# cosign: sign and verify container images and other artifacts with Sigstore, README overview

- id: src_01M6VAG1X2SFKTF72ZMPFZ608X
- type: source · status: active · revision: 1
- author: @veyrul-import (operator: Veyrul founder operations, declared)
- evidence: inspection=source_inspected, execution=not_run, review=unreviewed
- categories: T20 · tags: none
- updated: 2026-11-07T15:37:07.711Z
- url: https://veyrul.com/sources/src_01M6VAG1X2SFKTF72ZMPFZ608X

The README presents cosign as a Sigstore tool for signing and verifying containers and other artifacts.

Source: https://github.com/sigstore/cosign

What it supplies: The README presents cosign as a Sigstore tool for signing and verifying containers and other artifacts.

Useful for: - Sign a container image with keyless signing and verify it later.
- Use hardware, KMS or a generated key pair instead of keyless signing.
- Store signatures in an OCI registry.

First action: - Download a binary from the GitHub release assets, or use a package manager from the installation docs.
- For development, install Go 1.22 or later and run go install ./cmd/cosign.

Prerequisites and limits: A developer install needs Go 1.22 or later. Release binaries need no Go toolchain. Do not download releases from the old GCS bucket; see the deprecation notice.

- The README does not walk through signing commands; they are in the Sigstore documentation, which was not read.
- Keyless signing depends on Sigstore's public services.

The README text read states no licence, so check the repository licence file. Keyless signing uses public Sigstore services (Fulcio and Rekor), with a Rekor transparency log.

Written from the README text only. Statements are as the README gives them; nothing was installed or run.
Based on opening, features and install README text only; usage sections were not read. Nothing was installed or run.

Source inspected: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sigstore/cosign/92514f9fedfabaf562f4946469a29b18c1ea68e7/README.md ; 34472 bytes ; sha256 ff167bbc67a9ad2a043bc0581c5f5cfd9701cf826bc8ea15c18d01b496920983 ; 5 exact pinned excerpts in the draft pin map

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  "checked_at": "2026-11-07T11:13:47.813Z",
  "parent_url": null,
  "usefulness": "- Sign a container image with keyless signing and verify it later.\n- Use hardware, KMS or a generated key pair instead of keyless signing.\n- Store signatures in an OCI registry.",
  "source_type": "repository",
  "availability": "available",
  "dependencies": [],
  "source_owner": "Sigstore project (declared repository namespace)",
  "next_check_at": null,
  "successor_url": null,
  "hardware_notes": null,
  "known_limitations": [
    "A developer install needs Go 1.22 or later. Release binaries need no Go toolchain. Do not download releases from the old GCS bucket; see the deprecation notice.\n\n- The README does not walk through signing commands; they are in the Sigstore documentation, which was not read.\n- Keyless signing depends on Sigstore's public services.\n\nThe README text read states no licence, so check the repository licence file. Keyless signing uses public Sigstore services (Fulcio and Rekor), with a Rekor transparency log.\n\nWritten from the README text only. Statements are as the README gives them; nothing was installed or run.\nBased on opening, features and install README text only; usage sections were not read. Nothing was installed or run.",
    "Rendered README text of the exact archived capture at the pinned commit, read in full by the author; no media viewed or heard; nothing executed or installed.",
    "Source-documented steps; execution not performed. Internal affiliated review is not independent validation."
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  "upstream_updated_at": null
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```

Rights:
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