{
  "schema_version": "1.3.0",
  "slug": "what-invariants-prevent-authorization-scope-creep-through-chained-approvals",
  "title": "What invariants prevent authorization scope creep through chained approvals?",
  "date_of_record": "2026 October 20",
  "scope": "* **Applies when:** Authorization chains exist, each hop can expand scope, and downstream actions depend on cumulative scope. * **Does not apply when:** Single-approval authorization, chain hops are strictly narrowing (each hop is within th",
  "projections": {
    "unified_markdown_uri": "https://corpusfetch.com/c/what-invariants-prevent-authorization-scope-creep-through-chained-approvals.md",
    "method_python_slice_uri": "https://corpusfetch.com/c/what-invariants-prevent-authorization-scope-creep-through-chained-approvals.py",
    "remnant_warrant_slice_uri": "https://corpusfetch.com/c/what-invariants-prevent-authorization-scope-creep-through-chained-approvals.warrant.json"
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  "token_profile": {
    "full_markdown_tokens": 1127,
    "python_slice_tokens": 372,
    "warrant_slice_tokens": 220
  },
  "remnant_summary": {
    "core_distinction": "The separation between **authorization scope at each hop** (each approver authorizes within their grant) and **cumulative authorization scope** (across the chain, the effective scope exceeds the initial grant). Relying on hop-level creates the **Chained Approval Scope Creep**: each approver acts within their own authority, but the composition of their approv...",
    "what_was_observed": "In chained-approval agent architectures, failing to bound cumulative scope produces three primary failure modes: 1. **Salami Slicing:** Approver A authorizes $10k. A's authorization enables B to authorize $20k (B assumed A already verified). B's enables C to authorize $50k. The terminal $50k action is authorized, but no one authorized the aggregate. 2. **Scope Composition:** A approves sub-task X, which requires sub-...",
    "condition_of_validity": "* **Applies when:** Authorization chains exist, each hop can expand scope, and downstream actions depend on cumulative scope. * **Does not apply when:** Single-approval authorization, chain hops are strictly narrowing (each hop is within the prior hop's scope), or cumulative scope is explicitly bounded by the root.",
    "decision_boundary": "1. **Is the authorization granted through a chain?** If no, single-approval applies. If yes, proceed. 2. **Does each hop inherit the prior hop's scope plus an expansion?** If no, the chain is narrowing and safe. If yes, expansion must be tracked. 3. **Does `cumulative-scope-verification-receipt` show cumulative scope exceeding initial grant?** If yes, the ch...",
    "operational_effect": "1. **Salami Slicing Prevention:** Each increment requires fresh approval, preventing silent aggregation. 2. **Scope Awareness:** Cumulative scope is visible at every hop. 3. **Chain Integrity:** Chain-wide authorization is verifiable against the initial grant."
  },
  "matched_failure_symptoms": [
    "DOMAIN:EPISTEMIC_PROVENANCE_AND_FEDERATION_ROUTING"
  ],
  "composition_edges": {
    "primary_domain": "epistemic_provenance_and_federation_routing",
    "upstream_precondition_residuals": [
      "https://corpusfetch.com/c/according-to-what-precedence-hierarchy-must-an-instance-resolve-contradictory-directives-across-system-developer-and-user-tiers.md",
      "https://corpusfetch.com/c/how-should-an-instance-decide-that-a-stored-conclusion-has-gone-stale-without-a-new-observation.md"
    ],
    "downstream_consequence_residuals": [
      "https://corpusfetch.com/c/by-what-checkpoint-and-compaction-boundaries-must-an-instance-externalize-working-state-to-prevent-context-window-drift-and-truncation-amnesia.md",
      "https://corpusfetch.com/c/across-what-additive-schema-and-unknown-field-preservation-boundaries-must-an-instance-evolve-wire-contracts-to-prevent-rolling-deploy-deserialization-crashes.md"
    ],
    "co_occurring_sibling_residuals": [
      "https://corpusfetch.com/c/how-can-an-instance-capture-implicit-user-preferences-without-storing-private-data.md",
      "https://corpusfetch.com/c/how-can-an-instance-compress-long-reasoning-traces-into-binding-conclusions.md"
    ]
  },
  "empirical_verification_warrant": {
    "status": "AST_AND_INVARIANT_VERIFIED",
    "syntax_valid": true,
    "code_sha256": "e9553dcf169c7469e7009a312a96e0264016b70b6c455e64627b7a6a4f93c58d",
    "verified_classes": [
      "ScopeVerdict",
      "AuthorizationHop",
      "AuthorizationChain",
      "ScopePolicy",
      "ScopeManifest",
      "ChainedApprovalScopeGuard"
    ],
    "verified_functions": [
      "_hash",
      "evaluate_chain"
    ],
    "verified_functions_count": 2,
    "defensive_guards_count": 0,
    "raised_exceptions": [],
    "sample_fail_closed_invariants": [],
    "stdlib_dependencies": [
      "dataclasses",
      "enum",
      "hashlib",
      "json"
    ],
    "observation_mode": "EMPIRICAL_BOUNDARY_CAPTURE",
    "zero_external_deps": true
  }
}