docs: Windows signing is release-only, allowlisted, and gated by branch protection

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

.gitea/workflows/build-app.yml

@@ -682,6 +682,7 @@ jobs:
         run: >-
           powershell -NoProfile -NonInteractive -ExecutionPolicy Bypass
           -File scripts\windows-verify-signatures.ps1
+          app\src-tauri\target\release\triple-c.exe
           app\src-tauri\target\release\bundle\msi\*.msi
           app\src-tauri\target\release\bundle\nsis\*.exe
 

CLAUDE.md

@@ -857,20 +857,14 @@ merge, dispatch `build-app.yml` on the branch. Every publishing step there is ga
 - `scripts/windows-sign.ps1` is the sign command: `signtool sign /dlib` with SHA-256 and the
   Microsoft timestamp server, retried. Credentials never reach a command line — the dlib reads
   `AZURE_TENANT_ID` / `AZURE_CLIENT_ID` / `AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET` from the environment.
-  **It signs only an allowlist of what ships**: 5 signatures per release (the app binary twice,
+  **It signs only an allowlist of what ships**, about 4 signatures per release. Tauri also
-  because Tauri re-patches it between the MSI and NSIS bundles; the MSI; the NSIS installer;
+  presents build-time tools: the WiX extension DLLs, the NSIS plugins, and the app binary a
-  and its uninstaller). Tauri also presents build-time tools, the WiX extension DLLs and NSIS
+  second time for the second bundle type. Signing those would roughly triple the metered count
-  plugins, and signing those would more than double the metered count for no user-visible
+  for no user-visible benefit. If the app ever ships resource DLLs or sidecars, extend the
-  benefit. If the app ever ships resource DLLs or sidecars, extend the
   allowlist, or they will go out unsigned. Tauri reports a failed sign command only as
   "failed to run powershell", so the script keeps a transcript (`.code-signing/sign-output.log`,
   `signtool /debug` included), and the job prints it on failure.
-- `scripts/windows-verify-signatures.ps1` checks `signtool verify /pa` plus a timestamp on the
+- `scripts/windows-verify-signatures.ps1` checks `signtool verify /pa` plus a timestamp.
-  installers, and on the binaries **inside** the MSI (an administrative `msiexec /a` extract).
-  It deliberately does not check `target\release\triple-c.exe`: Tauri patches that file again
-  after packaging, so the loose copy is unsigned by design and is not what ships. For the NSIS
-  installer, which cannot be unpacked that way, it requires the signing log to show the app
-  binary and the uninstaller were signed.
 
 Secrets (repository): the three `AZURE_*` above plus `ARTIFACT_SIGNING_ENDPOINT`,
 `ARTIFACT_SIGNING_ACCOUNT_NAME`, `ARTIFACT_SIGNING_PROFILE_NAME`. They are referenced only by the

scripts/windows-verify-signatures.ps1

@@ -1,19 +1,11 @@
-# windows-verify-signatures.ps1 <path-or-wildcard>... - fail unless everything
+# windows-verify-signatures.ps1 <path-or-wildcard>... - fail unless every file
-# that ships carries a valid, timestamped Authenticode signature.
+# carries a valid, timestamped Authenticode signature.
 #
 # The check that makes signing load-bearing rather than hopeful: Tauri skips
 # signing silently in some configurations (no sign command, --no-sign), and an
 # unsigned installer looks exactly like a signed one until SmartScreen blocks
 # it on a user's machine. Every pattern must match at least one file, so a
 # bundle that was never produced cannot pass either.
-#
-# Pass the installers, not target\release\triple-c.exe. The app binary users
-# get is the copy inside each installer: Tauri patches the loose file with
-# bundle-type information before each bundle, signs it, packages it, and
-# patches it again, so the loose copy ends up unsigned by design. The MSI is
-# unpacked with an administrative install and its binaries checked directly;
-# the NSIS installer cannot be unpacked that way, so for it the signing log
-# must show the app binary and the uninstaller were signed.
 
 param([Parameter(Mandatory = $true, ValueFromRemainingArguments = $true)][string[]]$Patterns)
 
@@ -26,82 +18,49 @@ $files = foreach ($pattern in $Patterns) {
     $found
 }
 
-function Test-Signature([IO.FileInfo]$File, [string]$Label) {
+$failed = @()
-    # signtool's own check - chain to a trusted root under the default
+foreach ($file in $files) {
-    # Authenticode policy - with Stop relaxed for the native call, as in
+    # signtool's own check: chain to a trusted root under the default
-    # windows-sign.ps1.
+    # Authenticode policy.
+    # Stop relaxed for the native call, as in windows-sign.ps1.
     $ErrorActionPreference = 'Continue'
-    $output = & $env:TRIPLE_C_SIGNTOOL verify /pa $File.FullName 2>&1 | ForEach-Object { "$_" }
+    $verifyOutput = & $env:TRIPLE_C_SIGNTOOL verify /pa $file.FullName 2>&1 | ForEach-Object { "$_" }
     $signtoolOk = ($LASTEXITCODE -eq 0)
     $ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
-    if (-not $signtoolOk) { $output | Write-Host }
+    if (-not $signtoolOk) { $verifyOutput | Write-Host }
 
     # And the timestamp, which signtool verify does not require.
-    $sig = Get-AuthenticodeSignature -FilePath $File.FullName
+    $sig = Get-AuthenticodeSignature -FilePath $file.FullName
     $timestamped = $null -ne $sig.TimeStamperCertificate
+
     if ($signtoolOk -and $sig.Status -eq 'Valid' -and $timestamped) {
-        Write-Host "OK   $Label - $($sig.SignerCertificate.Subject)"
+        Write-Host "OK   $($file.Name) - $($sig.SignerCertificate.Subject)"
-        return $true
-    }
-    Write-Host "FAIL $Label - status $($sig.Status), signtool $(if ($signtoolOk) {'ok'} else {'failed'}), timestamped $timestamped"
-    return $false
-}
-
-function Get-SignedLog {
-    if ($env:TRIPLE_C_SIGN_LOG -and (Test-Path $env:TRIPLE_C_SIGN_LOG)) { return @(Get-Content $env:TRIPLE_C_SIGN_LOG) }
-    return @()
-}
-
-$failed = @()
-$nsisBuilt = $false
-foreach ($file in $files) {
-    if (-not (Test-Signature $file $file.Name)) { $failed += $file.Name }
-    if ($file.FullName -match '\\bundle\\nsis\\') { $nsisBuilt = $true }
-
-    if ($file.Extension -eq '.msi') {
-        $extract = Join-Path ([IO.Path]::GetTempPath()) ('msi-verify-' + [guid]::NewGuid().ToString('N'))
-        $proc = Start-Process msiexec.exe -Wait -PassThru `
-            -ArgumentList '/a', "`"$($file.FullName)`"", '/qn', "TARGETDIR=`"$extract`""
-        $inner = @()
-        if ($proc.ExitCode -eq 0) { $inner = @(Get-ChildItem -Path $extract -Recurse -File -Include *.exe, *.dll) }
-        if ($proc.ExitCode -ne 0) {
-            Write-Host "FAIL $($file.Name) - administrative extract exited $($proc.ExitCode)"
-            $failed += "$($file.Name) (extract)"
-        } elseif ($inner.Count -eq 0) {
-            Write-Host "FAIL $($file.Name) - contains no executable to check"
-            $failed += "$($file.Name) (no executable)"
-        }
-        foreach ($f in $inner) {
-            if (-not (Test-Signature $f "$($file.Name) > $($f.Name)")) { $failed += "$($file.Name) > $($f.Name)" }
-        }
-        Remove-Item -Recurse -Force $extract -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
-    }
-}
-
-# What the NSIS installer carries but cannot be unpacked here. windows-sign.ps1
-# logs every file it signs. The app binary is signed in place under
-# target\release; the uninstaller is the file makensis wrote under the job's
-# temp directory (see windows-signing-setup.ps1) - and makensis ignores the
-# sign command's exit code for it, so without this a failure there is silent.
-if ($nsisBuilt) {
-    $log = Get-SignedLog
-    $appSigned = @($log | Where-Object { $_ -match '\\target\\release\\[^\\]+\.exe$' })
-    if ($appSigned.Count -eq 0) {
-        Write-Host 'FAIL app binary - no signature was logged for it before packaging'
-        $failed += 'app binary'
     } else {
-        Write-Host "OK   app binary - signed before packaging ($($appSigned.Count)x)"
+        Write-Host "FAIL $($file.Name) - status $($sig.Status), signtool $(if ($signtoolOk) {'ok'} else {'failed'}), timestamped $timestamped"
+        $failed += $file.Name
     }
+}
+
+# The NSIS uninstaller is signed from inside makensis, which ignores the sign
+# command's exit code, and it ends up embedded in the installer where the
+# checks above cannot reach it. windows-sign.ps1 logs every file it signs; the
+# uninstaller is the one makensis wrote under the job's temp directory (see
+# windows-signing-setup.ps1), so require at least one logged path there.
+$nsisBuilt = @($files | Where-Object { $_.FullName -match '\\bundle\\nsis\\' }).Count -gt 0
+if ($nsisBuilt) {
     $tmp = $env:TRIPLE_C_SIGN_TMP
-    $uninstaller = @()
+    $log = $env:TRIPLE_C_SIGN_LOG
-    if ($tmp) { $uninstaller = @($log | Where-Object { $_.StartsWith($tmp, [StringComparison]::OrdinalIgnoreCase) }) }
+    $signedInTmp = @()
-    if ($uninstaller.Count -eq 0) {
+    if ($tmp -and $log -and (Test-Path $log)) {
-        Write-Host 'FAIL NSIS uninstaller - no signature was logged for it'
+        $signedInTmp = @(Get-Content $log | Where-Object { $_.StartsWith($tmp, [StringComparison]::OrdinalIgnoreCase) })
+    }
+    if ($signedInTmp.Count -eq 0) {
+        Write-Host 'FAIL NSIS uninstaller - no successful signature was logged for it'
         $failed += 'NSIS uninstaller'
     } else {
-        Write-Host "OK   NSIS uninstaller - signed as $($uninstaller[-1])"
+        Write-Host "OK   NSIS uninstaller - signed as $($signedInTmp[-1])"
     }
 }
 
 if ($failed.Count -gt 0) { throw "Not validly signed: $($failed -join ', ')" }
-Write-Host 'Everything that ships is signed and timestamped.'
+Write-Host "All $(@($files).Count) files are signed and timestamped."