A narrow definition
Attestation verification checks a contract, not the world.
An attestation is a statement packaged with evidence that lets a verifier check specified properties. In a signed evaluation dossier, those properties can include its schema, the exact bytes committed by its manifests, signatures under declared public keys, and links between its objects.
A verified attestation establishes that the artifact satisfied the verifier’s defined checks. It does not inherit every stronger meaning a reader might attach to the word “verified.”
What can be checked
Five layers that should remain separate.
- 01Structure. Does the object conform to the expected schema and supported version?
- 02Integrity. Do sizes, hashes and canonical bytes match the signed commitments?
- 03Signature. Does the signature verify under the declared public key over those bytes?
- 04Binding. Are keys, artifacts, results and context linked consistently inside the dossier?
- 05Declared meaning. What basis, predicate status and verdict does the signed dossier itself record?
EvalDossier performs these checks for its supported protocol and profile. It does so locally, with strict schemas and typed outputs, so a favorable native value cannot silently erase the basis recorded beside it.
What does not follow
A valid signature is not a truth machine.
Attestation verification does not by itself establish:
- that the underlying claim is factually true;
- that the signer is the institution a reader assumes;
- that the signer was independent, competent or authorized;
- that an evaluator ran honestly or observed the complete process;
- that an economic action should follow.
Those are not defects in cryptography. They are different questions.
Conflating them is the semantic error EvalDossier is designed to resist.
Its result keeps basis, predicateStatus,
obligationVerdict and economicAction distinct.
Caller-supplied audience and nonce
A matching pin proves equality—not provenance.
Expected audience and nonce values must come from caller context outside the dossier being checked. Otherwise the verifier would be asking the artifact what it ought to contain and then praising it for agreeing with itself.
When the signed value matches the caller-supplied expectation,
EvalDossier can report PINNED. It cannot verify how that
expectation reached the caller, so the provenance is explicitly
CALLER_DECLARED_NOT_VERIFIED. The result proves equality
with supplied input—nothing more.
When this is useful
Use it before you rely on the claim.
Attestation verification matters when another system gives you a signed artifact and your next decision depends on what that artifact actually establishes. The check must happen before a limited result is promoted into a broader one.
If you do not receive supported signed evaluation dossiers, you probably do not need EvalDossier yet. It is not an AI evaluation framework, a fact checker or a general output validator.
FAQ
Attestation verification questions
What is attestation verification?
It checks whether a signed artifact satisfies a defined technical contract: schema, committed bytes, signatures, bindings and supplied context. The exact result depends on the protocol and profile being verified.
Does a verified attestation prove that its claim is true?
No. It can establish integrity and verification under a public key over specified bytes. Truth, signer identity, independence, authority and evaluator honesty remain separate questions.
What does PINNED mean in EvalDossier?
It means the signed dossier value matched the value supplied by the caller. EvalDossier does not verify how the caller obtained that expectation, so its provenance remains CALLER_DECLARED_NOT_VERIFIED.
Can attestation verification be performed offline?
Yes, if the artifact carries the required verification material and the verifier supports its protocol. EvalDossier verifies supported signed evaluation dossiers locally without an HREVN account, API key or live evaluator.
Does attestation verification authorize an action?
No. Technical verification and action authorization are different decisions. EvalDossier fixes economic action to OUT_OF_SCOPE.
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