A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause a system to:
- identify a requested release-related action for a digital asset package;
- obtain a machine-readable decision receipt associated with the digital asset package, the machine-readable decision receipt binding together at least package continuity data, policy continuity data, an action-scope field corresponding to the requested release-related action, a release-state reference, and one or more validity-condition fields;
- validate the machine-readable decision receipt by verifying authenticity, including signature validity where the machine-readable decision receipt is signed, schema conformance, package continuity for the requested release-related action, policy continuity, action-scope continuity, and satisfaction of the one or more validity-condition fields;
- obtain, using the release-state reference at execution time, a then-current machine-readable release state corresponding to the digital asset package and the requested release-related action, the then-current machine-readable release state comprising (A) a signed state object including freshness metadata or (B) machine-readable state data resolved from the signed state object, wherein the signed state object comprises a current action-scoped posture value and is maintained or resolved independently of the machine-readable decision receipt, is updatable after issuance of the machine-readable decision receipt for the requested release-related action without modifying the machine-readable decision receipt, and includes at least one current-state continuity field selected from (i) a nonce binding or challenge binding generated for the requested release-related action, (ii) a monotonic counter maintained by a release-state service, release-state registry, or state-maintenance structure for the requested release-related action, or (iii) an anti-rollback proof bound to a previously accepted current-state object for the same action scope as the requested release-related action;
- verify the signed state object, and any machine-readable state data resolved therefrom, by validating signature or attestation, freshness, action-scope match, and the at least one current-state continuity field against a current-state continuity condition maintained for the same action scope as the requested release-related action, and, where the signed state object or resolved state data is delegated, cached, or relied upon across a trust boundary, validating signer identity or delegation scope, trust-boundary satisfaction, and reliance scope, wherein the verification is configured to detect replay, rollback, out-of-order state use, or stale-state substitution before permitting the requested release-related action;
- determine a release-transition outcome that permits the requested release-related action only when the machine-readable decision receipt validates and the then-current machine-readable release state authorizes the requested release-related action, including by confirming that (i) the machine-readable decision receipt validates for the requested release-related action, (ii) the verified signed state object, or machine-readable state data resolved from the verified signed state object, represents a then-current non-stale authorization posture for the requested release-related action, and (iii) package continuity and policy continuity are satisfied for the digital asset package under the requested release-related action, and the action-scope field authorizes the requested release-related action, and, where the machine-readable decision receipt includes an issuance-time field or recorded decision-state field, determine runtime authorization from the then-current machine-readable release state rather than solely from the issuance-time field or recorded decision-state field, wherein the verification of the signed state object and the determination of the release-transition outcome are performed after receipt of the requested release-related action and before issuing an execute instruction to a downstream controller;
- responsive to the release-transition outcome, record or cause recording of an action-scoped state transition record in at least one release-state registry, state store, append-only record, cache-backed state responder, or a machine-readable state-maintenance structure configured to store or resolve action-scoped authorization posture, the action-scoped state transition record representing an action-scoped authorization posture selected from permit, limited-permit, hold, deny, expired, challenged, suspended, escrow, remediation, review, and reauthorize-required for the requested release-related action;
- responsive to the release-transition outcome permitting the requested release-related action, cause a downstream controller to execute the requested release-related action;
- and
- responsive to the release-transition outcome not permitting the requested release-related action, including because signature, attestation, freshness, action-scope, or current-state-continuity validation fails, because applicable signer-identity, delegation-scope, trust-boundary, or reliance-scope validation fails for delegated, cached, or cross-trust-boundary reliance, or because replay, rollback, out-of-order state use, or stale-state substitution is detected, prevent execution of the requested release-related action in a fail-closed manner and output at least one machine-readable reason code.