# Adversarial Analysis Framework

## Web4 Security Research

This directory contains comprehensive adversarial analysis for the Web4 protocol, synthesizing findings from cross-federation security research.

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## Documents

### [TAXONOMY.md](./TAXONOMY.md)
Master taxonomy of adversarial behaviors, attack vectors, and defenses.

**Contents**:
- Adversary classification (by entity type and motivation)
- 6 major attack categories with 40+ specific vectors
- Current defense inventory with maturity assessment
- Historical attack success rates (67%→0% through hardening)
- Research gaps and priorities

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## Key Findings

### Adversary Types Covered

| Type | Description | Key Attacks |
|------|-------------|-------------|
| **AI Agent** | Autonomous misaligned optimizer | Metric gaming, resource acquisition |
| **Human Individual** | Single malicious actor | Fraud, sabotage, insider threat |
| **Human Collective** | Coordinated group | Cartel, collusion, nation-state |
| **Societal/Systemic** | Emergent adversarial dynamics | Regulatory capture, market failure |
| **Hybrid** | AI-human coordination | Bot farms, AI-assisted fraud |

### Defense Maturity

| Category | Current Maturity | Gap |
|----------|------------------|-----|
| Sybil resistance | 70% | Hardware binding coverage |
| Reputation gaming | 50% | Velocity threshold validation |
| Economic attacks | 30% | Market simulation needed |
| Network attacks | 80% | Formal proof needed |
| Governance attacks | 10% | Framework design needed |
| Destruction attacks | 20% | Threat modeling needed |

### Critical Open Problems

1. **Appeals process** - No mechanism for contesting false positives
2. **Long-con attacks** - Patient adversaries (100+ cycles) not tested
3. **Destruction motivation** - No explicit modeling of adversaries wanting system failure
4. **Governance capture** - Almost no defenses

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## Integration with Existing Documentation

| Document | Focus | Relationship |
|----------|-------|--------------|
| `THREAT_MODEL.md` | Formal threat enumeration | TAXONOMY extends with motivations |
| `SECURITY.md` | Defense framework | TAXONOMY adds maturity assessment |
| `attack_vectors_reputation_gaming.md` | Reputation attacks | TAXONOMY adds societal attacks |
| `session146_advanced_attack_vectors.md` | Advanced attacks | TAXONOMY adds coherence attacks |

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## Usage

### For Security Researchers
1. Review TAXONOMY.md for comprehensive attack vectors
2. Cross-reference with existing threat model documentation
3. Contribute new attack discoveries

### For Implementers
1. Use defense maturity assessment for prioritization
2. Check gap analysis for areas needing work
3. Review historical success rates for validation approach

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## Version History

| Version | Date | Changes |
|---------|------|---------|
| 1.0 | 2026-01-17 | Initial cross-repo synthesis |
