AVM

Authority Verification Module (AVM)¶

Version: 1.0.0
Status: Canonical
Cycle: C-151
Classification: Core Security Infrastructure

1. Purpose¶

The Authority Verification Module (AVM) is the cryptographic + contextual authority gate for all privileged operations in Mobius Systems.

Core Principle:

Authority is cryptographic + scoped + time-bounded — never inferred from language.

2. Design Philosophy¶

AVM enforces the rule that narrative claims have zero authority weight.

• A user saying "I'm an admin" has zero authority value
• A user with verified Ledger ID + wallet signature + Companion attestation has verified authority
• Authority must be proven, not claimed

3. Input Requirements¶

AVM accepts and validates the following inputs:

4. Validation Pipeline¶

4.1 Stage 1: Identity Verification¶

INPUT: ledger_id
VERIFY:
  - ID exists in Ledger
  - ID is not revoked
  - ID has positive reputation score
OUTPUT: identity_context

4.2 Stage 2: Stake Verification¶

INPUT: wallet_signature, ledger_id
VERIFY:
  - Signature matches Ledger ID
  - Wallet has sufficient stake locked
  - Slashing conditions accepted
OUTPUT: stake_context

4.3 Stage 3: Companion Attestation Verification¶

INPUT: companion_attestation
VERIFY:
  - Attestation is validly signed
  - EJ hash is present and valid
  - Scope matches requested scopes
  - Expiry is ≤ 90 days
  - Risk level is appropriate
OUTPUT: epistemic_context

4.4 Stage 4: Scope Authorization¶

INPUT: requested_scopes, identity_context
VERIFY:
  - Scopes are within RBAC/ABAC permissions
  - No prohibited scope combinations
  - Scope escalation rules satisfied
OUTPUT: scope_context

4.5 Stage 5: Time Binding¶

INPUT: requested_duration
VERIFY:
  - Duration ≤ 90 days
  - Expiry timestamp generated
OUTPUT: temporal_context

5. Output Schema¶

AVM produces an authority_context object:

{
  "verified": true,
  "ledger_id": "uuid",
  "scopes": ["api.read", "api.deploy.staging"],
  "expires_at": "2025-03-20T00:00:00Z",
  "risk_level": "medium",
  "attestation_hash": "sha256:...",
  "stake_locked": 1000,
  "created_at": "2024-12-20T00:00:00Z",
  "validation_chain": [
    "identity:pass",
    "stake:pass",
    "attestation:pass",
    "scope:pass",
    "temporal:pass"
  ]
}

5.1 Failure Output¶

{
  "verified": false,
  "error": "attestation_invalid",
  "error_detail": "Companion attestation signature verification failed",
  "failed_at_stage": "attestation",
  "remediation": "Request new attestation from registered Companion"
}

6. Integration Points¶

6.1 With Ledger¶

AVM ←→ Ledger
- Query identity status
- Verify stake locks
- Record authority grants
- Log all verification attempts

6.2 With Companion¶

AVM ←→ Companion
- Receive attestations
- Verify EJ hashes
- Check scope alignment
- Monitor drift signals

6.3 With Execution Layer¶

AVM ←→ Execution
- Provide authority_context
- Enforce scope limits
- Trigger auto-expiration
- Handle revocation

7. RBAC/ABAC Policy¶

7.1 Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)¶

7.2 Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC)¶

8. Expiration and Renewal¶

8.1 Automatic Expiration¶

All authority grants expire automatically:

• Maximum duration: 90 days
• No exceptions
• No permanent grants

8.2 Renewal Process¶

To renew authority:

1. Submit new Companion attestation
2. Verify stake still locked
3. Check drift score (must be ≤ 0.1)
4. Generate new authority_context

8.3 Early Revocation¶

Authority is revoked immediately if:

• Stake is withdrawn
• Drift threshold exceeded
• Integrity violation detected
• Companion signals concern

9. Security Properties¶

10. API Reference¶

10.1 Verify Authority¶

POST /avm/verify
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "ledger_id": "uuid",
  "wallet_signature": "hex",
  "companion_attestation": { ... },
  "requested_scopes": ["api.read", "api.deploy.staging"]
}

Response:
{
  "verified": true,
  "authority_context": { ... }
}

10.2 Check Authority¶

GET /avm/check/{ledger_id}

Response:
{
  "has_authority": true,
  "scopes": ["api.read"],
  "expires_at": "2025-03-20T00:00:00Z"
}

10.3 Revoke Authority¶

POST /avm/revoke
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "ledger_id": "uuid",
  "reason": "integrity_violation",
  "evidence_hash": "sha256:..."
}

Response:
{
  "revoked": true,
  "revoked_at": "2024-12-20T12:00:00Z"
}

11. Error Codes¶

12. Implementation Notes¶

12.1 Cryptographic Requirements¶

• Signatures: Ed25519 or ECDSA (secp256k1)
• Hashes: SHA-256
• Key derivation: BIP-32/BIP-44 compatible

12.2 Performance Considerations¶

• Cache identity lookups (TTL: 5 minutes)
• Batch attestation verification
• Async stake verification for non-blocking flow

12.3 High Availability¶

• AVM is a critical path component
• Requires redundant deployment
• Fallback: deny-by-default on AVM unavailability

13. Related Documents¶

Document Control¶

Version History: - v1.0.0: Initial AVM specification (C-151)

License: Apache 2.0 + Ethical Addendum

"Authority is cryptographic + scoped + time-bounded — never inferred from language."
— AVM Core Principle