How to Use Field-Journal Precedent Files for Authorization in reverse-skill

Read precedent-auth.md first to establish authorization, then load the task-specific precedent (precedent-reverse.md or precedent-pentest.md) before executing any operation.

The field-journal directory in zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill stores precedent markdown files that form the backbone of the repository's strict authorization workflow. These files ensure every reverse-engineering or penetration-testing action is pre-approved, auditable, and legally compliant before execution begins.

The Three Core Precedent Files

The authorization system relies on three specialized files, each serving a distinct purpose in the safety pipeline:

File	Purpose	When to Read
field-journal/precedent-auth.md	Authorization pre-declaration — confirms explicit permission for the operation	First, before any safety review or execution
field-journal/precedent-reverse.md	Records authorized reverse-engineering activities (binary analysis, firmware unpacking)	After precedent-auth.md for reverse-engineering tasks
field-journal/precedent-pentest.md	Records authorized penetration-testing or bug-bounty activities	After precedent-auth.md for pentest/CTF tasks

Each file contains templates and historical examples that prove the operation has been performed before and is therefore permissible under the repository's compliance framework.

How the Authorization Flow Works

The precedent system enforces a four-stage safety gate that every skill must traverse:

1. Safety Gate: Load precedent-auth.md

The global rules in RULES.md (line 16) and RULES_zh.md (line 16) mandate reading precedent-auth.md before any other action. If this file is missing or its authorization section is not satisfied, the system aborts with a safety warning.

2. Task-Specific Precedent Selection

The routing matrix in skills/routing_zh.md (lines 121-122) directs the system to load either precedent-reverse.md or precedent-pentest.md depending on the skill category. This creates a strict chain: precedent-auth.md → precedent-reverse.md or precedent-pentest.md.

3. Automatic Hook via NOW Directive

Every SKILL file embeds a NOW directive that the runtime interpreter parses. For example, skills/windows-ad/SKILL.md (line 10) contains:

1. NOW: 读取 ../field-journal/precedent-pentest.md

This ensures the precedent is automatically injected into the execution context before any actionable command runs.

4. Evidence and Reporting

After task completion, skills write desensitized entries back to the field-journal per field-journal/anonymization.md and update _index.md for future reuse. The ops documentation in skills/ops/skill-supply-chain.md (line 71) ties these precedents to the contractual scope defined in scope-contract.md.

Implementation Examples

Loading the Authorization Precedent in a Skill

The standard SKILL.md pattern requires sequential precedent loading:

# SKILL.md (example snippet)

1. NOW: 读取 `../field-journal/precedent-auth.md`   <!-- Must be first -->
2. NOW: 读取 `../field-journal/precedent-pentest.md`  <!-- After auth for pentest -->

The AI interpreter reads both files, validates the auth block, and only then proceeds with pentest steps. Reversing this order triggers a safety violation.

Adding a New Journal Entry After a Test

Following a successful operation, the skill runner executes this PowerShell workflow from CONTRIBUTE-BACK.md:

# PowerShell snippet used by the skill runner

$journalPath = "skills/field-journal/$(Get-Date -Format yyyy-MM-dd)_my‑pentest‑case.md"
$template    = Get-Content "skills/field-journal/_template.md"
$entry       = $template -replace "{{TITLE}}","My Pentest Case"
$entry       = $entry -replace "{{DESCRIPTION}}","Brief description of the exploit..."
Set-Content -Path $journalPath -Value $entry
git add $journalPath skills/field-journal/_index.md
git commit -m "[field-journal] 2024-05-01 pentest – My Pentest Case"

This preserves the operation's audit trail while maintaining compliance with the contribution workflow.

Verifying Precedent Chain Integrity

The test suite uses this validation pattern from skills/scripts/verify-routing-coherence.ps1:

# sanity-check script fragment

Assert-Fields (Join-Path $skillsRoot 'field-journal/_template.md') @('Scope','Evidence','Finding')

This ensures field-journal/_template.md contains the required sections (Scope, Evidence, Finding) before any skill is considered valid for deployment.

Key Files and Their Roles

File	Role
skills/field-journal/precedent-auth.md	Central authorization declaration — must be read first
skills/field-journal/precedent-reverse.md	Template and examples for authorized reverse-engineering actions
skills/field-journal/precedent-pentest.md	Template and examples for authorized pentesting/CTF actions
skills/field-journal/_template.md	Base skeleton for new field-journal entries
skills/field-journal/CONTRIBUTE-BACK.md	Guide for adding compliant journal entries
RULES.md / RULES_zh.md	Enforces precedent-auth.md as mandatory first step
skills/routing_zh.md	Documents the precedence chain in the routing matrix
skills/ops/skill-supply-chain.md	Connects precedents to contractual scope

Why Field-Journal Precedents Matter

• Compliance: Every operation is backed by an explicit, auditable authorization record stored in version control
• Reusability: Precedent files act as knowledge-base templates — new cases copy the structure, replace placeholders ({target_ip}, {payload}), and inherit the same compliance status
• Safety Automation: The NOW hook is a built-in safeguard; the AI refuses execution of any step lacking a matching precedent file, preventing accidental illegal actions

Summary

• Always read precedent-auth.md first — this is enforced by RULES.md and forms the mandatory safety gate
• Select the task-specific precedent (precedent-reverse.md or precedent-pentest.md) based on whether you're performing reverse-engineering or penetration testing
• Use NOW directives in SKILL files to automatically load precedents before execution
• Write back desensitized entries after completion to maintain the audit trail per CONTRIBUTE-BACK.md
• Validate against _template.md to ensure all required sections (Scope, Evidence, Finding) are present

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if I skip precedent-auth.md and go straight to precedent-pentest.md?

The system aborts with a safety warning. According to RULES.md line 16, the authorization pre-declaration is mandatory before any safety review or execution step. The NOW parser enforces this order, and the routing matrix explicitly chains precedent-auth.md → precedent-pentest.md.

Can I create custom precedent files for specialized engagements?

Yes, but they must follow the structure in _template.md and include the three required sections: Scope, Evidence, and Finding. The validation script verify-routing-coherence.ps1 checks for these fields. New precedents should be committed via the workflow in CONTRIBUTE-BACK.md with proper git messages.

How do field-journal precedents connect to legal contracts?

skills/ops/skill-supply-chain.md line 71 explicitly ties the precedent system to scope-contract.md. The authorization declared in precedent-auth.md must align with the contractual scope — this dual-layer verification ensures both technical and legal compliance before any operation proceeds.

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