Cryptographic Evidence Bundle Specification
A self-contained evidence bundle built on canonical JSON, SHA-256 and RFC 3161 timestamps.
Independently Verifiable Evidence Architecture
Evidence bundles generated by HashEntry are designed so that third-party auditors and independent tools can verify their integrity and timestamp without access to HashEntry servers or databases. What weight that evidence carries is decided by the authority reviewing it.
Canonical JSON Format
In ordinary JSON, key order and whitespace can change the hash. HashEntry serializes consent records deterministically — keys sorted, UTF-8, no extra whitespace — so the same record always yields the same SHA-256 digest. The exact rules are in the bundle's verification notes.
Evidence Bundle File Architecture
The exported .zip archive contains 6 essential files that can be independently inspected and verified:
User consent preferences, version identifier, timestamp, and pseudonymized client context.
Digest algorithm declaration (SHA-256), TSA authority identifier, and evidence spec version.
SHA-256 checksums of all package contents (verifiable via shasum -c).
Binary ASN.1 DER timestamp token signed by an RFC 3161 Time Stamping Authority.
Public certificates of the root and intermediate Certificate Authorities that signed the timestamp.
Human-readable verification instructions and audit checklist for compliance officers.
Step-by-Step Independent Verification
Follow these steps to verify the evidence bundle using standard open-source tools:
Verify File Checksums
Ensure none of the files inside the bundle have been modified or corrupted:
Compute Consent Data Digest
Generate the SHA-256 hash of the canonical consent_data.json file:
Verify RFC 3161 Timestamp Signature
Verify the cryptographic timestamp token against the Root CA and match the digest:
Automate with Open-Source CLI Verifier
We are preparing an open-source terminal CLI (hashentry-verify) so you can run all verification checks automatically in your own pipeline.
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