Welcome to PostQuantum.FileFormat Discussions!

[systemslibrarian]

👋 Welcome to PostQuantum.FileFormat Discussions

This is the discussion space for PQF — a specification and reference implementation for hybrid post-quantum encrypted files at rest. Spec lives at spec/PQF-SPEC-v1.md, the reference CLI is on NuGet as PostQuantum.FileFormat.Cli.

⚠️ Status: experimental, not externally audited. Do not use PQF to protect irreplaceable data.

What this space is for

• Cryptographic review of the spec — especially the sections flagged in the README:
  • §2.4 hybrid KEM combiner construction
  • §5.2 per-chunk AEAD construction and AAD binding
  • §6.2 step 9 file-signature coverage composition
  • §6.3 step 7 ML-KEM implicit-rejection / recipient-trial timing
  • §6.4 Authenticated vs Streaming Mode failure-signaling contract
• Spec questions and ambiguities. If something in the spec is unclear or under-specified, open a thread in Q&A.
• Interoperability reports. If you write a second-language implementation (Rust, Go, Python, …), share what was easy or painful to interpret.
• Test-vector contributions. Reproducible refusal cases or new positive vectors are welcome and will be folded into tests/PostQuantum.FileFormat.TestVectors.
• Ideas for the v1.1 / v2 spec line, after v1.0.0 freezes.

What belongs in Issues instead

• Suspected security defects in the reference implementation
• Reproducible bugs in the pqf CLI
• Spec text errors with a concrete fix
• CI / build / packaging problems

If you're not sure, start a Discussion — we can convert to an Issue.

Ground rules

• Be specific. Cite spec section numbers (§x.y) and code paths.
• Be skeptical of the implementation, including in writing. The spec is the source of truth; if the spec and the .NET reference disagree, the spec wins.
• No "is this quantum-safe?" marketing claims. Confidentiality holds only if either X25519 or ML-KEM-1024 remains unbroken; authenticity holds only when signed and only if both Ed25519 and ML-DSA-87 verify.
• Don't post production keys or recipient identities, even as examples.

To get started

Open a thread under the appropriate category and either:

1. introduce yourself and what brought you to PQF, or
2. jump straight to a spec section / code path you have a question about.

Thanks for being here.