What Provenance Records
A Root provenance attestation includes:- Builder identity — proof that Root’s AVR Factory produced the artifact (cryptographically signed)
- Build timestamp — when the artifact was built and when the patch was applied
- Build inputs — the exact source materials used: which patch was applied, from which upstream source
- Test results — the outcomes of package tests, functional tests, and CVE regression tests run against the patch
- Configuration — the parameters used to produce the artifact, ensuring reproducibility
Why Provenance Matters
For supply chain security: Provenance verifies that an artifact wasn’t tampered with between Root’s build pipeline and your registry pull. The cryptographic signature is unforgeable. For compliance: Provenance supports SLSA (Supply chain Levels for Software Artifacts) requirements and satisfies audit needs for software build verification. For trust: Provenance answers the question “how do I know Root actually fixed this?” with evidence, not assertion.Patch Explorer
Root’s Patch Explorer is the platform interface for reviewing provenance without needing to parse raw attestation formats. It provides a human-readable view of:- Which vulnerabilities were fixed in a specific image or package version
- How Root fixed them — the remediation approach and patch type
- When fixes were applied — the full timeline of security updates
- Before/after comparison — what changed and what was preserved
Accessing Provenance Attestations
For container images (RIC): SLSA compliant Provenance files are available via API or in the UI using the unique image id (rrtID):
Via the Root platform UI: Navigate to any subscribed image and download the Provenance directly.
Via the Root API: See API Reference for the /images/tags/{rrtID}/provenance endpoint.