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VERIFY-5 — bytecode comparison and classification

VERIFY-5 classifies reproducible build evidence against canonical deployment evidence without weakening byte-for-byte comparison.

Result classes

  • FULL_MATCH: deployed runtime bytecode matches exactly and, when canonical creation bytecode is recoverable, creation bytecode also matches exactly.
  • PARTIAL_MATCH: runtime bytecode matches exactly but canonical creation bytecode cannot be recovered, so creation equivalence cannot be proven.
  • MISMATCH: canonical and reproduced bytecode differ in runtime or in recoverable creation bytecode.
  • UNVERIFIABLE: required canonical evidence or reproduced build evidence is missing, malformed, or insufficient for a valid comparison.

Exactness rules

Runtime bytecode is never compared after stripping metadata, masking linked-library addresses, or masking immutable-reference bytes. Creation bytecode is handled the same way when canonical creation input is recoverable. Metadata hash mode, linked libraries and immutable-reference presence are emitted as diagnostic comparison context so differences remain visible instead of being silently normalized away.

A runtime match alone cannot become FULL_MATCH when creation bytecode was recoverable but failed comparison. Conversely, an unavailable creation transaction cannot force a false mismatch; it yields PARTIAL_MATCH with CREATION_CONTEXT_UNAVAILABLE.

Stable diagnostics

VERIFY-5 emits machine-stable reasons including:

  • EXACT_RUNTIME_MATCH
  • EXACT_CREATION_MATCH
  • CREATION_CONTEXT_UNAVAILABLE
  • RUNTIME_BYTECODE_MISMATCH
  • CREATION_BYTECODE_MISMATCH
  • COMPILED_RUNTIME_MISSING
  • CANONICAL_RUNTIME_MISSING
  • INVALID_CANONICAL_EVIDENCE
  • INVALID_BUILD_EVIDENCE
  • METADATA_DIFFERENCE_RELEVANT
  • LIBRARY_LINKS_RELEVANT
  • IMMUTABLE_REFERENCES_RELEVANT

Every valid comparison remains bound to the VERIFY-2 chain ID + address + canonical runtime-code-hash binding key. Verification remains non-canonical evidence and does not imply audit, safety, endorsement, Registry legitimacy, Wallet authority or immutability.