Proof of Absence of Execution (PAE)

Proof of Absence of Execution (PAE)

Proof of Absence of Execution is a small, focused software primitive designed to do exactly one thing:

Generate and verify proof that a specified program, binary, or code path did not execute within an explicitly declared scope.

This is not inference.
It is a mechanically verifiable claim.

What This Is

This tool:

• Declares an explicit execution scope

• Identifies programs or code paths of interest

• Observes execution deterministically under strict rules

• Records non-execution as evidence

• Produces a sealed proof artifact

• Allows later verification of the same claim

The output is evidence, not belief.

What This Is Not

This tool does not:

• Prevent execution

• Enforce policies

• Monitor systems continuously

• Detect malicious behavior

• Infer intent

• Make probabilistic claims

If absence of execution cannot be proven, no claim is made.

Why This Exists

Many important guarantees depend on what did not run:

• “This binary was never executed”

• “That code path was not reached”

• “This job did not run in production”

Logs can show what did run.
They rarely prove what did not.

Proof of Absence of Execution exists to make non-execution verifiable.

How It Works (High Level)

1. An execution scope is explicitly declared

2. Target programs or code paths are defined

3. Execution is observed under strict, deterministic rules

4. Non-execution is recorded as evidence

5. A sealed artifact is produced

6. Verification replays the same rules

The result is binary:

• VALID

• INVALID

• OUT OF SCOPE

Included

• Local CLI tool

• Deterministic execution-verification engine

• Documentation

• Tests covering failure and adversarial cases

No network access.
No telemetry.

Intended Use

This tool is for:

• Developers validating non-execution claims

• Researchers working with constrained execution environments

• Auditors verifying compliance conditions

• Tool builders composing proof-based execution pipelines

If you want prevention, enforcement, or monitoring, this is not that.

Philosophy

This project follows three rules:

1. Explicit scope

2. Deterministic execution

3. Artifact-only truth

If a proof exists, it can be verified.
If it doesn’t, no claim is made.

License / Disclaimer

This tool makes no guarantees beyond its documented behavior.
You are responsible for determining whether the produced artifacts are sufficient for your use case.

Related Primitives

This tool is part of a small set of standalone verification primitives, including:

• Provable Non-Access (PNA)

• Proof of Non-Existence (PNE)

• Proof of Boundary Integrity (PBI)

Each primitive is independent and composable.

Download

Single archive.
Local execution only.
No installer required.

Part of the Verification Primitives Catalog.

https://stealtheyellc.itch.io/verification-primitives-catalog