sys.path so ``import evidence_seal`` works in tests."""
+
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+sys.path.insert(0, str(Path(__file__).parent))
diff --git a/evidence_seal/__init__.py b/evidence_seal/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..22a43ba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/evidence_seal/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+"""evidence-seal — tamper-evident seals for audit evidence packages."""
+
+__version__ = "0.1.0"
+
+# Hash algorithm and manifest format version. Bump MANIFEST_VERSION only on a
+# breaking change to the manifest schema so verify can refuse the unknown.
+ALGORITHM = "sha256"
+MANIFEST_VERSION = 1
diff --git a/evidence_seal/__main__.py b/evidence_seal/__main__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9f1f9b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/evidence_seal/__main__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+"""Enable ``python -m evidence_seal``."""
+
+from .cli import main
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    raise SystemExit(main())
diff --git a/evidence_seal/cli.py b/evidence_seal/cli.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..227d673
--- /dev/null
+++ b/evidence_seal/cli.py
@@ -0,0 +1,226 @@
+"""Command-line interface for evidence-seal."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import argparse
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+from . import __version__
+from .manifest import (
+    build_manifest,
+    load_manifest,
+    verify_chain,
+    verify_manifest,
+    write_manifest,
+)
+
+# Exit codes: 0 = intact/valid, 1 = tamper/verification failure, 2 = usage error.
+OK, FAILED, USAGE = 0, 1, 2
+
+
+def _default_manifest_path(directory: Path) -> Path:
+    return directory.parent / f"{directory.name}.manifest.json"
+
+
+def _manifest_exclude(directory: Path, manifest_path: Path) -> set[str]:
+    """If the manifest lives inside the sealed dir, it must not seal itself."""
+    try:
+        return {manifest_path.resolve().relative_to(directory.resolve()).as_posix()}
+    except ValueError:
+        return set()
+
+
+def _parse_meta(pairs: list[str]) -> dict:
+    meta = {}
+    for pair in pairs or []:
+        if "=" not in pair:
+            raise ValueError(f"metadata must be key=value, got {pair!r}")
+        key, value = pair.split("=", 1)
+        meta[key.strip()] = value.strip()
+    return meta
+
+
+def _cmd_seal(args) -> int:
+    directory = Path(args.directory)
+    manifest_path = Path(args.out) if args.out else _default_manifest_path(directory)
+
+    previous = None
+    if args.prev:
+        previous = load_manifest(args.prev).get("id")
+
+    try:
+        manifest = build_manifest(
+            directory,
+            metadata=_parse_meta(args.meta),
+            previous=previous,
+            ignore=args.ignore,
+            exclude=_manifest_exclude(directory, manifest_path),
+        )
+    except (FileNotFoundError, ValueError) as exc:
+        print(f"error: {exc}", file=sys.stderr)
+        return USAGE
+
+    if args.sign:
+        from .signing import sign_manifest
+
+        try:
+            manifest = sign_manifest(manifest, args.sign)
+        except (RuntimeError, OSError) as exc:
+            print(f"error: {exc}", file=sys.stderr)
+            return USAGE
+
+    write_manifest(manifest, manifest_path)
+    signed = " (signed)" if "signature" in manifest else ""
+    print(f"sealed {manifest['file_count']} files{signed}", file=sys.stderr)
+    print(f"  root {manifest['root']}", file=sys.stderr)
+    print(f"  id   {manifest['id']}", file=sys.stderr)
+    print(f"  -> {manifest_path}", file=sys.stderr)
+    return OK
+
+
+def _cmd_verify(args) -> int:
+    directory = Path(args.directory)
+    manifest_path = Path(args.manifest) if args.manifest else _default_manifest_path(directory)
+    try:
+        manifest = load_manifest(manifest_path)
+    except (FileNotFoundError, ValueError) as exc:
+        print(f"error: cannot read manifest: {exc}", file=sys.stderr)
+        return USAGE
+
+    result = verify_manifest(
+        directory,
+        manifest,
+        ignore=manifest.get("ignore"),
+        exclude=_manifest_exclude(directory, manifest_path),
+    )
+
+    for path in result.modified:
+        print(f"  MODIFIED  {path}")
+    for path in result.added:
+        print(f"  ADDED     {path}")
+    for path in result.removed:
+        print(f"  REMOVED   {path}")
+    if not result.id_ok:
+        print("  MANIFEST  id does not re-derive — the manifest itself was altered")
+    if not result.root_ok:
+        print("  MANIFEST  Merkle root does not match the file list")
+
+    status = OK
+    if not result.intact:
+        status = FAILED
+
+    # Verify a signature when present, or when the caller supplied a key to trust.
+    if manifest.get("signature") or args.pubkey:
+        sig_ok = _verify_sig_cli(manifest, args.pubkey)
+        if not sig_ok:
+            status = FAILED
+
+    if status == OK:
+        print(f"intact — {result.checked} files match the seal")
+    else:
+        print("TAMPERED — the directory does not match its seal", file=sys.stderr)
+    return status
+
+
+def _verify_sig_cli(manifest: dict, pubkey_path: str | None) -> bool:
+    from .signing import load_public_hex, verify_signature
+
+    expected = load_public_hex(pubkey_path) if pubkey_path else None
+    ok, message = verify_signature(manifest, expected)
+    print(f"  signature {'OK' if ok else 'FAIL'}: {message}")
+    return ok
+
+
+def _cmd_chain(args) -> int:
+    try:
+        manifests = [load_manifest(p) for p in args.manifests]
+    except (FileNotFoundError, ValueError) as exc:
+        print(f"error: cannot read manifest: {exc}", file=sys.stderr)
+        return USAGE
+
+    result = verify_chain(manifests)
+    if result.ok:
+        print(f"chain intact — {result.length} seals link correctly")
+        return OK
+    where = "" if result.broken_at is None else f" at position {result.broken_at}"
+    print(f"CHAIN BROKEN{where}: {result.reason}", file=sys.stderr)
+    return FAILED
+
+
+def _cmd_keygen(args) -> int:
+    from .signing import generate_keypair
+
+    try:
+        generate_keypair(args.private, args.public)
+    except (RuntimeError, OSError) as exc:
+        print(f"error: {exc}", file=sys.stderr)
+        return USAGE
+    print(f"wrote private key {args.private}", file=sys.stderr)
+    print(f"wrote public key  {args.public}", file=sys.stderr)
+    return OK
+
+
+def _cmd_sign(args) -> int:
+    from .signing import sign_manifest
+
+    try:
+        manifest = load_manifest(args.manifest)
+        signed = sign_manifest(manifest, args.key)
+    except (RuntimeError, FileNotFoundError, ValueError, OSError) as exc:
+        print(f"error: {exc}", file=sys.stderr)
+        return USAGE
+    write_manifest(signed, args.out or args.manifest)
+    print(f"signed {args.out or args.manifest}", file=sys.stderr)
+    return OK
+
+
+def _build_parser() -> argparse.ArgumentParser:
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
+        prog="evidence-seal",
+        description="Tamper-evident seals for audit evidence packages.",
+    )
+    parser.add_argument("--version", action="version", version=f"evidence-seal {__version__}")
+    sub = parser.add_subparsers(dest="command", required=True)
+
+    p_seal = sub.add_parser("seal", help="seal a directory into a manifest")
+    p_seal.add_argument("directory")
+    p_seal.add_argument("--out", help="manifest path (default: <dir>.manifest.json alongside)")
+    p_seal.add_argument("--prev", help="prior manifest to chain from (records its id as previous)")
+    p_seal.add_argument("--meta", action="append", metavar="KEY=VALUE", help="provenance metadata")
+    p_seal.add_argument("--ignore", action="append", metavar="GLOB", help="skip matching paths")
+    p_seal.add_argument("--sign", metavar="PRIVATE_KEY", help="also sign with an ed25519 key")
+    p_seal.set_defaults(func=_cmd_seal)
+
+    p_verify = sub.add_parser("verify", help="verify a directory against its manifest")
+    p_verify.add_argument("directory")
+    p_verify.add_argument("--manifest", help="manifest path (default: <dir>.manifest.json)")
+    p_verify.add_argument("--pubkey", metavar="PEM", help="require a signature by this public key")
+    p_verify.set_defaults(func=_cmd_verify)
+
+    p_chain = sub.add_parser("chain", help="verify manifests link oldest -> newest")
+    p_chain.add_argument("manifests", nargs="+", help="manifest files, oldest first")
+    p_chain.set_defaults(func=_cmd_chain)
+
+    p_keygen = sub.add_parser("keygen", help="generate an ed25519 keypair")
+    p_keygen.add_argument("--private", default="evidence-seal.key")
+    p_keygen.add_argument("--public", default="evidence-seal.pub")
+    p_keygen.set_defaults(func=_cmd_keygen)
+
+    p_sign = sub.add_parser("sign", help="sign an existing manifest")
+    p_sign.add_argument("manifest")
+    p_sign.add_argument("--key", required=True, metavar="PRIVATE_KEY")
+    p_sign.add_argument("--out", help="write here instead of overwriting the manifest")
+    p_sign.set_defaults(func=_cmd_sign)
+
+    return parser
+
+
+def main(argv: list[str] | None = None) -> int:
+    parser = _build_parser()
+    args = parser.parse_args(argv if argv is not None else sys.argv[1:])
+    return args.func(args)
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    raise SystemExit(main())
diff --git a/evidence_seal/hashing.py b/evidence_seal/hashing.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2536018
--- /dev/null
+++ b/evidence_seal/hashing.py
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+"""File hashing and a Merkle root over a set of files.
+
+The Merkle root condenses a whole package into one hash. Two packages with the
+same root are byte-identical in content and layout; any change to any file — or
+to the set of files — changes the root.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import hashlib
+from pathlib import Path
+
+_CHUNK = 1 << 20  # 1 MiB streaming reads keep memory flat on large evidence
+
+
+def hash_file(path: str | Path) -> str:
+    """Return the SHA-256 hex digest of a file, read in streaming chunks."""
+    digest = hashlib.sha256()
+    with Path(path).open("rb") as handle:
+        for chunk in iter(lambda: handle.read(_CHUNK), b""):
+            digest.update(chunk)
+    return digest.hexdigest()
+
+
+def hash_bytes(data: bytes) -> str:
+    """Return the SHA-256 hex digest of a bytes object."""
+    return hashlib.sha256(data).hexdigest()
+
+
+def _leaf(path: str, file_hash: str) -> str:
+    # Bind the path into the leaf so renaming a file changes the root even when
+    # its contents are unchanged. A domain prefix separates leaves from nodes.
+    return hashlib.sha256(f"leaf:{path}\x00{file_hash}".encode()).hexdigest()
+
+
+def _pair(left: str, right: str) -> str:
+    return hashlib.sha256(f"node:{left}{right}".encode()).hexdigest()
+
+
+def merkle_root(entries: dict[str, str]) -> str:
+    """Compute a Merkle root from a ``{path: file_hash}`` mapping.
+
+    Leaves are ordered by path so the root is deterministic regardless of
+    filesystem iteration order. An empty package has a well-defined empty root.
+    """
+    if not entries:
+        return hashlib.sha256(b"empty").hexdigest()
+
+    level = [_leaf(path, file_hash) for path, file_hash in sorted(entries.items())]
+    while len(level) > 1:
+        if len(level) % 2:
+            level.append(level[-1])  # duplicate the last node on an odd level
+        level = [_pair(level[i], level[i + 1]) for i in range(0, len(level), 2)]
+    return level[0]
diff --git a/evidence_seal/manifest.py b/evidence_seal/manifest.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1debae6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/evidence_seal/manifest.py
@@ -0,0 +1,191 @@
+"""Build, load, and verify evidence manifests, and verify seal chains.
+
+A manifest is a JSON object describing a sealed directory: every file's SHA-256,
+a Merkle ``root`` over them, provenance metadata, and a ``previous`` link to an
+earlier manifest's id. Its own ``id`` is the SHA-256 of its canonical form
+(excluding ``id`` and ``signature``), so the manifest is self-verifying and can
+be chained.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import fnmatch
+import json
+from dataclasses import dataclass, field
+from datetime import datetime, timezone
+from pathlib import Path
+
+from . import ALGORITHM, MANIFEST_VERSION, __version__
+from .hashing import hash_bytes, hash_file, merkle_root
+
+# Keys excluded from the canonical bytes the id is computed over. The id cannot
+# cover itself, and a signature is applied *to* the id afterwards.
+_ID_EXCLUDED = ("id", "signature")
+
+
+def iter_files(
+    directory: Path, ignore: list[str] | None, exclude: set[str]
+) -> list[tuple[str, Path]]:
+    """Return ``(posix_relpath, abspath)`` for every file under *directory*.
+
+    Paths matching an *ignore* glob (against the relative path) or present in
+    *exclude* are skipped. Results are sorted by relative path.
+    """
+    ignore = ignore or []
+    out: list[tuple[str, Path]] = []
+    for path in directory.rglob("*"):
+        if not path.is_file():
+            continue
+        rel = path.relative_to(directory).as_posix()
+        if rel in exclude or any(fnmatch.fnmatch(rel, pat) for pat in ignore):
+            continue
+        out.append((rel, path))
+    out.sort(key=lambda pair: pair[0])
+    return out
+
+
+def canonical_bytes(manifest: dict, exclude: tuple[str, ...] = _ID_EXCLUDED) -> bytes:
+    """Serialize a manifest deterministically for hashing or signing."""
+    trimmed = {k: v for k, v in manifest.items() if k not in exclude}
+    return json.dumps(trimmed, sort_keys=True, separators=(",", ":")).encode()
+
+
+def compute_id(manifest: dict) -> str:
+    """The manifest's self-id: SHA-256 of its canonical form."""
+    return hash_bytes(canonical_bytes(manifest))
+
+
+def build_manifest(
+    directory: str | Path,
+    metadata: dict | None = None,
+    previous: str | None = None,
+    ignore: list[str] | None = None,
+    exclude: set[str] | None = None,
+) -> dict:
+    """Seal *directory* into a manifest dict (id included, unsigned)."""
+    directory = Path(directory)
+    if not directory.is_dir():
+        raise FileNotFoundError(f"not a directory: {directory}")
+
+    files = iter_files(directory, ignore, exclude or set())
+    entries = [
+        {"path": rel, ALGORITHM: hash_file(abs_path), "bytes": abs_path.stat().st_size}
+        for rel, abs_path in files
+    ]
+    hashes = {entry["path"]: entry[ALGORITHM] for entry in entries}
+
+    manifest = {
+        "manifest_version": MANIFEST_VERSION,
+        "algorithm": ALGORITHM,
+        "tool": f"evidence-seal/{__version__}",
+        "created_at": datetime.now(timezone.utc).strftime("%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ"),
+        "subject": directory.name,
+        "previous": previous,
+        "metadata": dict(sorted((metadata or {}).items())),
+        "ignore": sorted(ignore or []),
+        "file_count": len(entries),
+        "total_bytes": sum(entry["bytes"] for entry in entries),
+        "root": merkle_root(hashes),
+        "files": entries,
+    }
+    manifest["id"] = compute_id(manifest)
+    return manifest
+
+
+def write_manifest(manifest: dict, path: str | Path) -> None:
+    """Write a manifest as pretty JSON (stable key order)."""
+    Path(path).write_text(json.dumps(manifest, indent=2, sort_keys=True) + "\n", encoding="utf-8")
+
+
+def load_manifest(path: str | Path) -> dict:
+    """Load a manifest JSON file."""
+    return json.loads(Path(path).read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
+
+
+@dataclass
+class VerifyResult:
+    """The outcome of verifying a directory against its manifest."""
+
+    modified: list[str] = field(default_factory=list)
+    added: list[str] = field(default_factory=list)
+    removed: list[str] = field(default_factory=list)
+    id_ok: bool = True
+    root_ok: bool = True
+    checked: int = 0
+
+    @property
+    def intact(self) -> bool:
+        """True only if nothing drifted and the manifest is internally sound."""
+        return (
+            not self.modified
+            and not self.added
+            and not self.removed
+            and self.id_ok
+            and self.root_ok
+        )
+
+
+def verify_manifest(
+    directory: str | Path,
+    manifest: dict,
+    ignore: list[str] | None = None,
+    exclude: set[str] | None = None,
+) -> VerifyResult:
+    """Compare the current contents of *directory* against *manifest*."""
+    directory = Path(directory)
+    recorded = {entry["path"]: entry[ALGORITHM] for entry in manifest.get("files", [])}
+
+    result = VerifyResult()
+    # The manifest is only trustworthy if its id and root re-derive.
+    result.id_ok = compute_id(manifest) == manifest.get("id")
+    result.root_ok = merkle_root(recorded) == manifest.get("root")
+
+    present: dict[str, str] = {}
+    for rel, abs_path in iter_files(directory, ignore, exclude or set()):
+        present[rel] = hash_file(abs_path)
+
+    result.checked = len(present)
+    for rel, digest in present.items():
+        if rel not in recorded:
+            result.added.append(rel)
+        elif recorded[rel] != digest:
+            result.modified.append(rel)
+    result.removed = [rel for rel in recorded if rel not in present]
+
+    for bucket in (result.modified, result.added, result.removed):
+        bucket.sort()
+    return result
+
+
+@dataclass
+class ChainResult:
+    """The outcome of verifying a sequence of chained manifests."""
+
+    ok: bool
+    length: int
+    broken_at: int | None = None  # index whose `previous` did not match
+    reason: str = ""
+
+
+def verify_chain(manifests: list[dict]) -> ChainResult:
+    """Verify manifests link oldest→newest via ``previous`` == prior ``id``.
+
+    Also checks that each manifest's own id re-derives, so a tampered link in
+    the middle is caught whether the break is in the pointer or the content.
+    """
+    if not manifests:
+        return ChainResult(ok=False, length=0, reason="no manifests given")
+
+    for index, manifest in enumerate(manifests):
+        if compute_id(manifest) != manifest.get("id"):
+            return ChainResult(False, len(manifests), index, "manifest id does not re-derive")
+        expected_prev = manifests[index - 1]["id"] if index else None
+        if manifest.get("previous") != expected_prev:
+            reason = (
+                "first manifest should have no previous"
+                if index == 0
+                else "previous does not match the prior manifest id"
+            )
+            return ChainResult(False, len(manifests), index, reason)
+
+    return ChainResult(ok=True, length=len(manifests))
diff --git a/evidence_seal/signing.py b/evidence_seal/signing.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5de6d92
--- /dev/null
+++ b/evidence_seal/signing.py
@@ -0,0 +1,113 @@
+"""Optional ed25519 signing of manifests.
+
+Signing adds attribution — *who* sealed the evidence — on top of the integrity
+the hashes already provide. It requires the ``cryptography`` package (install
+``evidence-seal[sign]``); the core seal/verify path never imports this module.
+
+The signature covers the manifest's canonical bytes (the same bytes its id is
+derived from), so a valid signature vouches for every file hash and all
+metadata at once.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from datetime import datetime, timezone
+from pathlib import Path
+
+from .manifest import canonical_bytes
+
+
+def _require_crypto():
+    try:
+        from cryptography.hazmat.primitives.asymmetric import ed25519
+    except ImportError as exc:  # pragma: no cover - exercised via a clear message
+        raise RuntimeError(
+            "signing requires the 'cryptography' package — install evidence-seal[sign]"
+        ) from exc
+    return ed25519
+
+
+def generate_keypair(private_path: str | Path, public_path: str | Path) -> None:
+    """Write a new ed25519 keypair as PEM files (private key is unencrypted)."""
+    ed25519 = _require_crypto()
+    from cryptography.hazmat.primitives import serialization
+
+    private = ed25519.Ed25519PrivateKey.generate()
+    Path(private_path).write_bytes(
+        private.private_bytes(
+            encoding=serialization.Encoding.PEM,
+            format=serialization.PrivateFormat.PKCS8,
+            encryption_algorithm=serialization.NoEncryption(),
+        )
+    )
+    Path(public_path).write_bytes(
+        private.public_key().public_bytes(
+            encoding=serialization.Encoding.PEM,
+            format=serialization.PublicFormat.SubjectPublicKeyInfo,
+        )
+    )
+
+
+def _public_hex(public_key) -> str:
+    from cryptography.hazmat.primitives import serialization
+
+    raw = public_key.public_bytes(
+        encoding=serialization.Encoding.Raw,
+        format=serialization.PublicFormat.Raw,
+    )
+    return raw.hex()
+
+
+def sign_manifest(manifest: dict, private_key_path: str | Path) -> dict:
+    """Return a copy of *manifest* with a ``signature`` block attached."""
+    _require_crypto()
+    from cryptography.hazmat.primitives import serialization
+
+    private = serialization.load_pem_private_key(
+        Path(private_key_path).read_bytes(), password=None
+    )
+    signature = private.sign(canonical_bytes(manifest))
+    signed = dict(manifest)
+    signed["signature"] = {
+        "algorithm": "ed25519",
+        "public_key": _public_hex(private.public_key()),
+        "value": signature.hex(),
+        "signed_at": datetime.now(timezone.utc).strftime("%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ"),
+    }
+    return signed
+
+
+def verify_signature(manifest: dict, expected_public_key: str | None = None) -> tuple[bool, str]:
+    """Verify a manifest's signature.
+
+    Returns ``(ok, message)``. If *expected_public_key* (hex) is given, the
+    signer's key must also match it — otherwise a valid signature by *any* key
+    would pass, which proves integrity but not identity.
+    """
+    ed25519 = _require_crypto()
+
+    block = manifest.get("signature")
+    if not block:
+        return False, "manifest is not signed"
+    if block.get("algorithm") != "ed25519":
+        return False, f"unsupported signature algorithm: {block.get('algorithm')}"
+
+    signer_key = block.get("public_key", "")
+    if expected_public_key and signer_key != expected_public_key:
+        return False, "signer key does not match the expected public key"
+
+    try:
+        public = ed25519.Ed25519PublicKey.from_public_bytes(bytes.fromhex(signer_key))
+        public.verify(bytes.fromhex(block["value"]), canonical_bytes(manifest))
+    except Exception as exc:
+        return False, f"signature is invalid: {exc}"
+    return True, f"valid ed25519 signature by {signer_key[:16]}…"
+
+
+def load_public_hex(public_key_path: str | Path) -> str:
+    """Load a PEM public key and return its raw hex form (for --pubkey checks)."""
+    _require_crypto()
+    from cryptography.hazmat.primitives import serialization
+
+    public = serialization.load_pem_public_key(Path(public_key_path).read_bytes())
+    return _public_hex(public)
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d2dc218
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+[build-system]
+requires = ["setuptools>=68"]
+build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
+
+[project]
+name = "evidence-seal"
+version = "0.1.0"
+description = "Tamper-evident seals and chain of custody for audit evidence packages."
+readme = "README.md"
+requires-python = ">=3.10"
+license = { text = "GPL-3.0-or-later" }
+authors = [{ name = "Audit Labs" }]
+# The core seal/verify/chain path is pure standard library.
+dependencies = []
+
+[project.optional-dependencies]
+sign = ["cryptography>=42.0"]
+dev = ["pytest>=8.0", "ruff>=0.5", "cryptography>=42.0"]
+
+[project.scripts]
+evidence-seal = "evidence_seal.cli:main"
+
+[project.urls]
+Homepage = "https://audit-labs.dev"
+Repository = "https://github.com/audit-labs/evidence-seal"
+
+[tool.setuptools]
+packages = ["evidence_seal"]
diff --git a/requirements-dev.txt b/requirements-dev.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..166cd27
--- /dev/null
+++ b/requirements-dev.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+pytest>=8.0
+ruff>=0.5
+cryptography>=42.0
diff --git a/ruff.toml b/ruff.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..76b75c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ruff.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+# Ruff configuration for evidence-seal.
+#
+# BLE001 is disabled because signature verification deliberately catches any
+# exception and reports it as a failed verification rather than crashing — an
+# invalid signature is a normal, expected outcome, not a program error.
+[lint]
+ignore = ["BLE001"]
diff --git a/tests/test_cli.py b/tests/test_cli.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6b59da1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+"""End-to-end tests for the CLI, covering exit codes."""
+
+import pytest
+
+from evidence_seal.cli import OK, USAGE, main
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def pkg(tmp_path):
+    d = tmp_path / "aws_audit_acme_2026-01-01"
+    d.mkdir()
+    (d / "iam.csv").write_text("user,mfa\nalice,true\n", encoding="utf-8")
+    return d
+
+
+def test_seal_then_verify_intact(pkg, tmp_path):
+    manifest = tmp_path / "m.json"
+    assert main(["seal", str(pkg), "--out", str(manifest), "--meta", "engagement=ACME"]) == OK
+    assert manifest.exists()
+    assert main(["verify", str(pkg), "--manifest", str(manifest)]) == OK
+
+
+def test_verify_fails_after_tamper(pkg, tmp_path):
+    manifest = tmp_path / "m.json"
+    main(["seal", str(pkg), "--out", str(manifest)])
+    (pkg / "iam.csv").write_text("user,mfa\nalice,false\n", encoding="utf-8")
+    assert main(["verify", str(pkg), "--manifest", str(manifest)]) == 1
+
+
+def test_default_manifest_path(pkg):
+    # No --out: manifest lands next to the dir and verify finds it by default.
+    assert main(["seal", str(pkg)]) == OK
+    assert (pkg.parent / f"{pkg.name}.manifest.json").exists()
+    assert main(["verify", str(pkg)]) == OK
+
+
+def test_manifest_inside_dir_is_not_self_sealed(pkg):
+    inside = pkg / "seal.json"
+    assert main(["seal", str(pkg), "--out", str(inside)]) == OK
+    # Verifying still passes even though the manifest now sits inside the dir.
+    assert main(["verify", str(pkg), "--manifest", str(inside)]) == OK
+
+
+def test_chain_command(pkg, tmp_path):
+    m1, m2 = tmp_path / "m1.json", tmp_path / "m2.json"
+    main(["seal", str(pkg), "--out", str(m1)])
+    (pkg / "iam.csv").write_text("user,mfa\nalice,true\nbob,true\n", encoding="utf-8")
+    main(["seal", str(pkg), "--out", str(m2), "--prev", str(m1)])
+    assert main(["chain", str(m1), str(m2)]) == OK
+    assert main(["chain", str(m2), str(m1)]) == 1
+
+
+def test_bad_metadata_is_usage_error(pkg, tmp_path):
+    assert main(["seal", str(pkg), "--out", str(tmp_path / "m.json"), "--meta", "novalue"]) == USAGE
+
+
+def test_sign_and_verify_via_cli(pkg, tmp_path):
+    pytest.importorskip("cryptography")
+    priv, pub = tmp_path / "k.key", tmp_path / "k.pub"
+    assert main(["keygen", "--private", str(priv), "--public", str(pub)]) == OK
+    manifest = tmp_path / "m.json"
+    assert main(["seal", str(pkg), "--out", str(manifest), "--sign", str(priv)]) == OK
+    assert main(["verify", str(pkg), "--manifest", str(manifest), "--pubkey", str(pub)]) == OK
+
+
+def test_verify_rejects_wrong_signer(pkg, tmp_path):
+    pytest.importorskip("cryptography")
+    priv, pub = tmp_path / "k.key", tmp_path / "k.pub"
+    other_pub = tmp_path / "o.pub"
+    main(["keygen", "--private", str(priv), "--public", str(pub)])
+    main(["keygen", "--private", str(tmp_path / "o.key"), "--public", str(other_pub)])
+    manifest = tmp_path / "m.json"
+    main(["seal", str(pkg), "--out", str(manifest), "--sign", str(priv)])
+    assert main(["verify", str(pkg), "--manifest", str(manifest), "--pubkey", str(other_pub)]) == 1
diff --git a/tests/test_hashing.py b/tests/test_hashing.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1e4e6c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_hashing.py
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+"""Tests for file hashing and the Merkle root."""
+
+from evidence_seal.hashing import hash_bytes, hash_file, merkle_root
+
+
+def test_hash_file_matches_known_sha256(tmp_path):
+    f = tmp_path / "x.txt"
+    f.write_bytes(b"hello")
+    # Known SHA-256 of "hello".
+    assert hash_file(f) == "2cf24dba5fb0a30e26e83b2ac5b9e29e1b161e5c1fa7425e73043362938b9824"
+    assert hash_bytes(b"hello") == hash_file(f)
+
+
+def test_merkle_root_is_order_independent():
+    a = {"a": "1", "b": "2", "c": "3"}
+    b = {"c": "3", "a": "1", "b": "2"}
+    assert merkle_root(a) == merkle_root(b)
+
+
+def test_merkle_root_changes_on_content():
+    base = {"a": "1", "b": "2"}
+    changed = {"a": "1", "b": "changed"}
+    assert merkle_root(base) != merkle_root(changed)
+
+
+def test_merkle_root_changes_on_rename():
+    # Same content hash, different path -> different root (path is bound in).
+    assert merkle_root({"a": "1"}) != merkle_root({"b": "1"})
+
+
+def test_empty_root_is_defined_and_distinct():
+    assert merkle_root({}) == hash_bytes(b"empty")
+    assert merkle_root({}) != merkle_root({"a": "1"})
+
+
+def test_odd_number_of_leaves():
+    # Three leaves exercises the duplicate-last branch; just needs to be stable.
+    entries = {"a": "1", "b": "2", "c": "3"}
+    assert merkle_root(entries) == merkle_root(dict(entries))
diff --git a/tests/test_manifest.py b/tests/test_manifest.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e77d181
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_manifest.py
@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+"""Tests for building, verifying, and chaining manifests."""
+
+import pytest
+
+from evidence_seal.manifest import (
+    build_manifest,
+    compute_id,
+    verify_chain,
+    verify_manifest,
+)
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def pkg(tmp_path):
+    d = tmp_path / "aws_audit_acme_2026-01-01"
+    d.mkdir()
+    (d / "iam.csv").write_text("user,mfa\nalice,true\n", encoding="utf-8")
+    (d / "summary.txt").write_text("ok\n", encoding="utf-8")
+    return d
+
+
+def test_build_manifest_shape(pkg):
+    m = build_manifest(pkg, metadata={"engagement": "ACME"})
+    assert m["subject"] == "aws_audit_acme_2026-01-01"
+    assert m["file_count"] == 2
+    assert m["metadata"] == {"engagement": "ACME"}
+    assert [f["path"] for f in m["files"]] == ["iam.csv", "summary.txt"]
+    assert m["id"] == compute_id(m)
+
+
+def test_verify_clean(pkg):
+    m = build_manifest(pkg)
+    result = verify_manifest(pkg, m)
+    assert result.intact
+    assert result.checked == 2
+
+
+def test_verify_detects_modification(pkg):
+    m = build_manifest(pkg)
+    (pkg / "iam.csv").write_text("user,mfa\nalice,false\n", encoding="utf-8")
+    result = verify_manifest(pkg, m)
+    assert not result.intact
+    assert result.modified == ["iam.csv"]
+
+
+def test_verify_detects_added_and_removed(pkg):
+    m = build_manifest(pkg)
+    (pkg / "extra.csv").write_text("new\n", encoding="utf-8")
+    (pkg / "summary.txt").unlink()
+    result = verify_manifest(pkg, m)
+    assert result.added == ["extra.csv"]
+    assert result.removed == ["summary.txt"]
+    assert not result.intact
+
+
+def test_verify_detects_manifest_tampering(pkg):
+    m = build_manifest(pkg)
+    # Rewrite a recorded hash but leave the (now stale) id in place.
+    m["files"][0]["sha256"] = "0" * 64
+    result = verify_manifest(pkg, m)
+    assert not result.id_ok
+    assert not result.root_ok
+    assert not result.intact
+
+
+def test_ignore_patterns_excluded_and_recorded(pkg):
+    (pkg / "notes.tmp").write_text("scratch\n", encoding="utf-8")
+    m = build_manifest(pkg, ignore=["*.tmp"])
+    assert m["ignore"] == ["*.tmp"]
+    assert all(not f["path"].endswith(".tmp") for f in m["files"])
+    # Verify with the same ignore keeps it intact despite the tmp file present.
+    assert verify_manifest(pkg, m, ignore=m["ignore"]).intact
+
+
+def test_chain_links(pkg):
+    m1 = build_manifest(pkg)
+    (pkg / "iam.csv").write_text("user,mfa\nalice,true\nbob,true\n", encoding="utf-8")
+    m2 = build_manifest(pkg, previous=m1["id"])
+    assert verify_chain([m1, m2]).ok
+
+
+def test_chain_detects_wrong_order(pkg):
+    m1 = build_manifest(pkg)
+    m2 = build_manifest(pkg, previous=m1["id"])
+    result = verify_chain([m2, m1])
+    assert not result.ok
+    assert result.broken_at == 0
+
+
+def test_chain_detects_spliced_entry(pkg):
+    m1 = build_manifest(pkg)
+    m2 = build_manifest(pkg, previous=m1["id"])
+    m3 = build_manifest(pkg, previous=m2["id"])
+    # Drop the middle manifest: m3.previous no longer matches m1.id.
+    result = verify_chain([m1, m3])
+    assert not result.ok
+    assert result.broken_at == 1
+
+
+def test_missing_directory_raises(tmp_path):
+    with pytest.raises(FileNotFoundError):
+        build_manifest(tmp_path / "nope")
diff --git a/tests/test_signing.py b/tests/test_signing.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4920eff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_signing.py
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+"""Tests for optional ed25519 signing (skipped if cryptography is absent)."""
+
+import pytest
+
+pytest.importorskip("cryptography")
+
+from evidence_seal.manifest import build_manifest
+from evidence_seal.signing import (
+    generate_keypair,
+    load_public_hex,
+    sign_manifest,
+    verify_signature,
+)
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def sealed(tmp_path):
+    d = tmp_path / "pkg"
+    d.mkdir()
+    (d / "a.csv").write_text("x\n", encoding="utf-8")
+    return build_manifest(d)
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def keys(tmp_path):
+    priv, pub = tmp_path / "k.key", tmp_path / "k.pub"
+    generate_keypair(priv, pub)
+    return priv, pub
+
+
+def test_sign_then_verify(sealed, keys):
+    priv, pub = keys
+    signed = sign_manifest(sealed, priv)
+    ok, _ = verify_signature(signed)
+    assert ok
+    # And the embedded key matches the PEM public key.
+    ok_matched, _ = verify_signature(signed, load_public_hex(pub))
+    assert ok_matched
+
+
+def test_unsigned_manifest_reports_clearly(sealed):
+    ok, message = verify_signature(sealed)
+    assert not ok
+    assert "not signed" in message
+
+
+def test_tampered_manifest_fails_signature(sealed, keys):
+    priv, _ = keys
+    signed = sign_manifest(sealed, priv)
+    # Alter a hash after signing; the signature no longer covers it.
+    signed["files"][0]["sha256"] = "0" * 64
+    ok, _ = verify_signature(signed)
+    assert not ok
+
+
+def test_wrong_expected_key_rejected(sealed, tmp_path, keys):
+    priv, _ = keys
+    signed = sign_manifest(sealed, priv)
+    other_priv, other_pub = tmp_path / "o.key", tmp_path / "o.pub"
+    generate_keypair(other_priv, other_pub)
+    ok, message = verify_signature(signed, load_public_hex(other_pub))
+    assert not ok
+    assert "does not match" in message