OpenPubkey vs SignPath Foundation

OpenPubkey binds a user or workload identity established through OpenID Connect to a public key, so the identity can sign messages or artifacts. A PK Token represents control of an OIDC identity and its related private key at a particular time, provided the verifier trusts the identity provider. The project lists Google, Azure/Microsoft, Okta, OneLogin and Keycloak as compatible without changes to those providers; however, its client and verifier currently create and verify tokens from Google for users and GitHub for workloads. Current workload identity use requires GQ signatures. For user identity, they are unnecessary when the PK Token is not public. GQ signatures allow the identity provider’s signature to be stripped from an ID Token while preserving proof of that signature, preventing use against OIDC resource providers. OpenPubkey says it needs no additional certificate authority because the OpenID Provider fulfills that role. Public PK Tokens can reveal claims from an OIDC ID Token, potentially including a name or email address. The project is free under the Apache 2.0 license and is a Linux Foundation project; its repository says it is being prepared for version 1.0. The project directs technical questions to GitHub issues and offers a community Slack channel.

SignPath Foundation provides code-signing certificates to eligible open-source projects, with signing carried out through SignPath.io. For each release, SignPath.io checks that signed files are automated builds from the project’s stated source repository. Certificate private keys are generated and stored on a hardware security module. Each signing request requires a team member’s approval, and every release requires manual approval. Projects must assign author, reviewer, and approver responsibilities, while all team members must use multi-factor authentication for SignPath and repository access. Eligibility requires an actively maintained project with an existing release, an OSI-approved open-source license, and no proprietary code or malware. Supported build systems include Jenkins, GitHub, GitLab, Azure DevOps, TeamCity, and AppVeyor. Supported targets span Windows executables and scripts, MSI, CAB, AppX/MSIX, NuGet, Java archives, Android packages, RPM and Debian packages, Office macros, XML, JSON, OCI container images, ClickOnce, and other files. The free plan is free for eligible projects. Its certificate identifies SignPath Foundation as publisher, and the Foundation may decline applications.