Merge branch 'main' of git.xorwell.de:c/ietf-wimse-ect

Draft improvements:
- Rename ext -> ect_ext, clarify iss/aud requirements per level
- Add algorithm agility guidance and RFC 8725 reference
- Add HTTP header size constraints and body transport fallback
- Add cross-level parent reference semantics
- Add emerging agent protocols (A2A, MCP) to Related Work
- Fix HTTP error handling (403 not 401), IANA +jwt suffix note
- Add workflow consistency check to DAG validation
- Add defense-in-depth note for acyclicity check

Supporting files:
- Fix blog post outdated claim names (par -> pred, ext -> ect_ext)
- Update refimpl README with -00 vs -01 migration mapping
- Add refimpl IMPROVEMENTS.md section 6 with -01 migration tasks

.gitignore

@@ -1 +1,5 @@
 .refcache/
+# Generated build outputs (XML, TXT, HTML)
+draft-nennemann-wimse-ect-*.xml
+draft-nennemann-wimse-ect-*.txt
+draft-nennemann-wimse-ect-*.html

blog-ect-assurance-levels.md

@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ ECTs originated as an extension to the IETF WIMSE (Workload Identity in Multi-Sy
 The key properties:
 
 - **Per-task granularity.** One ECT per task, not one per session or per request chain.
-- **DAG ordering.** Parent references (`par` claim) create a verifiable execution graph. Fan-out, fan-in, parallel branches — all representable.
+- **DAG ordering.** Parent references (`pred` claim) create a verifiable execution graph. Fan-out, fan-in, parallel branches — all representable.
 - **Data integrity without data exposure.** Input and output hashes (`inp_hash`, `out_hash`) prove what was processed without revealing the data itself.
 - **Identity-framework agnostic.** ECTs work with WIMSE WIT/WPT, X.509 certificates, OAuth credentials, or plain JWK sets. The spec defines abstract identity binding requirements and concrete profiles for each framework.
 
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ A single deployment can use different levels for different workflows. Your inter
 
 ## The Upgrade Path
 
-This is arguably the most important design property of the assurance levels: **the payload is the same at every level.** The same `jti`, `iss`, `aud`, `iat`, `exp`, `exec_act`, `par`, `inp_hash`, `out_hash`, and `ext` claims appear in every ECT, whether it's unsigned JSON or a ledger-committed JWS token.
+This is arguably the most important design property of the assurance levels: **the payload is the same at every level.** The same `jti`, `iss`, `aud`, `iat`, `exp`, `exec_act`, `pred`, `inp_hash`, `out_hash`, and `ect_ext` claims appear in every ECT, whether it's unsigned JSON or a ledger-committed JWS token.
 
 What changes is the envelope and the verification procedure. This means upgrading from L1 to L2 means adding a JWS wrapper around the same payload. Upgrading from L2 to L3 means deploying an audit ledger and adding the ledger recording step after JWS verification.
 

build.sh

@@ -1,22 +1,39 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 set -e
 
-DRAFT="draft-nennemann-wimse-ect-01"
 DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)"
+SRC="$DIR/draft-nennemann-wimse-ect.md"
+
+# Extract docname from YAML front matter
+DRAFT=$(grep '^docname:' "$SRC" | head -1 | awk '{print $2}')
+if [ -z "$DRAFT" ]; then
+  echo "Error: could not extract docname from $SRC"
+  exit 1
+fi
 
 # Tool paths
-KRAMDOWN="/usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/3.4.0/bin/kramdown-rfc2629"
+KRAMDOWN="$(which kramdown-rfc2629 2>/dev/null)"
-XML2RFC="/Users/christian/Library/Python/3.9/bin/xml2rfc"
+XML2RFC="$(which xml2rfc 2>/dev/null)"
+
+if [ -z "$KRAMDOWN" ]; then
+  echo "Error: kramdown-rfc2629 not found. Install with: gem install kramdown-rfc2629"
+  exit 1
+fi
+if [ -z "$XML2RFC" ]; then
+  echo "Error: xml2rfc not found. Install with: pip install xml2rfc"
+  exit 1
+fi
 
 export PYTHONWARNINGS="ignore::UserWarning"
 
+echo "Building: $DRAFT"
 echo "Using kramdown-rfc2629: $KRAMDOWN"
 echo "Using xml2rfc:          $XML2RFC"
 echo ""
 
 # Step 1: Markdown -> XML
 echo "Converting markdown to XML..."
-"$KRAMDOWN" "$DIR/$DRAFT.md" > "$DIR/$DRAFT.xml"
+"$KRAMDOWN" "$SRC" > "$DIR/$DRAFT.xml"
 
 # Step 2: XML -> TXT
 echo "Generating text output..."

draft-nennemann-wimse-ect-00.md

@@ -1,926 +0,0 @@
----
-title: "Execution Context Tokens for Distributed Agentic Workflows"
-abbrev: "WIMSE Execution Context"
-category: std
-docname: draft-nennemann-wimse-ect-00
-submissiontype: IETF
-number:
-date:
-v: 3
-area: "ART"
-workgroup: "WIMSE"
-keyword:
-  - execution context
-  - workload identity
-  - agentic workflows
-  - audit trail
-
-author:
-  -
-    fullname: Christian Nennemann
-    organization: Independent Researcher
-    email: ietf@nennemann.de
-
-normative:
-  RFC7515:
-  RFC7517:
-  RFC7519:
-  RFC7518:
-  RFC9562:
-  RFC9110:
-  I-D.ietf-wimse-arch:
-  I-D.ietf-wimse-s2s-protocol:
-
-informative:
-  RFC8693:
-  SPIFFE:
-    title: "Secure Production Identity Framework for Everyone (SPIFFE)"
-    target: https://spiffe.io/docs/latest/spiffe-about/overview/
-    date: false
-  OPENTELEMETRY:
-    title: "OpenTelemetry Specification"
-    target: https://opentelemetry.io/docs/specs/otel/
-    date: false
-    author:
-      - org: Cloud Native Computing Foundation
-  I-D.ietf-scitt-architecture:
-  RFC9449:
-  I-D.ietf-oauth-transaction-tokens:
-  I-D.oauth-transaction-tokens-for-agents:
-
---- abstract
-
-This document defines Execution Context Tokens (ECTs), a JWT-based
-extension to the WIMSE architecture that records task execution
-across distributed agentic workflows.  Each ECT is a signed record
-of a single task, linked to predecessor tasks through a directed
-acyclic graph (DAG).  ECTs reuse the WIMSE signing model and are
-transported in a new Execution-Context HTTP header field alongside
-existing WIMSE identity headers.
-
---- middle
-
-# Introduction
-
-The WIMSE framework {{I-D.ietf-wimse-arch}} and its service-to-
-service protocol {{I-D.ietf-wimse-s2s-protocol}} authenticate
-workloads across call chains but do not record what those
-workloads actually did.  This document defines Execution Context
-Tokens (ECTs), a JWT-based extension that fills the gap between
-workload identity and execution accountability.  Each ECT is a
-signed record of a single task, linked to predecessor tasks
-through a directed acyclic graph (DAG).
-
-## Scope and Applicability
-
-This document defines:
-
-- The Execution Context Token (ECT) format ({{ect-format}})
-- DAG structure for task dependency ordering ({{dag-validation}})
-- An HTTP header for ECT transport ({{http-header}})
-- Audit ledger interface requirements ({{ledger-interface}})
-
-The following are out of scope and are handled by WIMSE:
-
-- Workload authentication and identity provisioning
-- Key distribution and management
-- Trust domain establishment and management
-- Credential lifecycle management
-
-# Conventions and Definitions
-
-{::boilerplate bcp14-tagged}
-
-The following terms are used in this document:
-
-Agent:
-: An autonomous workload, as defined by WIMSE
-  {{I-D.ietf-wimse-arch}}, that executes tasks within a workflow.
-
-Task:
-: A discrete unit of agent work that consumes inputs and produces
-  outputs.
-
-Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG):
-: A graph structure representing task dependency ordering where
-  edges are directed and no cycles exist.
-
-Execution Context Token (ECT):
-: A JSON Web Token {{RFC7519}} defined by this specification that
-  records task execution details.
-
-Audit Ledger:
-: An append-only, immutable log of all ECTs within a workflow or
-  set of workflows, used for audit and verification.
-
-Workload Identity Token (WIT):
-: A WIMSE credential proving a workload's identity within a trust
-  domain.
-
-Workload Proof Token (WPT):
-: A WIMSE proof-of-possession token used for request-level
-  authentication.
-
-Trust Domain:
-: A WIMSE concept representing an organizational boundary with a
-  shared identity issuer, corresponding to a SPIFFE {{SPIFFE}}
-  trust domain.
-
-# Execution Context Token Format {#ect-format}
-
-An Execution Context Token is a JSON Web Token (JWT) {{RFC7519}}
-signed as a JSON Web Signature (JWS) {{RFC7515}}.  ECTs MUST use
-JWS Compact Serialization (the base64url-encoded
-`header.payload.signature` format) so that they can be carried in
-a single HTTP header value.
-
-ECTs reuse the WIMSE signing model.  The ECT MUST be signed with
-the same private key associated with the agent's WIT.  The JOSE
-header "kid" parameter MUST reference the public key identifier
-from the agent's WIT, and the "alg" parameter MUST match the
-algorithm used in the corresponding WIT.  In WIMSE deployments,
-the ECT "iss" claim SHOULD use the WIMSE workload identifier
-format (a SPIFFE ID {{SPIFFE}}).
-
-## JOSE Header {#jose-header}
-
-The ECT JOSE header MUST contain the following parameters:
-
-~~~json
-{
-  "alg": "ES256",
-  "typ": "wimse-exec+jwt",
-  "kid": "agent-a-key-id-123"
-}
-~~~
-{: #fig-header title="ECT JOSE Header Example"}
-
-alg:
-: REQUIRED.  The digital signature algorithm used to sign the ECT.
-  MUST match the algorithm in the corresponding WIT.
-  Implementations MUST support ES256 {{RFC7518}}.  The "alg"
-  value MUST NOT be "none".  Symmetric algorithms (e.g., HS256,
-  HS384, HS512) MUST NOT be used, as ECTs require asymmetric
-  signatures for non-repudiation.
-
-typ:
-: REQUIRED.  MUST be set to "wimse-exec+jwt" to distinguish ECTs
-  from other JWT types, consistent with the WIMSE convention for
-  type parameter values.
-
-kid:
-: REQUIRED.  The key identifier referencing the public key from
-  the agent's WIT {{RFC7517}}.  Used by verifiers to look up the
-  correct public key for signature verification.
-
-## JWT Claims {#jwt-claims}
-
-### Standard JWT Claims
-
-An ECT MUST contain the following standard JWT claims {{RFC7519}}:
-
-iss:
-: REQUIRED.  StringOrURI.  A URI identifying the issuer of the
-  ECT.  In WIMSE deployments, this SHOULD be the workload's
-  SPIFFE ID in the format `spiffe://<trust-domain>/<path>`,
-  matching the "sub" claim of the agent's WIT.  Non-WIMSE
-  deployments MAY use other URI schemes (e.g., HTTPS URLs or
-  URN:UUID identifiers).
-
-aud:
-: REQUIRED.  StringOrURI or array of StringOrURI.  The intended
-  recipient(s) of the ECT.  The "aud" claim SHOULD contain the
-  identifiers of all entities that will verify the ECT.  When
-  an ECT must be verified by both the next agent and the audit
-  ledger independently, "aud" MUST be an array containing both
-  identifiers.  Each verifier checks that its own identity
-  appears in "aud".
-
-iat:
-: REQUIRED.  NumericDate.  The time at which the ECT was issued.
-
-exp:
-: REQUIRED.  NumericDate.  The expiration time of the ECT.
-  Implementations SHOULD set this to 5 to 15 minutes after "iat".
-
-jti:
-: REQUIRED.  String.  A unique identifier for both the ECT and
-  the task it records, in UUID format {{RFC9562}}.  The "jti"
-  serves as both the token identifier (for replay detection) and
-  the task identifier (for DAG parent references in "par").
-  Receivers MUST reject ECTs whose "jti" has already been seen
-  within the expiration window.  When "wid" is present,
-  uniqueness is scoped to the workflow; when "wid" is absent,
-  uniqueness MUST be enforced globally across the ECT store.
-
-### Execution Context {#exec-claims}
-
-The following claims are defined by this specification:
-
-wid:
-: OPTIONAL.  String.  A workflow identifier that groups related
-  ECTs into a single workflow.  When present, MUST be a UUID
-  {{RFC9562}}.
-
-exec_act:
-: REQUIRED.  String.  The action or task type identifier describing
-  what the agent performed (e.g., "process_payment",
-  "validate_safety").  This claim name avoids collision with the
-  "act" (Actor) claim registered by {{RFC8693}}.
-
-par:
-: REQUIRED.  Array of strings.  Parent task identifiers
-  representing DAG dependencies.  Each element MUST be the "jti"
-  value of a previously verified ECT.  An empty array indicates
-  a root task with no dependencies.  A workflow MAY contain
-  multiple root tasks.
-
-### Data Integrity {#data-integrity-claims}
-
-The following claims provide integrity verification for task
-inputs and outputs without revealing the data itself:
-
-inp_hash:
-: OPTIONAL.  String.  The base64url encoding (without padding) of
-  the SHA-256 hash of the input data, computed over the raw octets
-  of the input.  SHA-256 is the mandatory algorithm with no
-  algorithm prefix in the value, consistent with {{RFC9449}} and
-  {{I-D.ietf-wimse-s2s-protocol}}.
-
-out_hash:
-: OPTIONAL.  String.  The base64url encoding (without padding) of
-  the SHA-256 hash of the output data, using the same format as
-  "inp_hash".
-
-### Extensions {#extension-claims}
-
-ext:
-: OPTIONAL.  Object.  A general-purpose extension object for
-  domain-specific claims not defined by this specification.
-  Implementations that do not understand extension claims MUST
-  ignore them.  Extension key names SHOULD use reverse domain
-  notation (e.g., "com.example.custom_field") to avoid
-  collisions.  The serialized "ext" object SHOULD NOT exceed
-  4096 bytes and SHOULD NOT exceed a nesting depth of 5 levels.
-
-## Complete ECT Example
-
-The following is a complete ECT payload example:
-
-~~~json
-{
-  "iss": "spiffe://example.com/agent/clinical",
-  "aud": "spiffe://example.com/agent/safety",
-  "iat": 1772064150,
-  "exp": 1772064750,
-  "jti": "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440001",
-
-  "wid": "a0b1c2d3-e4f5-6789-abcd-ef0123456789",
-  "exec_act": "recommend_treatment",
-  "par": [],
-
-  "inp_hash": "n4bQgYhMfWWaL-qgxVrQFaO_TxsrC4Is0V1sFbDwCgg",
-  "out_hash": "LCa0a2j_xo_5m0U8HTBBNBNCLXBkg7-g-YpeiGJm564",
-
-  "ext": {
-    "com.example.trace_id": "abc123"
-  }
-}
-~~~
-{: #fig-full-ect title="Complete ECT Payload Example"}
-
-# HTTP Header Transport {#http-header}
-
-## Execution-Context Header Field
-
-This specification defines the Execution-Context HTTP header field
-{{RFC9110}} for transporting ECTs between agents.
-
-The header field value is the ECT in JWS Compact Serialization
-format {{RFC7515}}.  The value consists of three Base64url-encoded
-parts separated by period (".") characters.
-
-An agent sending a request to another agent includes the
-Execution-Context header alongside the WIMSE Workload-Identity
-header.  When a Workload Proof Token (WPT) is available per
-{{I-D.ietf-wimse-s2s-protocol}}, agents SHOULD include it
-alongside the WIT and ECT.
-
-~~~
-GET /api/safety-check HTTP/1.1
-Host: safety-agent.example.com
-Workload-Identity: eyJhbGci...WIT...
-Execution-Context: eyJhbGci...ECT...
-~~~
-{: #fig-http-example title="HTTP Request with ECT Header"}
-
-When multiple parent tasks contribute context to a single request,
-multiple Execution-Context header field lines MAY be included, each
-carrying a separate ECT in JWS Compact Serialization format.
-
-When a receiver processes multiple Execution-Context headers, it
-MUST individually verify each ECT per the procedure in
-{{verification}}.  If any single ECT fails verification, the
-receiver MUST reject the entire request.  The set of verified
-parent task IDs across all received ECTs represents the complete
-set of parent dependencies available for the receiving agent's
-subsequent ECT.
-
-# DAG Validation {#dag-validation}
-
-ECTs form a Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) where each task
-references its parent tasks via the "par" claim.  DAG validation
-is performed against the ECT store — either an audit ledger or
-the set of parent ECTs received inline.
-
-When receiving and verifying an ECT, implementations MUST perform
-the following DAG validation steps:
-
-1.  Task ID Uniqueness: The "jti" claim MUST be unique within the
-    applicable scope (the workflow identified by "wid", or the
-    entire ECT store if "wid" is absent).  If an ECT with the same
-    "jti" already exists, the ECT MUST be rejected.
-
-2.  Parent Existence: Every task identifier listed in the "par"
-    array MUST correspond to a task that is available in the ECT
-    store (either previously recorded in the ledger or received
-    inline as a verified parent ECT).  If any parent task is not
-    found, the ECT MUST be rejected.
-
-3.  Temporal Ordering: The "iat" value of every parent task MUST
-    NOT be greater than the "iat" value of the current task plus a
-    configurable clock skew tolerance (RECOMMENDED: 30 seconds).
-    That is, for each parent: `parent.iat < child.iat +
-    clock_skew_tolerance`.  The tolerance accounts for clock skew
-    between agents; it does not guarantee strict causal ordering
-    from timestamps alone.  Causal ordering is primarily enforced
-    by the DAG structure (parent existence in the ECT store), not by
-    timestamps.  If any parent task violates this constraint, the
-    ECT MUST be rejected.
-
-4.  Acyclicity: Following the chain of parent references MUST NOT
-    lead back to the current ECT's "jti".  If a cycle is detected,
-    the ECT MUST be rejected.
-
-5.  Trust Domain Consistency: Parent tasks SHOULD belong to the
-    same trust domain or to a trust domain with which a federation
-    relationship has been established.
-
-To prevent denial-of-service via extremely deep or wide DAGs,
-implementations SHOULD enforce a maximum ancestor traversal limit
-(RECOMMENDED: 10000 nodes).  If the limit is reached before cycle
-detection completes, the ECT SHOULD be rejected.
-
-In distributed deployments, a parent ECT may not yet be available
-locally due to replication lag.  Implementations MAY defer
-validation to allow parent ECTs to arrive, but MUST NOT treat
-the ECT as verified until all parent references are resolved.
-
-# Signature and Token Verification {#verification}
-
-## Verification Procedure
-
-When an agent receives an ECT, it MUST perform the following
-verification steps in order:
-
-1.  Parse the JWS Compact Serialization to extract the JOSE header,
-    payload, and signature components per {{RFC7515}}.
-
-2.  Verify that the "typ" header parameter is "wimse-exec+jwt".
-
-3.  Verify that the "alg" header parameter appears in the
-    verifier's configured allowlist of accepted signing algorithms.
-    The allowlist MUST NOT include "none" or any symmetric
-    algorithm (e.g., HS256, HS384, HS512).  Implementations MUST
-    include ES256 in the allowlist; additional asymmetric algorithms
-    MAY be included per deployment policy.
-
-4.  Verify the "kid" header parameter references a known, valid
-    public key from a WIT within the trust domain.
-
-5.  Retrieve the public key identified by "kid" and verify the JWS
-    signature per {{RFC7515}} Section 5.2.
-
-6.  Verify that the signing key identified by "kid" has not been
-    revoked within the trust domain.  Implementations MUST check
-    the key's revocation status using the trust domain's key
-    lifecycle mechanism (e.g., certificate revocation list, OCSP,
-    or SPIFFE trust bundle updates).
-
-7.  Verify the "alg" header parameter matches the algorithm in the
-    corresponding WIT.
-
-8.  Verify the "iss" claim matches the "sub" claim of the WIT
-    associated with the "kid" public key.
-
-9.  Verify the "aud" claim contains the verifier's own workload
-    identity.  When "aud" is an array, it is sufficient that the
-    verifier's identity appears as one element; the presence of
-    other audience values does not cause verification failure.
-    When the verifier is the audit ledger, the ledger's own
-    identity MUST appear in "aud".
-
-10. Verify the "exp" claim indicates the ECT has not expired.
-
-11. Verify the "iat" claim is not unreasonably far in the past
-    (implementation-specific threshold, RECOMMENDED maximum of
-    15 minutes) and is not unreasonably far in the future
-    (RECOMMENDED: no more than 30 seconds ahead of the
-    verifier's current time, to account for clock skew).
-
-12. Verify all required claims ("jti", "exec_act", "par") are
-    present and well-formed.
-
-13. Perform DAG validation per {{dag-validation}}.
-
-14. If all checks pass and an audit ledger is deployed, the ECT
-    SHOULD be appended to the ledger.
-
-If any verification step fails, the ECT MUST be rejected and the
-failure MUST be logged for audit purposes.  Error messages
-SHOULD NOT reveal whether specific parent task IDs exist in the
-ECT store, to prevent information disclosure.
-
-When ECT verification fails during HTTP request processing, the
-receiving agent SHOULD respond with HTTP 403 (Forbidden) if the
-WIT is valid but the ECT is invalid, and HTTP 401
-(Unauthorized) if the ECT signature verification fails.  The
-response body SHOULD include a generic error indicator without
-revealing which specific verification step failed.  The receiving
-agent MUST NOT process the requested action when ECT verification
-fails.
-
-# Audit Ledger Interface {#ledger-interface}
-
-ECTs MAY be recorded in an immutable audit ledger for compliance
-verification and post-hoc analysis.  A ledger is RECOMMENDED for
-regulated environments but is not required for point-to-point
-operation.  This specification does not mandate a specific storage
-technology.  Implementations MAY use append-only logs, databases
-with cryptographic commitment schemes, distributed ledgers, or
-any storage mechanism that provides the required properties.
-
-When an audit ledger is deployed, the implementation MUST provide:
-
-1.  Append-only semantics: Once an ECT is recorded, it MUST NOT be
-    modified or deleted.
-
-2.  Ordering: The ledger MUST maintain a total ordering of ECT
-    entries via a monotonically increasing sequence number.
-
-3.  Lookup by ECT ID: The ledger MUST support efficient retrieval
-    of ECT entries by "jti" value.
-
-4.  Integrity verification: The ledger SHOULD provide a mechanism
-    to verify that no entries have been tampered with (e.g.,
-    hash chains or Merkle trees).
-
-The ledger SHOULD be maintained by an entity independent of the
-workflow agents to reduce the risk of collusion.
-
-# Security Considerations
-
-## Threat Model
-
-The threat model considers: (1) a malicious agent that creates
-false ECT claims, (2) an agent whose private key has been
-compromised, (3) a ledger tamperer attempting to modify recorded
-entries, and (4) a time manipulator altering timestamps to affect
-perceived ordering.
-
-## Self-Assertion Limitation {#self-assertion-limitation}
-
-ECTs are self-asserted by the executing agent.  The agent claims
-what it did, and this claim is signed with its private key.  A
-compromised or malicious agent could create ECTs with false claims
-(e.g., claiming an action was performed when it was not).
-
-ECTs do not independently verify that:
-
-- The claimed execution actually occurred as described
-- The input/output hashes correspond to the actual data processed
-- The agent faithfully performed the stated action
-
-The trustworthiness of ECT claims depends on the trustworthiness
-of the signing agent and the integrity of the broader deployment
-environment.  ECTs provide a technical mechanism for execution
-recording; they do not by themselves satisfy any specific
-regulatory compliance requirement.
-
-## Signature Verification
-
-ECTs MUST be signed with the agent's private key using JWS
-{{RFC7515}}.  The signature algorithm MUST match the algorithm
-specified in the agent's WIT.  Receivers MUST verify the ECT
-signature against the WIT public key before processing any
-claims.  Receivers MUST verify that the signing key has not been
-revoked within the trust domain (see step 6 in
-{{verification}}).
-
-If signature verification fails or if the signing key has been
-revoked, the ECT MUST be rejected entirely and the failure MUST
-be logged.
-
-Implementations MUST use established JWS libraries and MUST NOT
-implement custom signature verification.
-
-## Replay Attack Prevention
-
-ECTs include short expiration times (RECOMMENDED: 5-15 minutes)
-and audience restriction via "aud" to limit replay attacks.
-Implementations MUST maintain a cache of recently-seen "jti"
-values and MUST reject ECTs with duplicate "jti" values.  Each
-ECT is cryptographically bound to the issuing agent via "kid";
-verifiers MUST confirm that "kid" resolves to the "iss" agent's
-key (step 8 in {{verification}}).
-
-## Man-in-the-Middle Protection
-
-ECTs MUST be transmitted over TLS or mTLS connections.  When used
-with {{I-D.ietf-wimse-s2s-protocol}}, transport security is
-already established.
-
-## Key Compromise
-
-If an agent's private key is compromised, an attacker can forge
-ECTs that appear to originate from that agent.  Mitigations:
-
-- Implementations SHOULD use short-lived keys and rotate them
-  frequently.
-- Private keys SHOULD be stored in hardware security modules or
-  equivalent secure key storage.
-- Trust domains MUST support rapid key revocation.
-
-ECTs recorded before key revocation remain valid historical
-records but SHOULD be flagged for audit purposes.  New ECTs
-MUST NOT reference a parent ECT whose signing key is known to
-be revoked at creation time.
-
-## Collusion and DAG Integrity {#collusion-and-false-claims}
-
-A single malicious agent cannot forge parent task references
-because DAG validation requires parent tasks to exist in the ECT
-store.  However, multiple colluding agents could create a false
-execution history.  Additionally, a malicious agent may omit
-actual parent dependencies from "par" to hide influences on its
-output; because ECTs are self-asserted
-({{self-assertion-limitation}}), no mechanism can force complete
-dependency declaration.
-
-Mitigations include:
-
-- The ledger SHOULD be maintained by an entity independent of the
-  workflow agents.
-- Multiple independent ledger replicas can be compared for
-  consistency.
-- External auditors can compare the declared DAG against expected
-  workflow patterns.
-
-Verifiers SHOULD validate that the declared "wid" of parent ECTs
-matches the "wid" of the child ECT, rejecting cross-workflow
-parent references unless explicitly permitted by deployment
-policy.
-
-## Privilege Escalation via ECTs
-
-ECTs record execution history; they do not convey authorization.
-Verifiers MUST NOT interpret the presence of an ECT, or a
-particular set of parent references in "par", as an authorization
-grant.  Authorization decisions MUST remain with the identity and
-authorization layer (WIT, WPT, and deployment policy).
-
-## Denial of Service
-
-Implementations SHOULD apply rate limiting to prevent excessive
-ECT submissions.  DAG validation SHOULD be performed after
-signature verification to avoid wasting resources on unsigned
-tokens.
-
-## Timestamp Accuracy
-
-Implementations SHOULD use synchronized time sources (e.g., NTP)
-and SHOULD allow a configurable clock skew tolerance (RECOMMENDED:
-30 seconds).  Cross-organizational deployments MAY require a
-higher tolerance and SHOULD document the configured value.
-
-## ECT Size Constraints
-
-Implementations SHOULD limit the "par" array to a maximum of
-256 entries.  See {{extension-claims}} for "ext" size limits.
-
-# Privacy Considerations
-
-## Data Exposure in ECTs
-
-ECTs necessarily reveal:
-
-- Agent identities ("iss", "aud") for accountability purposes
-- Action descriptions ("exec_act") for audit trail completeness
-- Timestamps ("iat", "exp") for temporal ordering
-
-ECTs are designed to NOT reveal:
-
-- Actual input or output data values (replaced with cryptographic
-  hashes via "inp_hash" and "out_hash")
-- Internal computation details or intermediate steps
-- Proprietary algorithms or intellectual property
-- Personally identifiable information (PII)
-
-## Data Minimization {#data-minimization}
-
-Implementations SHOULD minimize the information included in ECTs.
-The "exec_act" claim SHOULD use structured identifiers (e.g.,
-"process_payment") rather than natural language descriptions.
-Extension keys in "ext" ({{extension-claims}}) deserve particular
-attention: human-readable values risk exposing sensitive operational
-details.  See {{extension-claims}} for guidance on using
-structured identifiers.
-
-## Storage and Access Control
-
-ECTs stored in audit ledgers SHOULD be access-controlled so that
-only authorized auditors can read them.  Implementations SHOULD
-consider encryption at rest for ledger storage.  ECTs provide
-structural records of execution ordering; they are not intended
-for public disclosure.
-
-Full input and output data (corresponding to the hashes in ECTs)
-SHOULD be stored separately from the ledger with additional access
-controls, since auditors may need to verify hash correctness but
-general access to the data values is not needed.
-
-# IANA Considerations
-
-## Media Type Registration
-
-This document requests registration of the following media type
-in the "Media Types" registry maintained by IANA:
-
-Type name:
-: application
-
-Subtype name:
-: wimse-exec+jwt
-
-Required parameters:
-: none
-
-Optional parameters:
-: none
-
-Encoding considerations:
-: 8bit; an ECT is a JWT that is a JWS using the Compact
-  Serialization, which is a sequence of Base64url-encoded values
-  separated by period characters.
-
-Security considerations:
-: See the Security Considerations section of this document.
-
-Interoperability considerations:
-: none
-
-Published specification:
-: This document
-
-Applications that use this media type:
-: Applications that implement agentic workflows requiring execution
-  context tracing and audit trails.
-
-Additional information:
-: Magic number(s): none
-  File extension(s): none
-  Macintosh file type code(s): none
-
-Person and email address to contact for further information:
-: Christian Nennemann, ietf@nennemann.de
-
-Intended usage:
-: COMMON
-
-Restrictions on usage:
-: none
-
-Author:
-: Christian Nennemann
-
-Change controller:
-: IETF
-
-## HTTP Header Field Registration {#header-registration}
-
-This document requests registration of the following header field
-in the "Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) Field Name Registry"
-maintained by IANA:
-
-Field name:
-: Execution-Context
-
-Status:
-: permanent
-
-Specification document:
-: This document, {{http-header}}
-
-## JWT Claims Registration {#claims-registration}
-
-This document requests registration of the following claims in
-the "JSON Web Token Claims" registry maintained by IANA:
-
-| Claim Name | Claim Description | Change Controller | Reference |
-|:---:|:---|:---:|:---:|
-| wid | Workflow Identifier | IETF | {{exec-claims}} |
-| exec_act | Action/Task Type | IETF | {{exec-claims}} |
-| par | Parent Task Identifiers | IETF | {{exec-claims}} |
-| inp_hash | Input Data Hash | IETF | {{data-integrity-claims}} |
-| out_hash | Output Data Hash | IETF | {{data-integrity-claims}} |
-| ext | Extension Object | IETF | {{extension-claims}} |
-{: #table-claims title="JWT Claims Registrations"}
-
---- back
-
-# Use Cases {#use-cases}
-{:numbered="false"}
-
-This section describes a representative use case demonstrating how
-ECTs provide structured execution records.
-
-Note: task identifiers in this section are abbreviated for
-readability.  In production, all "jti" values are required to be
-UUIDs per {{exec-claims}}.
-
-## Cross-Organization Financial Trading
-{:numbered="false"}
-
-In a cross-organization trading workflow, an investment bank's
-agents coordinate with an external credit rating agency.  The
-agents operate in separate trust domains with a federation
-relationship.  The DAG records that independent assessments from
-both organizations were completed before trade execution.
-
-~~~
-Trust Domain: bank.example
-  Agent A1 (Portfolio Risk):
-    jti: task-001    par: []
-    iss: spiffe://bank.example/agent/risk
-    exec_act: analyze_portfolio_risk
-
-Trust Domain: ratings.example (external)
-  Agent B1 (Credit Rating):
-    jti: task-002    par: []
-    iss: spiffe://ratings.example/agent/credit
-    exec_act: assess_credit_rating
-
-Trust Domain: bank.example
-  Agent A2 (Compliance):
-    jti: task-003    par: [task-001, task-002]
-    iss: spiffe://bank.example/agent/compliance
-    exec_act: verify_trade_compliance
-
-  Agent A3 (Execution):
-    jti: task-004    par: [task-003]
-    iss: spiffe://bank.example/agent/execution
-    exec_act: execute_trade
-~~~
-{: #fig-finance title="Cross-Organization Trading Workflow"}
-
-The resulting DAG:
-
-~~~
-task-001 (analyze_portfolio_risk)   task-002 (assess_credit_rating)
-  [bank.example]                      [ratings.example]
-          \                              /
-           v                            v
-         task-003 (verify_trade_compliance)
-           [bank.example]
-                    |
-                    v
-         task-004 (execute_trade)
-           [bank.example]
-~~~
-{: #fig-finance-dag title="Cross-Organization DAG"}
-
-Task 003 has two parents from different trust domains,
-demonstrating cross-organizational fan-in.  The compliance agent
-verifies both parent ECTs — one signed by a local key and one by
-a federated key from the rating agency's trust domain.
-
-# Related Work
-{:numbered="false"}
-
-## WIMSE Workload Identity
-{:numbered="false"}
-
-The WIMSE architecture {{I-D.ietf-wimse-arch}} and service-to-
-service protocol {{I-D.ietf-wimse-s2s-protocol}} provide the
-identity foundation upon which ECTs are built.  WIT/WPT answer
-"who is this agent?" and "does it control the claimed key?" while
-ECTs record "what did this agent do?"  Together they form an
-identity-plus-accountability framework for regulated agentic
-systems.
-
-## OAuth 2.0 Token Exchange and the "act" Claim
-{:numbered="false"}
-
-{{RFC8693}} defines the OAuth 2.0 Token Exchange protocol and
-registers the "act" (Actor) claim in the JWT Claims registry.
-The "act" claim creates nested JSON objects representing a
-delegation chain: "who is acting on behalf of whom."  While
-the nesting superficially resembles a chain, it is strictly
-linear (each "act" object contains at most one nested "act"),
-represents authorization delegation rather than task execution,
-and carries no task identifiers or input/output integrity
-data.  The "act" chain cannot represent
-branching (fan-out) or convergence (fan-in) and therefore
-cannot form a DAG.
-
-ECTs intentionally use the distinct claim name "exec_act" for the
-action/task type to avoid collision with the "act" claim.  The
-two concepts are orthogonal: "act" records "who authorized whom,"
-ECTs record "what was done, in what order."
-
-## Transaction Tokens
-{:numbered="false"}
-
-OAuth Transaction Tokens {{I-D.ietf-oauth-transaction-tokens}}
-propagate authorization context across workload call chains.
-The Txn-Token "req_wl" claim accumulates a comma-separated list
-of workloads that requested replacement tokens, which is the
-closest existing mechanism to call-chain recording.
-
-However, "req_wl" cannot form a DAG because:
-
-- It is linear: a comma-separated string with no branching or
-  merging representation.  When a workload fans out to multiple
-  downstream services, each receives the same "req_wl" value and
-  the branching is invisible.
-- It is incomplete: only workloads that request a replacement
-  token from the Transaction Token Service appear in "req_wl";
-  workloads that forward the token unchanged are not recorded.
-- It carries no task-level granularity, no parent references,
-  and no execution content.
-- It cannot represent convergence (fan-in): when two independent
-  paths must both complete before a dependent task proceeds, a
-  linear "req_wl" string cannot express that relationship.
-
-Extensions for agentic use cases
-({{I-D.oauth-transaction-tokens-for-agents}}) add agent
-identity and constraints ("agentic_ctx") but no execution
-ordering or DAG structure.
-
-ECTs and Transaction Tokens are complementary: a Txn-Token
-propagates authorization context ("this request is authorized
-for scope X on behalf of user Y"), while an ECT records
-execution accountability ("task T was performed, depending on
-tasks P1 and P2").  An
-agent request could carry both a Txn-Token for authorization
-and an ECT for execution recording.  The WPT "tth" claim
-defined in {{I-D.ietf-wimse-s2s-protocol}} can hash-bind a
-WPT to a co-present Txn-Token; a similar binding mechanism
-for ECTs is a potential future extension.
-
-## Distributed Tracing (OpenTelemetry)
-{:numbered="false"}
-
-OpenTelemetry {{OPENTELEMETRY}} and similar distributed tracing
-systems provide observability for debugging and monitoring.  ECTs
-differ in several important ways: ECTs are cryptographically
-signed per-task with the agent's private key; ECTs are
-tamper-evident through JWS signatures; ECTs enforce DAG validation
-rules; and ECTs are designed for regulatory audit rather than
-operational monitoring.  OpenTelemetry data is typically controlled
-by the platform operator and can be modified or deleted without
-detection.  ECTs and distributed traces are complementary: traces
-provide observability while ECTs provide signed execution records.
-ECTs may reference OpenTelemetry trace identifiers in the "ext"
-claim for correlation.
-
-## W3C Provenance Data Model (PROV)
-{:numbered="false"}
-
-The W3C PROV Data Model defines an Entity-Activity-Agent ontology
-for representing provenance information.  PROV's concepts map
-closely to ECT structures: PROV Activities correspond to ECT
-tasks, PROV Agents correspond to WIMSE workloads, and PROV's
-"wasInformedBy" relation corresponds to ECT "par" references.
-However, PROV uses RDF/OWL ontologies designed for post-hoc
-documentation, while ECTs are runtime-embeddable JWT tokens with
-cryptographic signatures.  ECT audit data could be exported to
-PROV format for interoperability with provenance-aware systems.
-
-## SCITT (Supply Chain Integrity, Transparency, and Trust)
-{:numbered="false"}
-
-The SCITT architecture {{I-D.ietf-scitt-architecture}} defines a
-framework for transparent and auditable supply chain records.
-ECTs and SCITT are complementary: the ECT "wid" claim can serve
-as a correlation identifier in SCITT Signed Statements, linking
-an ECT audit trail to a supply chain transparency record.
-
-# Acknowledgments
-{:numbered="false"}
-
-The author thanks the WIMSE working group for their foundational
-work on workload identity in multi-system environments.  The
-concepts of Workload Identity Tokens and Workload Proof Tokens
-provide the identity foundation upon which execution context
-tracing is built.

draft-nennemann-wimse-ect.md

@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ submissiontype: IETF
 number:
 date:
 v: 3
-area: "ART"
+area: "SEC"
 workgroup: "WIMSE"
 keyword:
   - execution context
@@ -25,18 +25,21 @@ author:
 normative:
   RFC7515:
   RFC7517:
-  RFC7519:
   RFC7518:
+  RFC7519:
+  RFC9449:
   RFC9562:
   RFC9110:
 
 informative:
+  RFC6838:
   RFC8693:
+  RFC8725:
   I-D.ietf-wimse-arch:
   I-D.ietf-wimse-s2s-protocol:
   SPIFFE:
-    title: "Secure Production Identity Framework for Everyone (SPIFFE)"
+    title: "SPIFFE ID"
-    target: https://spiffe.io/docs/latest/spiffe-about/overview/
+    target: https://spiffe.io/docs/latest/spiffe-about/spiffe-concepts/
     date: false
   OPENTELEMETRY:
     title: "OpenTelemetry Specification"
@@ -45,9 +48,16 @@ informative:
     author:
       - org: Cloud Native Computing Foundation
   I-D.ietf-scitt-architecture:
-  RFC9449:
   I-D.ietf-oauth-transaction-tokens:
   I-D.oauth-transaction-tokens-for-agents:
+    title: "Transaction Tokens for Agentic AI Systems"
+    target: https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-oauth-transaction-tokens-for-agents-00/
+    seriesinfo:
+      Internet-Draft: draft-oauth-transaction-tokens-for-agents-00
+    date: 2025
+    author:
+      - fullname: Vittorio Bertocci
+  RFC9334:
 
 --- abstract
 
@@ -61,11 +71,10 @@ agnostic and can operate with any asymmetric key infrastructure
 including WIMSE WIT/WPT, X.509 certificates, OAuth-based
 credentials, or plain JWK sets.
 
-This revision introduces three assurance levels — Level 1
+ECTs support three assurance levels — Level 1 (unsigned JSON),
-(unsigned JSON), Level 2 (JOSE asymmetric signing), and Level 3
+Level 2 (JOSE asymmetric signing), and Level 3 (JOSE signing with
-(JOSE signing with audit ledger) — allowing deployments to choose
+audit ledger) — allowing deployments to choose the appropriate
-the appropriate trade-off between simplicity and regulatory
+trade-off between simplicity and regulatory compliance.
-compliance.
 
 --- middle
 
@@ -119,7 +128,7 @@ Level 2 (L2) — JOSE Asymmetric Signing:
   L2 provides non-repudiation and tamper detection.  This is
   the baseline assurance level for cross-organization and
   peer-to-peer deployments.  L2 corresponds to the behavior
-  defined in draft-nennemann-wimse-ect-00.
+  defined in Version -00 of this specification.
 
 Level 3 (L3) — JOSE Signing with Audit Ledger:
 : L3 extends L2 by requiring that every ECT be recorded in an
@@ -192,21 +201,23 @@ this section.
 The following standard JWT claims {{RFC7519}} are defined for ECTs:
 
 iss:
-: RECOMMENDED.  StringOrURI.  A URI identifying the issuer of the
+: OPTIONAL at L1; REQUIRED at L2 and L3.  StringOrURI.  A URI
-  ECT.  The value MUST correspond to the agent's identity as
+  identifying the issuer of the ECT.  The value MUST correspond
-  asserted by its identity credential (see {{identity-binding}}).
+  to the agent's identity as asserted by its identity credential
-  In WIMSE deployments, this SHOULD be the workload's SPIFFE ID
+  (see {{identity-binding}}).  In WIMSE deployments, this SHOULD
-  in the format `spiffe://<trust-domain>/<path>`.  Other
+  be the workload's SPIFFE ID in the format
-  deployments MAY use HTTPS URLs, URN:UUID identifiers, or other
+  `spiffe://<trust-domain>/<path>`.  Other deployments MAY use
-  URI schemes appropriate to the identity framework in use.  The
+  HTTPS URLs, URN:UUID identifiers, or other URI schemes
-  "iss" claim is REQUIRED for L2 and L3 deployments (see
+  appropriate to the identity framework in use.  L1 deployments
-  {{l2-verification}} and {{l3-verification}}).
+  are encouraged to include "iss" for consistency but it is not
+  required.  See {{l2-verification}} and {{l3-verification}} for
+  the L2/L3 verification requirements.
 
 aud:
 : RECOMMENDED.  StringOrURI or array of StringOrURI.  The intended
   recipient(s) of the ECT.  The "aud" claim SHOULD contain the
   identifiers of all entities that will verify the ECT.  When
-  an ECT must be verified by both the next agent and the audit
+  an ECT is to be verified by both the next agent and the audit
   ledger independently, "aud" MUST be an array containing both
   identifiers.  Each verifier checks that its own identity
   appears in "aud".  The "aud" claim is REQUIRED for L2 and L3
@@ -223,7 +234,7 @@ jti:
 : REQUIRED.  String.  A unique identifier for both the ECT and
   the task it records, in UUID format {{RFC9562}}.  The "jti"
   serves as both the token identifier (for replay detection) and
-  the task identifier (for DAG parent references in "par").
+  the task identifier (for DAG parent references in "pred").
   Receivers MUST reject ECTs whose "jti" has already been seen
   within the expiration window.  When "wid" is present,
   uniqueness is scoped to the workflow; when "wid" is absent,
@@ -244,12 +255,15 @@ exec_act:
   "validate_safety").  This claim name avoids collision with the
   "act" (Actor) claim registered by {{RFC8693}}.
 
-par:
+pred:
-: REQUIRED.  Array of strings.  Parent task identifiers
+: REQUIRED.  Array of strings.  Predecessor task identifiers
   representing DAG dependencies.  Each element MUST be the "jti"
   value of a previously verified ECT.  An empty array indicates
   a root task with no dependencies.  A workflow MAY contain
-  multiple root tasks.
+  multiple root tasks.  The "pred" claim is always required
+  (rather than optional with absence meaning "root task") to
+  simplify validation logic and eliminate ambiguity between a
+  root task and a claim accidentally omitted.
 
 ### Data Integrity Claims {#data-integrity-claims}
 
@@ -270,14 +284,16 @@ out_hash:
 
 ### Extension Claims {#extension-claims}
 
-ext:
+ect_ext:
 : OPTIONAL.  Object.  A general-purpose extension object for
   domain-specific claims not defined by this specification.
   Implementations that do not understand extension claims MUST
   ignore them.  Extension key names SHOULD use reverse domain
   notation (e.g., "com.example.custom_field") to avoid
-  collisions.  The serialized "ext" object SHOULD NOT exceed
+  collisions.  The serialized "ect_ext" object MUST NOT exceed
-  4096 bytes and SHOULD NOT exceed a nesting depth of 5 levels.
+  4096 bytes and MUST NOT exceed a nesting depth of 5 levels.
+  Receivers MUST reject ECTs whose "ect_ext" object exceeds these
+  limits.
 
 ## Complete ECT Payload Example
 
@@ -295,12 +311,12 @@ envelope differs.
 
   "wid": "a0b1c2d3-e4f5-6789-abcd-ef0123456789",
   "exec_act": "recommend_treatment",
-  "par": [],
+  "pred": [],
 
   "inp_hash": "n4bQgYhMfWWaL-qgxVrQFaO_TxsrC4Is0V1sFbDwCgg",
   "out_hash": "LCa0a2j_xo_5m0U8HTBBNBNCLXBkg7-g-YpeiGJm564",
 
-  "ext": {
+  "ect_ext": {
     "com.example.trace_id": "abc123"
   }
 }
@@ -314,12 +330,14 @@ defined in {{ect-payload}}.  No cryptographic signature is applied.
 
 ### L1 Transport {#l1-transport}
 
-L1 ECTs are transported as serialized JSON.  Two mechanisms are
+L1 ECTs are transported as base64url-encoded JSON (without
-defined:
+padding).  Two mechanisms are defined:
 
 HTTP Header:
 : The Execution-Context header field ({{http-header}}) carries
-  the base64url-encoded JSON payload (without padding).
+  the base64url-encoded JSON payload (without padding).  The
+  header value is NOT raw JSON; the receiver MUST base64url-decode
+  the value before parsing.
 
 HTTP Body:
 : When the ECT is the primary request payload, the ECT MAY be
@@ -337,16 +355,20 @@ verification steps:
 1.  Parse the JSON object.
 
 2.  Verify that all required claims ("jti", "iat", "exp",
-    "exec_act", "par") are present and well-formed.
+    "exec_act", "pred") are present and well-formed.
 
-3.  Verify the "exp" claim indicates the ECT has not expired.
+3.  Verify that the "jti" has not been previously seen within the
+    expiration window, consistent with the replay detection
+    requirement in {{exec-claims}}.
 
-4.  Verify the "iat" claim is not unreasonably far in the past
+4.  Verify the "exp" claim indicates the ECT has not expired.
+
+5.  Verify the "iat" claim is not unreasonably far in the past
     (RECOMMENDED maximum: 15 minutes) and is not unreasonably
     far in the future (RECOMMENDED: no more than 30 seconds
     ahead of the verifier's current time).
 
-5.  Perform DAG validation per {{dag-validation}}.
+6.  Perform DAG validation per {{dag-validation}}.
 
 If any verification step fails, the ECT MUST be rejected and the
 failure MUST be logged.
@@ -368,6 +390,12 @@ L1 does NOT provide:
 - Issuer authentication at the ECT layer (identity depends
   entirely on the transport layer)
 
+Note: At L1, without a deployed audit ledger, DAG parent
+existence validation ({{dag-validation}} step 2) is limited to
+parent ECTs received inline with the current request.  Parents
+from prior requests that were not forwarded inline cannot be
+verified.
+
 L1 MUST NOT be used across trust domain boundaries.
 Deployments using L1 SHOULD restrict it to internal environments
 where all agents are operated by the same organization and
@@ -377,7 +405,7 @@ transport security is considered sufficient.
 
 At Level 2, an ECT is a JSON Web Token (JWT) {{RFC7519}} signed
 as a JSON Web Signature (JWS) {{RFC7515}}.  L2 corresponds to the
-signing behavior defined in draft-nennemann-wimse-ect-00.
+signing behavior defined in Version -00 of this specification.
 
 ECTs MUST use JWS Compact Serialization (the base64url-encoded
 `header.payload.signature` format) so that they can be carried in
@@ -409,12 +437,20 @@ alg:
   credential.  Implementations MUST support ES256 {{RFC7518}}.
   The "alg" value MUST NOT be "none".  Symmetric algorithms
   (e.g., HS256, HS384, HS512) MUST NOT be used, as ECTs require
-  asymmetric signatures for non-repudiation.
+  asymmetric signatures for non-repudiation.  To support algorithm
+  agility, deployments SHOULD maintain an allowlist of accepted
+  signing algorithms and SHOULD plan for migration to stronger
+  algorithms as cryptographic requirements evolve.  The algorithm
+  is signaled in-band via the "alg" header parameter, enabling
+  verifiers to support multiple algorithms during a transition
+  period.  Deployments SHOULD document their algorithm migration
+  strategy and SHOULD NOT assume that ES256 will remain
+  sufficient indefinitely.
 
 typ:
 : REQUIRED.  MUST be set to "exec+jwt" to distinguish ECTs from
   other JWT types.  WIMSE deployments MAY use "wimse-exec+jwt"
-  for backward compatibility with draft-nennemann-wimse-ect-00.
+  for backward compatibility with Version -00 of this specification.
   Verifiers MUST accept both values.
 
 kid:
@@ -487,7 +523,7 @@ verification steps in order:
     (RECOMMENDED: no more than 30 seconds ahead of the
     verifier's current time, to account for clock skew).
 
-12. Verify all required claims ("jti", "exec_act", "par") are
+12. Verify all required claims ("jti", "exec_act", "pred") are
     present and well-formed.
 
 13. Perform DAG validation per {{dag-validation}}.
@@ -575,7 +611,11 @@ Asynchronous Recording:
   MUST subsequently verify that the ledger accepted the ECT and
   MUST retain the receipt.  If the ledger rejects the ECT, the
   agent MUST alert the workflow coordinator or log a critical
-  error.
+  error.  If asynchronous ledger recording fails, the producing
+  agent MUST notify downstream agents that the ECT's L3 status
+  is unconfirmed.  Downstream agents SHOULD treat such an ECT as
+  L2-verified (not L3-verified) until ledger confirmation is
+  independently obtainable.
 
 Deployments SHOULD use synchronous recording unless latency
 constraints make it impractical.  The recording mode SHOULD be
@@ -586,23 +626,32 @@ documented in the deployment's security policy.
 L3 verification consists of L2 verification ({{l2-verification}})
 followed by ledger verification:
 
+Note: The "iss" and "aud" claims, which are RECOMMENDED at L1
+and verified at L2 (steps 8-9 of {{l2-verification}}), are
+REQUIRED at L3.
+
 1.  Perform all L2 verification steps (steps 1 through 14 of
     {{l2-verification}}).
 
-2.  Verify the "iss" claim is present (REQUIRED at L3).
+2.  Verify that the ECT has been recorded in the audit ledger by
+    querying the ledger for the ECT's "jti".  If the ECT is
+    found, verify that the ledger entry's receipt contains a
+    valid sequence number, ECT hash, and cryptographic commitment
+    proof.  Note: the producing agent is responsible for recording
+    the ECT per {{l3-recording}}; the verifier checks that
+    recording has occurred.
 
-3.  Verify the "aud" claim is present (REQUIRED at L3).
+3.  If the ECT is not yet present in the ledger (e.g., due to
+    asynchronous recording), the verifier MAY retry after a
+    short delay.  If the ledger does not contain the ECT within
+    the configured timeout, the verifier MUST either reject the
+    ECT or downgrade to L2 verification per deployment policy.
 
-4.  Submit the ECT to the audit ledger for recording per
+4.  If the ledger is unavailable, the verifier SHOULD retry with
-    {{l3-recording}}.
+    exponential backoff.  If the ledger remains unavailable after
-
+    a deployment-configured number of retries, the verifier MUST
-5.  Verify that the ledger returned a valid receipt containing
+    either reject the ECT or downgrade to L2 verification per
-    the sequence number, ECT hash, and cryptographic commitment
+    deployment policy.
-    proof.
-
-6.  If synchronous recording is required by deployment policy and
-    the ledger does not return a receipt within the configured
-    timeout, the ECT MUST be treated as unverified.
 
 If any L3-specific verification step fails, the ECT MUST be
 rejected even if L2 verification succeeded.
@@ -641,32 +690,51 @@ following criteria:
 
 - Use L3 when regulatory requirements mandate tamper-evident
   audit trails with cryptographic commitment, or when the
-  deployment must demonstrate compliance with frameworks such as
+  deployment needs to demonstrate compliance with frameworks such as
   FDA 21 CFR Part 11, MiFID II, or the EU AI Act.
 
 A deployment MAY use different assurance levels for different
 workflows within the same infrastructure.  When agents at
 different levels interact, the higher level's verification
-requirements apply to the receiving agent.
+requirements apply to the receiving agent.  Specifically, an
+ECT at a higher assurance level MAY reference parent ECTs at a
+lower assurance level in its "pred" claim.  In this case, the
+receiving agent applies its own level's verification to the
+current ECT and the parent's level verification to each parent
+ECT.  For example, an L2 agent receiving an L1 parent ECT
+verifies the L1 parent per {{l1-verification}} and its own L2
+ECT per {{l2-verification}}.  Whether cross-level parent
+references are permitted is a deployment policy decision;
+deployments MAY reject ECTs whose parents are below a minimum
+assurance level.
+
+This specification does not define a level negotiation mechanism.
+Deployments configure the required assurance level out of band.
+A future extension MAY define in-band level signaling.
 
 ## Backward Compatibility and Level Detection {#level-detection}
 
 A verifier determines the assurance level of a received ECT as
 follows:
 
-1.  If the Execution-Context header value or body content parses
+1.  If the raw Execution-Context header value (or body content)
-    as valid JSON (not JWS Compact Serialization), the ECT is L1.
+    contains exactly two period (".") characters separating three
+    non-empty segments, attempt to parse the value as JWS Compact
+    Serialization.  If the first segment base64url-decodes to a
+    JSON object containing an "alg" field, the ECT is L2 or L3.
 
-2.  If the value parses as JWS Compact Serialization (three
+2.  Otherwise, base64url-decode the header value (without padding)
-    Base64url-encoded segments separated by periods), the ECT is
+    and attempt to parse the result as JSON.  If successful, the
-    L2 or L3.
+    ECT is L1.
 
-3.  L2 and L3 use the same JWS format.  Differentiation between
+3.  If neither parse succeeds, the ECT MUST be rejected.
-    L2 and L3 is a matter of deployment policy: L3 deployments
-    require ledger recording ({{l3-ledger}}), while L2
-    deployments treat ledger recording as optional.
 
-Implementations compliant with draft-nennemann-wimse-ect-00 are
+L2 and L3 use the same JWS format.  Differentiation between
+L2 and L3 is a matter of deployment policy: L3 deployments
+require ledger recording ({{l3-ledger}}), while L2
+deployments treat ledger recording as optional.
+
+Implementations compliant with Version -00 of this specification are
 L2-compatible.  No changes to existing -00 implementations are
 required for L2 interoperability.
 
@@ -778,10 +846,25 @@ parent task IDs across all received ECTs represents the complete
 set of parent dependencies available for the receiving agent's
 subsequent ECT.
 
+## HTTP Error Handling
+
+When ECT verification fails during HTTP request processing, the
+receiving agent SHOULD respond with HTTP 403 (Forbidden).  This
+applies regardless of whether the failure is due to an invalid
+ECT payload, a signature verification failure, or a missing ECT
+when one is required by deployment policy.  HTTP 401
+(Unauthorized) SHOULD NOT be used for ECT failures, as 401
+conventionally indicates that authentication credentials are
+missing or invalid and requires a WWW-Authenticate header per
+{{RFC9110}}.  The response body SHOULD include a generic error
+indicator without revealing which specific verification step
+failed.  The receiving agent MUST NOT process the requested
+action when ECT verification fails.
+
 # DAG Validation {#dag-validation}
 
 ECTs form a Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) where each task
-references its parent tasks via the "par" claim.  DAG validation
+references its parent tasks via the "pred" claim.  DAG validation
 is performed against the ECT store — either an audit ledger or
 the set of parent ECTs received inline.
 
@@ -795,7 +878,7 @@ the following DAG validation steps:
     entire ECT store if "wid" is absent).  If an ECT with the same
     "jti" already exists, the ECT MUST be rejected.
 
-2.  Parent Existence: Every task identifier listed in the "par"
+2.  Parent Existence: Every task identifier listed in the "pred"
     array MUST correspond to a task that is available in the ECT
     store (either previously recorded in the ledger or received
     inline as a verified parent ECT).  If any parent task is not
@@ -814,12 +897,25 @@ the following DAG validation steps:
 
 4.  Acyclicity: Following the chain of parent references MUST NOT
     lead back to the current ECT's "jti".  If a cycle is detected,
-    the ECT MUST be rejected.
+    the ECT MUST be rejected.  Note: because the Parent Existence
+    check (step 2) requires that all parents already exist in the
+    ECT store, and an ECT cannot reference itself or a future ECT,
+    cycles are prevented by construction.  This explicit check
+    serves as defense in depth against implementation errors or
+    store corruption.
 
 5.  Trust Domain Consistency: Parent tasks SHOULD belong to the
     same trust domain or to a trust domain with which a federation
     relationship has been established.
 
+6.  Workflow Consistency: When "wid" is present, verifiers SHOULD
+    validate that the "wid" of each parent ECT matches the "wid"
+    of the current ECT.  Cross-workflow parent references (where
+    a parent's "wid" differs from the child's "wid") MUST be
+    rejected unless explicitly permitted by deployment policy.
+    See also {{collusion-and-false-claims}} for the security
+    rationale.
+
 To prevent denial-of-service via extremely deep or wide DAGs,
 implementations SHOULD enforce a maximum ancestor traversal limit
 (RECOMMENDED: 10000 nodes).  If the limit is reached before cycle
@@ -830,36 +926,6 @@ locally due to replication lag.  Implementations MAY defer
 validation to allow parent ECTs to arrive, but MUST NOT treat
 the ECT as verified until all parent references are resolved.
 
-# Signature and Token Verification {#verification}
-
-## Level Detection
-
-Before performing verification, the verifier MUST determine the
-assurance level of the received ECT per {{level-detection}}.  If
-the ECT is L1 (unsigned JSON), the verifier follows the L1
-verification procedure ({{l1-verification}}) and skips all
-signature-related steps.  If the ECT is L2 or L3 (JWS), the
-verifier follows the L2 verification procedure
-({{l2-verification}}) and, for L3 deployments, the additional
-ledger verification steps ({{l3-verification}}).
-
-## L2/L3 Verification Procedure
-
-The L2 verification procedure is defined in {{l2-verification}}.
-For L3 deployments, the additional steps in {{l3-verification}}
-MUST also be performed.
-
-## HTTP Error Handling
-
-When ECT verification fails during HTTP request processing, the
-receiving agent SHOULD respond with HTTP 403 (Forbidden) if the
-agent's identity credential is valid but the ECT is invalid, and
-HTTP 401 (Unauthorized) if the ECT signature verification fails.
-The response body SHOULD include a generic error indicator without
-revealing which specific verification step failed.  The receiving
-agent MUST NOT process the requested action when ECT verification
-fails.
-
 # Audit Ledger Interface {#ledger-interface}
 
 ECTs MAY be recorded in an immutable audit ledger for compliance
@@ -945,7 +1011,7 @@ perceived ordering.
 
 ## Level-Specific Security Properties {#level-security}
 
-### Level 1
+### Level 1 {#sec-level-1}
 
 L1 provides no cryptographic binding between the ECT and its
 issuer.  A compromised or malicious intermediary with access to
@@ -960,14 +1026,14 @@ organization, the transport channel is fully trusted (e.g.,
 service mesh with mTLS), and the deployment does not require
 non-repudiation or tamper evidence beyond transport security.
 
-### Level 2
+### Level 2 {#sec-level-2}
 
 L2 inherits all security properties of the JWS-based ECT
 mechanism defined in this document.  The existing security
 analysis (signature verification, replay prevention, key
 compromise, collusion) applies directly to L2.
 
-### Level 3
+### Level 3 {#sec-level-3}
 
 L3 provides all L2 security properties plus tamper-evident
 history via the audit ledger's hash chain and cryptographic
@@ -981,6 +1047,24 @@ mechanism ({{l3-ledger}}) provides evidence of submission.
 Deployments concerned about ledger censorship SHOULD use multiple
 independent ledger replicas.
 
+## Assurance Level Downgrade Attacks
+
+The assurance level of an ECT is determined by its format: unsigned
+JSON indicates L1, while a JWS compact serialization indicates L2
+or L3.  This format-based detection determines what was sent, not
+what was expected by the verifier.
+
+A man-in-the-middle or compromised proxy could strip the JWS
+signature from an L2 or L3 ECT and re-encode the payload as an
+unsigned L1 JSON object.  Because the resulting ECT is
+syntactically valid at L1, a verifier that accepts any assurance
+level would process it without detecting the downgrade.
+
+Verifiers MUST be configured with a minimum acceptable assurance
+level and MUST reject ECTs whose detected level falls below that
+minimum.  Format-based level detection alone is insufficient
+without a policy-enforced minimum level requirement.
+
 ## Self-Assertion Limitation {#self-assertion-limitation}
 
 ECTs are self-asserted by the executing agent.  The agent claims
@@ -1001,6 +1085,11 @@ environment.  ECTs provide a technical mechanism for execution
 recording; they do not by themselves satisfy any specific
 regulatory compliance requirement.
 
+At Level 1, the self-assertion limitation is compounded by the
+absence of any cryptographic binding; any entity with access to
+the transport channel can create ECTs claiming any identity and
+any action.
+
 ## Signature Verification
 
 For L2 and L3 deployments, ECTs MUST be signed with the agent's
@@ -1017,7 +1106,14 @@ revoked, the ECT MUST be rejected entirely and the failure MUST
 be logged.
 
 Implementations MUST use established JWS libraries and MUST NOT
-implement custom signature verification.
+implement custom signature verification.  Implementations SHOULD
+follow the JWT security best practices defined in {{RFC8725}}.
+
+The prohibition of "alg": "none" (see {{l2-verification}}) also
+serves as defense against level-confusion attacks: an L1 payload
+wrapped in a JWS with alg=none would be detected as L2 by format
+and rejected at the algorithm allowlist check, preventing an
+attacker from bypassing L2 security requirements.
 
 ## Replay Attack Prevention
 
@@ -1057,7 +1153,7 @@ A single malicious agent cannot forge parent task references
 because DAG validation requires parent tasks to exist in the ECT
 store.  However, multiple colluding agents could create a false
 execution history.  Additionally, a malicious agent may omit
-actual parent dependencies from "par" to hide influences on its
+actual parent dependencies from "pred" to hide influences on its
 output; because ECTs are self-asserted
 ({{self-assertion-limitation}}), no mechanism can force complete
 dependency declaration.
@@ -1080,7 +1176,7 @@ policy.
 
 ECTs record execution history; they do not convey authorization.
 Verifiers MUST NOT interpret the presence of an ECT, or a
-particular set of parent references in "par", as an authorization
+particular set of parent references in "pred", as an authorization
 grant.  Authorization decisions MUST remain with the deployment's
 identity and authorization layer.
 
@@ -1103,8 +1199,85 @@ higher tolerance and SHOULD document the configured value.
 
 ## ECT Size Constraints
 
-Implementations SHOULD limit the "par" array to a maximum of
+Implementations SHOULD limit the "pred" array to a maximum of
-256 entries.  See {{extension-claims}} for "ext" size limits.
+256 entries.  See {{extension-claims}} for "ect_ext" size limits.
+
+When ECTs are transported via HTTP headers, the total encoded
+size of the Execution-Context header value is subject to
+practical limits imposed by HTTP servers and intermediaries.
+Many implementations enforce header size limits of 8 KB or 16 KB.
+Implementations SHOULD ensure that the total size of an ECT
+(including JWS overhead for L2/L3) does not exceed 8 KB when
+transported via HTTP header.  ECTs that exceed HTTP header size
+limits SHOULD be transported in the HTTP request body instead
+(see {{l1-transport}} and {{l2-transport}}).  Deployments SHOULD
+monitor ECT sizes and alert when ECTs approach transport limits.
+
+## Identity Binding Security
+
+### JWK Set Binding {#sec-jwk-binding}
+
+When identity is bound via JWK Set URI (see {{identity-binding}}),
+there is a time-of-check/time-of-use gap between JWK set
+refreshes.  A key that has been removed from the JWK set may still
+be accepted by a verifier whose cached copy has not yet been
+refreshed.  Implementations SHOULD refresh JWK sets at
+configurable intervals (RECOMMENDED: no longer than 5 minutes).
+
+### X.509 Binding {#sec-x509-binding}
+
+When identity is bound via X.509 certificates, revocation checking
+depends on OCSP responder or CRL distribution point availability.
+If the revocation source is unreachable, the verifier needs to decide
+whether to accept or reject the ECT.  Implementations SHOULD
+hard-fail for L3 (reject the ECT if revocation status cannot be
+determined), as L3 workflows require the strongest assurance.
+Implementations MAY soft-fail for L2 with logging, accepting the
+ECT but recording the revocation check failure for subsequent
+audit review.
+
+### WIMSE Binding {#sec-wimse-binding}
+
+When identity is bound via WIMSE trust bundles, the same
+time-of-check/time-of-use concern applies to trust bundle
+refreshes.  Implementations SHOULD refresh trust bundles
+frequently to minimize the window during which a revoked or
+rotated identity remains accepted.
+
+## Audit Ledger Threats
+
+### Availability
+
+If the audit ledger is unavailable in synchronous recording mode
+(see {{l3-ledger}}), all L3 workflows halt because agents cannot
+obtain ledger receipts.  Deployments SHOULD implement ledger
+redundancy (e.g., multiple ledger replicas behind a load balancer)
+to prevent the ledger from becoming a single point of failure.
+
+### Split-View Attacks
+
+A compromised ledger could present different views to different
+verifiers (equivocation), causing inconsistent audit state across
+the deployment.  Deployments SHOULD use multiple independent
+ledger replicas and SHOULD periodically compare their state to
+detect divergence.
+
+### Receipt Authenticity
+
+If the ledger's signing key is compromised, an attacker can
+generate fake receipts for entries that were never recorded.
+Ledger signing keys SHOULD be stored in hardware security modules
+(HSMs) and SHOULD be rotated regularly.
+
+### Asynchronous Recording Gap
+
+In asynchronous recording mode (see {{l3-ledger}}), downstream
+agents act on ECTs before ledger confirmation is received.
+During this gap, an ECT that will ultimately fail ledger recording
+may already have influenced downstream workflow steps.  Deployments
+using asynchronous recording SHOULD implement reconciliation
+procedures to detect and handle ECTs that fail ledger confirmation
+after downstream processing has begun.
 
 # Privacy Considerations
 
@@ -1135,7 +1308,7 @@ the privacy-relevant data but does not increase its scope.
 Implementations SHOULD minimize the information included in ECTs.
 The "exec_act" claim SHOULD use structured identifiers (e.g.,
 "process_payment") rather than natural language descriptions.
-Extension keys in "ext" ({{extension-claims}}) deserve particular
+Extension keys in "ect_ext" ({{extension-claims}}) deserve particular
 attention: human-readable values risk exposing sensitive operational
 details.  See {{extension-claims}} for guidance on using
 structured identifiers.
@@ -1153,6 +1326,24 @@ SHOULD be stored separately from the ledger with additional access
 controls, since auditors may need to verify hash correctness but
 general access to the data values is not needed.
 
+## Workflow Topology Leakage
+
+The DAG structure of ECTs reveals workflow topology: which agents
+interact, fan-out and fan-in patterns, sequential versus parallel
+execution, and organizational structure.  At L3, this topology is
+permanently recorded in the audit ledger.  Deployments SHOULD
+consider whether workflow topology constitutes sensitive information
+and apply appropriate access controls to ECT stores and ledgers.
+
+## Cross-Workflow Correlation
+
+Stable agent identifiers in the "iss" claim enable cross-workflow
+activity correlation: an observer with access to ECTs from multiple
+workflows can track which agents participate in which workflows and
+how frequently.  Deployments with privacy requirements MAY use
+per-workflow or rotating agent identifiers where feasible to limit
+cross-workflow correlation.
+
 # IANA Considerations
 
 ## Media Type Registrations
@@ -1160,6 +1351,12 @@ general access to the data values is not needed.
 This document requests registration of the following media types
 in the "Media Types" registry maintained by IANA:
 
+Note: The media type "application/exec+jwt" uses the "+jwt"
+structured syntax suffix.  While "+jwt" is widely used in
+practice, it is not yet a formally registered structured syntax
+suffix per {{RFC6838}}.  Registration of the "+jwt" suffix is
+the subject of ongoing work in the IETF.
+
 ### application/exec+jwt
 
 Type name:
@@ -1217,11 +1414,61 @@ Change controller:
 ### application/wimse-exec+jwt
 
 This document also registers "application/wimse-exec+jwt" as an
-alias for backward compatibility with draft-nennemann-wimse-ect-00.
+alias for backward compatibility with Version -00 of this specification.
-The registration details are identical to "application/exec+jwt"
+WIMSE deployments MAY use either media type; new deployments
-above except for the subtype name.  WIMSE deployments MAY use
+SHOULD prefer "application/exec+jwt".
-either media type; new deployments SHOULD prefer
+
-"application/exec+jwt".
+Type name:
+: application
+
+Subtype name:
+: wimse-exec+jwt
+
+Required parameters:
+: none
+
+Optional parameters:
+: none
+
+Encoding considerations:
+: 8bit; at Level 2 and Level 3, an ECT is a JWT that is a JWS
+  using the Compact Serialization, which is a sequence of
+  Base64url-encoded values separated by period characters.  At
+  Level 1, this media type is not used; L1 ECTs use
+  application/json.
+
+Security considerations:
+: See the Security Considerations section of this document.
+
+Interoperability considerations:
+: none
+
+Published specification:
+: This document
+
+Applications that use this media type:
+: Applications that implement agentic workflows requiring execution
+  context tracing and audit trails.
+
+Additional information:
+: Magic number(s): none
+  File extension(s): none
+  Macintosh file type code(s): none
+
+Person and email address to contact for further information:
+: Christian Nennemann, ietf@nennemann.de
+
+Intended usage:
+: COMMON
+
+Restrictions on usage:
+: none
+
+Author:
+: Christian Nennemann
+
+Change controller:
+: IETF
 
 ## HTTP Header Field Registration {#header-registration}
 
@@ -1247,10 +1494,10 @@ the "JSON Web Token Claims" registry maintained by IANA:
 |:---:|:---|:---:|:---:|
 | wid | Workflow Identifier | IETF | {{exec-claims}} |
 | exec_act | Action/Task Type | IETF | {{exec-claims}} |
-| par | Parent Task Identifiers | IETF | {{exec-claims}} |
+| pred | Predecessor Task Identifiers | IETF | {{exec-claims}} |
 | inp_hash | Input Data Hash | IETF | {{data-integrity-claims}} |
 | out_hash | Output Data Hash | IETF | {{data-integrity-claims}} |
-| ext | Extension Object | IETF | {{extension-claims}} |
+| ect_ext | Extension Object | IETF | {{extension-claims}} |
 {: #table-claims title="JWT Claims Registrations"}
 
 --- back
@@ -1282,24 +1529,24 @@ tamper-evident, auditable execution records.
 ~~~
 Trust Domain: bank.example
   Agent A1 (Portfolio Risk):
-    jti: task-001    par: []
+    jti: task-001    pred:[]
     iss: spiffe://bank.example/agent/risk
     exec_act: analyze_portfolio_risk
 
 Trust Domain: ratings.example (external)
   Agent B1 (Credit Rating):
-    jti: task-002    par: []
+    jti: task-002    pred:[]
     iss: spiffe://ratings.example/agent/credit
     exec_act: assess_credit_rating
 
 Trust Domain: bank.example
   Agent A2 (Compliance):
-    jti: task-003    par: [task-001, task-002]
+    jti: task-003    pred:[task-001, task-002]
     iss: spiffe://bank.example/agent/compliance
     exec_act: verify_trade_compliance
 
   Agent A3 (Execution):
-    jti: task-004    par: [task-003]
+    jti: task-004    pred:[task-003]
     iss: spiffe://bank.example/agent/execution
     exec_act: execute_trade
 ~~~
@@ -1326,6 +1573,82 @@ demonstrating cross-organizational fan-in.  The compliance agent
 verifies both parent ECTs — one signed by a local key and one by
 a federated key from the rating agency's trust domain.
 
+## Multi-Vendor SaaS Integration (L2)
+{:numbered="false"}
+
+In a document processing pipeline, a customer's orchestration
+agent coordinates with third-party vendor agents across
+organizational boundaries.  The customer uploads documents that
+pass through an OCR vendor for text extraction, then fan out to
+a translation vendor for multi-language output, before results
+converge back at the customer's storage agent.
+
+This workflow uses Level 2 (JOSE signing without audit ledger)
+because the cross-organization boundary requires non-repudiation
+— each vendor must prove it performed its step — but no
+regulatory audit ledger is mandated.
+
+~~~
+Trust Domain: customer.example
+  Agent C1 (Orchestrator):
+    jti: task-201    pred:[]
+    iss: spiffe://customer.example/agent/orchestrator
+    exec_act: initiate_document_pipeline
+
+Trust Domain: ocr-vendor.example (external)
+  Agent V1 (OCR Extractor):
+    jti: task-202    pred:[task-201]
+    iss: spiffe://ocr-vendor.example/agent/ocr
+    exec_act: extract_text
+
+Trust Domain: translate-vendor.example (external)
+  Agent V2a (Translator EN→DE):
+    jti: task-203    pred:[task-202]
+    iss: spiffe://translate-vendor.example/agent/translate
+    exec_act: translate_de
+
+  Agent V2b (Translator EN→FR):
+    jti: task-204    pred:[task-202]
+    iss: spiffe://translate-vendor.example/agent/translate
+    exec_act: translate_fr
+
+Trust Domain: customer.example
+  Agent C2 (Storage):
+    jti: task-205    pred:[task-203, task-204]
+    iss: spiffe://customer.example/agent/storage
+    exec_act: store_results
+~~~
+{: #fig-saas title="Multi-Vendor SaaS Document Pipeline (L2)"}
+
+The resulting DAG:
+
+~~~
+task-201 (initiate_document_pipeline)
+  [customer.example]
+           |
+           v
+task-202 (extract_text)
+  [ocr-vendor.example]
+        /            \
+       v              v
+task-203             task-204
+(translate_de)       (translate_fr)
+[translate-vendor]   [translate-vendor]
+        \              /
+         v            v
+task-205 (store_results)
+  [customer.example]
+~~~
+{: #fig-saas-dag title="Multi-Vendor SaaS DAG"}
+
+Task 202 fans out to two parallel translation tasks (203 and
+204) at the translation vendor, demonstrating cross-vendor
+fan-out.  Task 205 performs fan-in, requiring both translations
+to complete before storing the combined results.  Each vendor's
+ECT is signed with that vendor's private key, providing
+cross-organizational non-repudiation without requiring an
+external audit ledger.
+
 ## Internal Microservice Mesh (L1)
 {:numbered="false"}
 
@@ -1341,15 +1664,15 @@ cryptographic signing is not justified.
 ~~~
 Trust Domain: internal.example
   Agent S1 (Preprocessor):
-    jti: task-101    par: []
+    jti: task-101    pred:[]
     exec_act: preprocess_input
 
   Agent S2 (Model Inference):
-    jti: task-102    par: [task-101]
+    jti: task-102    pred:[task-101]
     exec_act: run_inference
 
   Agent S3 (Postprocessor):
-    jti: task-103    par: [task-102]
+    jti: task-103    pred:[task-102]
     exec_act: format_output
 ~~~
 {: #fig-internal title="Internal Microservice Workflow (L1)"}
@@ -1442,7 +1765,7 @@ than operational monitoring.  OpenTelemetry data is typically
 controlled by the platform operator and can be modified or deleted
 without detection.  ECTs and distributed traces are complementary:
 traces provide observability while ECTs provide execution records.
-ECTs may reference OpenTelemetry trace identifiers in the "ext"
+ECTs may reference OpenTelemetry trace identifiers in the "ect_ext"
 claim for correlation.
 
 ## W3C Provenance Data Model (PROV)
@@ -1452,7 +1775,7 @@ The W3C PROV Data Model defines an Entity-Activity-Agent ontology
 for representing provenance information.  PROV's concepts map
 closely to ECT structures: PROV Activities correspond to ECT
 tasks, PROV Agents correspond to ECT-issuing agents, and PROV's
-"wasInformedBy" relation corresponds to ECT "par" references.
+"wasInformedBy" relation corresponds to ECT "pred" references.
 However, PROV uses RDF/OWL ontologies designed for post-hoc
 documentation, while ECTs are runtime-embeddable JWT tokens with
 cryptographic signatures.  ECT audit data could be exported to
@@ -1467,6 +1790,45 @@ ECTs and SCITT are complementary: the ECT "wid" claim can serve
 as a correlation identifier in SCITT Signed Statements, linking
 an ECT audit trail to a supply chain transparency record.
 
+There is a notable parallel between SCITT's Transparency Service
+and ECT's Level 3 audit ledger: both use append-only logs with
+cryptographic commitment to provide tamper-evident recording.
+SCITT Signed Statements use COSE for their envelope format while
+ECTs use JOSE, but the architectural pattern — transparent,
+verifiable recording of statements about artifacts or actions —
+is shared.  A deployment requiring L3 assurance could use a
+SCITT Transparency Service as the audit ledger backend,
+recording ECTs as supply chain statements about agent execution.
+
+## RATS (Remote Attestation Procedures)
+{:numbered="false"}
+
+RATS {{RFC9334}} defines an architecture for conveying attestation
+evidence about platform trustworthiness.  RATS attests "is this
+platform in a trustworthy state?" while ECTs record "what did
+this agent do?" — both deal with claims about entities but at
+different layers.  RATS operates at the platform and firmware
+layer, establishing that a workload's execution environment has
+not been tampered with, whereas ECTs operate at the application
+layer, recording the logical sequence of tasks performed by
+agents.  ECTs could complement RATS by recording execution
+context on platforms whose trustworthiness has been established
+through RATS attestation.
+
+## Emerging Agent Protocol Frameworks
+{:numbered="false"}
+
+Several emerging frameworks address agent-to-agent communication,
+including Google's Agent-to-Agent Protocol (A2A), Anthropic's
+Model Context Protocol (MCP), and orchestration frameworks such
+as LangChain and LangGraph.  These frameworks primarily address
+agent discovery, message routing, and tool invocation but do not
+provide cryptographically verifiable execution records or DAG-based
+audit trails.  ECTs complement these frameworks by adding an
+execution accountability layer: agents communicating via any of
+these protocols can produce and verify ECTs to record what was
+done, regardless of the communication mechanism used.
+
 # Acknowledgments
 {:numbered="false"}
 

refimpl/IMPROVEMENTS.md

@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ Suggestions that could make the implementations more robust, spec-strict, or pro
 ## 1. **Spec alignment** ✅
 
 - **ext size/depth (Section 4.2.7)**  
-  **Done.** Both refimpls reject when serialized `ext` exceeds 4096 bytes or JSON depth exceeds 5 (`ValidateExt` / `validate_ext`). Used in create and verify.
+  **Done.** Both refimpls reject when serialized `ect_ext` exceeds 4096 bytes or JSON depth exceeds 5 (`ValidateExt` / `validate_ext`). Used in create and verify.
 
 - **jti / wid format**  
   **Done.** Optional UUID (RFC 9562) validation: `CreateOptions.ValidateUUIDs` / `VerifyOptions.ValidateUUIDs` (Go), `validate_uuids` (Python). Helpers: `ValidUUID` / `valid_uuid`.
@@ -58,3 +58,18 @@ Suggestions that could make the implementations more robust, spec-strict, or pro
 ---
 
 **Summary:** All listed improvements are implemented. For production, also consider: key rotation, WIT integration, and metrics around verify/create latency and error kinds.
+
+---
+
+## 6. **draft-01 migration** (NOT YET IMPLEMENTED)
+
+The refimpl was built against draft-nennemann-wimse-ect-00. The -01 draft introduced breaking changes that need to be reflected:
+
+- **Rename `par` to `pred`**: The predecessor claim was renamed. Update struct fields, JSON tags, serialization/deserialization, tests, and testdata.
+- **Remove `pol` and `pol_decision`**: Policy claims were removed from the core spec. Deployments should use `ect_ext` for domain-specific claims like policy decisions.
+- **Remove `sub`**: The `sub` claim is not part of the ECT specification. Remove from types and examples.
+- **Update `typ` default**: Prefer `exec+jwt` over `wimse-exec+jwt`. Both must be accepted for backward compatibility.
+- **Add L1 support**: The -01 draft introduces unsigned JSON ECTs (Level 1). The refimpl currently only supports L2 (signed JWS).
+- **Add L3 support**: The -01 draft introduces audit ledger requirements for Level 3. The existing in-memory ledger needs hash chain and receipt support.
+- **Update `MaxParLength` naming**: Rename to `MaxPredLength` to match the new claim name.
+- **Update hash format**: The -01 draft specifies SHA-256 base64url without algorithm prefix (no `sha-256:` prefix), consistent with RFC 9449.

refimpl/README.md

@@ -1,6 +1,18 @@
 # WIMSE Execution Context Tokens — Reference Implementations
 
-This directory contains **reference implementations** of [Execution Context Tokens (ECTs)](../draft-nennemann-wimse-execution-context-00.txt) for the WIMSE (Workload Identity in Multi System Environments) draft. Each refimpl provides ECT creation, verification, DAG validation, and an in-memory audit ledger.
+> **Note**: These reference implementations were built against **draft-nennemann-wimse-ect-00**.
+> The current draft (**-01**) introduced several claim name changes and structural updates:
+>
+> | -00 (refimpl) | -01 (current draft) | Notes |
+> |---------------|---------------------|-------|
+> | `par`         | `pred`              | Predecessor task IDs |
+> | `pol`, `pol_decision` | removed (use `ect_ext`) | Policy claims moved to extension object |
+> | `sub`         | not defined         | Standard JWT claim, not part of ECT spec |
+> | `typ: wimse-exec+jwt` | `typ: exec+jwt` (preferred) | Both accepted for backward compat |
+>
+> The refimpl update to -01 is tracked in IMPROVEMENTS.md.
+
+This directory contains **reference implementations** of Execution Context Tokens (ECTs) for the WIMSE (Workload Identity in Multi System Environments) draft. Each refimpl provides ECT creation, verification, DAG validation, and an in-memory audit ledger.
 
 ## Implementations
 
@@ -11,11 +23,11 @@ This directory contains **reference implementations** of [Execution Context Toke
 
 ## Scope (all refimpls)
 
-- **ECT format**: JWT (JWS Compact Serialization) with required/optional claims per the spec (Section 4).
+- **ECT format**: JWT (JWS Compact Serialization) with required/optional claims per the spec.
-- **Creation**: Build and sign ECTs with ES256; `kid` and `typ: wimse-exec+jwt` in the JOSE header.
+- **Creation**: Build and sign ECTs with ES256; `kid` and `typ` in the JOSE header.
-- **Verification**: Full Section 7 procedure (parse, typ/alg, key resolution, signature, claims, optional DAG).
+- **Verification**: Full verification procedure (parse, typ/alg, key resolution, signature, claims, optional DAG).
-- **DAG validation**: Section 6 (uniqueness, parent existence, temporal ordering, acyclicity, parent policy).
+- **DAG validation**: Uniqueness, parent existence, temporal ordering, acyclicity, parent policy.
-- **Ledger**: Interface plus in-memory append-only store (Section 9).
+- **Ledger**: Interface plus in-memory append-only store.
 
 No WIT/WPT issuance or full WIMSE stack; refimpls use key resolution only. Suitable for conformance testing and as a template for production integrations.
 
@@ -41,8 +53,8 @@ python3 -m pytest tests/ -v
 
 ## Specification
 
-- **Draft**: `draft-nennemann-wimse-execution-context-00`
+- **Current draft**: `draft-nennemann-wimse-ect-01`
-- **Sections**: 4 (format), 5 (HTTP header), 6 (DAG), 7 (verification), 9 (ledger interface).
+- **Refimpl implements**: `-00` claim names (see migration note above)
 
 ## License