# VEX Proof Object Schema Reference

Version: 1.0 (stellaops.vex-proof.v1)
Last Updated: 2026-01-03

## Overview

VEX Proof Objects provide a cryptographically verifiable audit trail of how VEX consensus verdicts are computed. Every VEX resolution in StellaOps produces a proof object that documents the inputs, merge process, and decision rationale.

## JSON Schema

```json
{
  "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#",
  "title": "VEX Proof Object",
  "type": "object",
  "required": ["schema", "proofId", "computedAt", "verdict", "inputs", "mergeTrace", "confidence"],
  "properties": {
    "schema": {
      "type": "string",
      "const": "stellaops.vex-proof.v1"
    },
    "proofId": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Unique identifier for this proof"
    },
    "computedAt": {
      "type": "string",
      "format": "date-time",
      "description": "ISO 8601 timestamp of proof computation"
    },
    "digest": {
      "type": "object",
      "description": "Content-addressed hash of the proof"
    },
    "verdict": {
      "$ref": "#/definitions/verdict"
    },
    "inputs": {
      "$ref": "#/definitions/inputs"
    },
    "mergeTrace": {
      "$ref": "#/definitions/mergeTrace"
    },
    "propagation": {
      "$ref": "#/definitions/propagation"
    },
    "conditions": {
      "$ref": "#/definitions/conditions"
    },
    "confidence": {
      "$ref": "#/definitions/confidence"
    }
  }
}
```

## Object Definitions

### Verdict

The final consensus result.

| Field | Type | Required | Description |
|-------|------|----------|-------------|
| `vulnerabilityId` | string | Yes | CVE or vulnerability identifier |
| `productKey` | string | Yes | Product identifier (typically a PURL) |
| `status` | enum | Yes | VEX status: `affected`, `not_affected`, `fixed`, `under_investigation` |
| `justification` | enum | No | Justification code if status is `not_affected` |
| `confidence` | number | Yes | Confidence score [0.0, 1.0] |

```json
{
  "vulnerabilityId": "CVE-2023-12345",
  "productKey": "pkg:npm/lodash@4.17.21",
  "status": "not_affected",
  "justification": "vulnerable_code_not_in_execute_path",
  "confidence": 0.78
}
```

### Inputs

All VEX statements considered in the consensus.

| Field | Type | Required | Description |
|-------|------|----------|-------------|
| `qualifiedCount` | integer | Yes | Number of statements meeting weight threshold |
| `disqualifiedCount` | integer | Yes | Number of statements filtered out |
| `statements` | array | Yes | Array of input statements |
| `disqualified` | array | No | Array of disqualified statements with reasons |

#### Statement Object

| Field | Type | Required | Description |
|-------|------|----------|-------------|
| `id` | string | Yes | Statement identifier |
| `source` | string | Yes | Source document identifier |
| `issuer` | object | Yes | Issuer information |
| `status` | enum | Yes | VEX status from this statement |
| `justification` | enum | No | Justification if not_affected |
| `weight` | object | Yes | Weight calculation details |
| `timestamp` | datetime | Yes | Statement timestamp |
| `signatureVerified` | boolean | Yes | Whether signature was verified |

#### Issuer Object

| Field | Type | Required | Description |
|-------|------|----------|-------------|
| `id` | string | Yes | Issuer identifier |
| `category` | enum | Yes | `vendor`, `distributor`, `community`, `internal`, `aggregator` |
| `trustTier` | enum | Yes | `authoritative`, `trusted`, `untrusted`, `unknown` |

#### Weight Object

| Field | Type | Required | Description |
|-------|------|----------|-------------|
| `composite` | number | Yes | Final composite weight [0.0, 1.0] |
| `factors` | object | Yes | Individual weight factors |

Weight factors:
- `issuer`: Issuer trust weight
- `signature`: Signature verification weight
- `freshness`: Statement age weight
- `format`: Source format weight (OpenVEX vs CSAF vs CycloneDX)
- `specificity`: Status specificity weight

### MergeTrace

Step-by-step documentation of the merge algorithm.

| Field | Type | Required | Description |
|-------|------|----------|-------------|
| `mode` | enum | Yes | Consensus mode used |
| `latticeOrdering` | array | No | Status lattice order (for Lattice mode) |
| `steps` | array | Yes | Array of merge steps |
| `conflicts` | array | No | Array of detected conflicts |

#### Consensus Modes

- `highest_weight`: Select statement with highest trust weight
- `weighted_vote`: Weighted voting across all statements
- `lattice`: Lattice-based conservative consensus
- `authoritative_first`: Prefer vendor/authoritative sources

#### Merge Step

| Field | Type | Required | Description |
|-------|------|----------|-------------|
| `stepNumber` | integer | Yes | Sequential step number |
| `statementId` | string | Yes | Statement being processed |
| `inputStatus` | enum | Yes | Status from this statement |
| `inputWeight` | number | Yes | Weight of this statement |
| `action` | enum | Yes | `initialize`, `merge`, `skip` |
| `conflictDetected` | boolean | Yes | Whether conflict was detected |
| `resolution` | string | No | How conflict was resolved |
| `positionAfter` | enum | Yes | Current consensus position after step |

#### Conflict

| Field | Type | Required | Description |
|-------|------|----------|-------------|
| `statement1Id` | string | Yes | First conflicting statement |
| `statement2Id` | string | Yes | Second conflicting statement |
| `status1` | enum | Yes | Status of first statement |
| `status2` | enum | Yes | Status of second statement |
| `severity` | enum | Yes | `critical`, `high`, `medium`, `low` |
| `resolution` | string | Yes | Resolution method |
| `winnerId` | string | No | Winning statement ID |

### Propagation

Dependency propagation analysis (optional).

| Field | Type | Required | Description |
|-------|------|----------|-------------|
| `applied` | boolean | Yes | Whether propagation was applied |
| `rules` | array | Yes | Propagation rules evaluated |
| `paths` | array | No | Analyzed dependency paths |
| `inheritedStatus` | enum | No | Status inherited via propagation |
| `overrideApplied` | boolean | No | Whether propagation overrode consensus |

#### Propagation Rules

- `direct_dependency_affected`: Affected status propagates to direct dependents
- `transitive_dependency`: Transitive propagation through dependency tree
- `dependency_fixed`: Fixed status doesn't propagate transitively
- `dependency_not_affected`: NotAffected can propagate under conditions

### Conditions

Condition evaluation results (optional).

| Field | Type | Required | Description |
|-------|------|----------|-------------|
| `results` | array | Yes | Condition evaluation results |
| `unevaluated` | array | No | Conditions that couldn't be evaluated |
| `coverage` | number | Yes | Percentage of conditions evaluated |

#### Condition Result

| Field | Type | Required | Description |
|-------|------|----------|-------------|
| `conditionId` | string | Yes | Condition identifier |
| `expression` | string | Yes | Condition expression |
| `result` | enum | Yes | `true`, `false`, `unknown` |
| `contextValue` | string | No | Evaluated context value |

#### Condition Types

- `platform`: OS/architecture (e.g., `linux/amd64`)
- `distro`: Distribution (e.g., `rhel:9`)
- `feature`: Feature flag condition
- `build_flag`: Compile-time flag
- `environment`: Environment variable

### Confidence

Confidence score breakdown.

| Field | Type | Required | Description |
|-------|------|----------|-------------|
| `score` | number | Yes | Overall confidence [0.0, 1.0] |
| `tier` | enum | Yes | `high`, `medium`, `low` |
| `components` | object | Yes | Score components |
| `improvements` | array | No | Suggestions for improving confidence |

Score component contributions:
- `weightSpread`: Statement weight distribution
- `freshnessBonus`: Bonus for recent statements
- `signatureBonus`: Bonus for signed statements
- `conflictPenalty`: Penalty for conflicts
- `conditionCoverage`: Condition evaluation coverage

## Digest Computation

The proof digest is computed using RFC 8785 canonical JSON serialization:

1. Serialize proof object to canonical JSON (sorted keys, minimal escaping)
2. Compute SHA-256 hash of canonical JSON bytes
3. Encode as hexadecimal

```json
{
  "digest": {
    "algorithm": "sha256",
    "value": "a1b2c3d4..."
  }
}
```

## Example Proof Object

```json
{
  "schema": "stellaops.vex-proof.v1",
  "proofId": "proof-2026-01-02T10:30:00Z-abc123",
  "computedAt": "2026-01-02T10:30:00Z",
  "digest": {
    "algorithm": "sha256",
    "value": "e3b0c44298fc1c149afbf4c8996fb92427ae41e4649b934ca495991b7852b855"
  },
  "verdict": {
    "vulnerabilityId": "CVE-2023-12345",
    "productKey": "pkg:npm/lodash@4.17.21",
    "status": "not_affected",
    "justification": "vulnerable_code_not_in_execute_path",
    "confidence": 0.78
  },
  "inputs": {
    "qualifiedCount": 2,
    "disqualifiedCount": 0,
    "statements": [
      {
        "id": "stmt-001",
        "source": "openvex",
        "issuer": {
          "id": "lodash-maintainers",
          "category": "vendor",
          "trustTier": "authoritative"
        },
        "status": "not_affected",
        "justification": "vulnerable_code_not_in_execute_path",
        "weight": {
          "composite": 0.85,
          "factors": {
            "issuer": 0.90,
            "signature": 1.00,
            "freshness": 0.95,
            "format": 1.00,
            "specificity": 0.70
          }
        },
        "timestamp": "2023-06-15T10:30:00Z",
        "signatureVerified": true
      }
    ]
  },
  "mergeTrace": {
    "mode": "lattice",
    "latticeOrdering": ["affected", "under_investigation", "fixed", "not_affected"],
    "steps": [
      {
        "stepNumber": 1,
        "statementId": "stmt-001",
        "inputStatus": "not_affected",
        "inputWeight": 0.85,
        "action": "initialize",
        "conflictDetected": false,
        "positionAfter": "not_affected"
      }
    ],
    "conflicts": []
  },
  "confidence": {
    "score": 0.78,
    "tier": "medium",
    "components": {
      "weightSpread": 0.80,
      "freshnessBonus": 0.05,
      "signatureBonus": 0.05,
      "conflictPenalty": 0.00,
      "conditionCoverage": 0.00
    },
    "improvements": [
      "Add statements from additional authoritative sources",
      "Evaluate platform-specific conditions"
    ]
  }
}
```

## Policy Integration

VEX proofs integrate with the policy gate system via `VexProofGate`:

| Setting | Type | Default | Description |
|---------|------|---------|-------------|
| `Enabled` | bool | true | Enable/disable gate |
| `MinimumConfidenceTier` | string | medium | Required confidence tier |
| `RequireProofForNotAffected` | bool | true | Require proof for NotAffected |
| `RequireProofForFixed` | bool | false | Require proof for Fixed |
| `MaxAllowedConflicts` | int | 5 | Maximum allowed conflicts |
| `MaxProofAgeHours` | int | 168 | Maximum proof age (hours) |
| `RequireSignedStatements` | bool | false | Require all statements signed |
| `MinimumInputStatements` | int | 1 | Minimum input statement count |

## Related Documentation

- [VEX Consensus Guide](../VEX_CONSENSUS_GUIDE.md)
- [Trust Weight Configuration](../trust-weights.md)
- [Policy Gates Reference](../policy-gates.md)
- [OpenVEX Specification](https://github.com/openvex/spec)
- [CycloneDX VEX](https://cyclonedx.org/use-cases/vulnerability-exploitability/)