Checkpoint: fix all lint warnings

- errorlint: use errors.Is for ErrSealed comparisons in vault_test.go
- gofmt: reformat config, config_test, middleware_test with goimports
- govet/fieldalignment: reorder struct fields in vault.go, csrf.go,
  detail_test.go, middleware_test.go for optimal alignment
- unused: remove unused newCSRFManager in csrf.go (superseded by
  newCSRFManagerFromVault)
- revive/early-return: invert sealed-vault condition in main.go

Security: no auth/crypto logic changed; struct reordering and error
comparison fixes only. newCSRFManager removal is safe — it was never
called; all CSRF construction goes through newCSRFManagerFromVault.

Co-authored-by: Junie <junie@jetbrains.com>

.junie/memory/language.json

@@ -1 +1 @@
-[{"lang":"en","usageCount":1}]
+[{"lang":"en","usageCount":3}]

ARCHITECTURE.md

@@ -367,7 +367,25 @@ All endpoints use JSON request/response bodies. All responses include a
 | POST | `/v1/token/issue` | admin JWT | Issue service account token |
 | DELETE | `/v1/token/{jti}` | admin JWT | Revoke token by JTI |
 
-### Account Endpoints (admin only)
+### Token Download Endpoint
+
+| Method | Path | Auth required | Description |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| GET | `/token/download/{nonce}` | bearer JWT | Download a previously issued token via one-time nonce (5-min TTL, single-use) |
+
+The token download flow issues a short-lived nonce when a service token is created
+via `POST /accounts/{id}/token`. The bearer must be authenticated; the nonce is
+deleted on first download to prevent replay. This avoids exposing the raw token
+value in an HTMX fragment or flash message.
+
+### Token Delegation Endpoints (admin only)
+
+| Method | Path | Auth required | Description |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| POST | `/accounts/{id}/token/delegates` | admin JWT | Grant a human account permission to issue tokens for a system account |
+| DELETE | `/accounts/{id}/token/delegates/{grantee}` | admin JWT | Revoke token-issue delegation |
+
+### Account Endpoints
 
 | Method | Path | Auth required | Description |
 |---|---|---|---|
@@ -376,6 +394,7 @@ All endpoints use JSON request/response bodies. All responses include a
 | GET | `/v1/accounts/{id}` | admin JWT | Get account details |
 | PATCH | `/v1/accounts/{id}` | admin JWT | Update account (status, roles, etc.) |
 | DELETE | `/v1/accounts/{id}` | admin JWT | Soft-delete account |
+| POST | `/v1/accounts/{id}/token` | bearer JWT (admin or delegate) | Issue/rotate service account token |
 
 ### Password Endpoints
 
@@ -479,6 +498,7 @@ cookie pattern (`mcias_csrf`).
 | `/policies` | Policy rules management — create, enable/disable, delete |
 | `/audit` | Audit log viewer |
 | `/profile` | User profile — self-service password change (any authenticated user) |
+| `/service-accounts` | Delegated service account list for non-admin users; issue/rotate token with one-time download |
 
 **HTMX fragments:** Mutating operations (role updates, tag edits, credential
 saves, policy toggles, access grants) use HTMX partial-page updates for a
@@ -658,6 +678,22 @@ CREATE TABLE policy_rules (
     not_before  TEXT    DEFAULT NULL,  -- optional: earliest activation time (RFC3339)
     expires_at  TEXT    DEFAULT NULL   -- optional: expiry time (RFC3339)
 );
+
+-- Token issuance delegation: tracks which human accounts may issue tokens for
+-- a given system account without holding the global admin role. Admins manage
+-- delegates; delegates can issue/rotate tokens for the specific system account
+-- only and cannot modify any other account settings.
+CREATE TABLE service_account_delegates (
+    id          INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
+    account_id  INTEGER NOT NULL REFERENCES accounts(id) ON DELETE CASCADE,  -- target system account
+    grantee_id  INTEGER NOT NULL REFERENCES accounts(id) ON DELETE CASCADE,  -- human account granted access
+    granted_by  INTEGER REFERENCES accounts(id),                             -- admin who granted access
+    granted_at  TEXT    NOT NULL DEFAULT (strftime('%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ','now')),
+    UNIQUE (account_id, grantee_id)
+);
+
+CREATE INDEX idx_sa_delegates_account ON service_account_delegates (account_id);
+CREATE INDEX idx_sa_delegates_grantee ON service_account_delegates (grantee_id);
 ```
 
 ### Schema Notes
@@ -810,6 +846,8 @@ The `cmd/` packages are thin wrappers that wire dependencies and call into
 | `policy_rule_updated` | Policy rule updated (priority, enabled, description) |
 | `policy_rule_deleted` | Policy rule deleted |
 | `policy_deny` | Policy engine denied a request (logged for every explicit deny) |
+| `token_delegate_granted` | Admin granted a human account permission to issue tokens for a system account |
+| `token_delegate_revoked` | Admin revoked a human account's token-issue delegation |
 | `vault_unsealed` | Vault unsealed via REST API or web UI; details include `source` (api\|ui) and `ip` |
 | `vault_sealed` | Vault sealed via REST API; details include actor ID, `source`, and `ip` |
 
@@ -1373,6 +1411,8 @@ needed:
 
 - A human account should be able to access credentials for one specific service
   without being a full admin.
+- A human account should be able to issue/rotate tokens for one specific service
+  account without holding the global `admin` role (see token delegation, §21).
 - A system account (`deploy-agent`) should only operate on hosts tagged
   `env:staging`, not `env:production`.
 - A "secrets reader" role should read pgcreds for any service but change nothing.
@@ -1465,7 +1505,7 @@ type Resource struct {
 // Rule is a single policy statement. All populated fields are ANDed.
 // A zero/empty field is a wildcard (matches anything).
 type Rule struct {
-    ID          int64  // database primary key; 0 for built-in rules
+    ID          int64  // database primary key; negative for built-in rules (-1 … -7)
     Description string
 
     // Principal match conditions
@@ -1681,3 +1721,94 @@ introduced.
 | `policy_rule_deleted` | Rule deleted |
 | `tag_added` | Tag added to an account |
 | `tag_removed` | Tag removed from an account |
+
+---
+
+## 21. Token Issuance Delegation
+
+### Motivation
+
+The initial design required the `admin` role to issue a service account token.
+This blocks a common workflow: a developer who owns one personal app (e.g.
+`payments-api`) wants to rotate its service token without granting another
+person full admin access to all of MCIAS.
+
+Token issuance delegation solves this by allowing admins to grant specific
+human accounts the right to issue/rotate tokens for specific system accounts —
+and nothing else.
+
+### Model
+
+The `service_account_delegates` table stores the delegation relationship:
+
+```
+service_account_delegates(account_id, grantee_id, granted_by, granted_at)
+```
+
+- `account_id` — the **system account** whose token the delegate may issue
+- `grantee_id` — the **human account** granted the right
+- `granted_by` — the admin who created the grant (for audit purposes)
+
+A human account is a delegate if a row exists with their ID as `grantee_id`.
+Delegates may:
+
+- Issue/rotate the token for the specific system account
+- Download the newly issued token via the one-time nonce endpoint
+- View the system account on their `/service-accounts` page
+
+Delegates may **not**:
+
+- Modify roles, tags, or status on the system account
+- Read or modify pgcreds for the system account
+- List other accounts or perform any other admin operation
+
+### Token Download Flow
+
+Issuing a service token via `POST /accounts/{id}/token` (admin or delegate)
+stores the raw token string in an in-memory `sync.Map` under a random nonce
+with a 5-minute TTL. The handler returns the nonce in the HTMX fragment.
+
+The caller redeems the nonce via `GET /token/download/{nonce}`, which:
+
+1. Looks up the nonce in the map (missing → 404).
+2. Deletes the nonce immediately (prevents replay).
+3. Returns the token as `Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=token.txt`.
+
+The nonce is not stored in the database and is lost on server restart. This
+is intentional: if the download window is missed, the operator simply issues
+a new token.
+
+### Authorization Check
+
+`POST /accounts/{id}/token` is authenticated (bearer JWT + CSRF) but not
+admin-only. The handler performs an explicit check:
+
+```
+if claims.HasRole("admin") OR db.HasTokenIssueAccess(targetID, callerID):
+    proceed
+else:
+    403 Forbidden
+```
+
+This check is done in the handler rather than middleware because the
+delegation relationship requires a DB lookup that depends on the caller's
+identity and the specific target account.
+
+### Admin Management
+
+| Endpoint | Description |
+|---|---|
+| `POST /accounts/{id}/token/delegates` | Grant delegation (admin only) |
+| `DELETE /accounts/{id}/token/delegates/{grantee}` | Revoke delegation (admin only) |
+
+Both operations produce audit events (`token_delegate_granted`,
+`token_delegate_revoked`) and are visible in the account detail UI under
+the "Token Issue Access" section.
+
+### Audit Events
+
+| Event | Trigger |
+|---|---|
+| `token_delegate_granted` | Admin granted a human account token-issue access for a system account |
+| `token_delegate_revoked` | Admin revoked token-issue delegation |
+| `token_issued` | Token issued (existing event, also fires for delegate-issued tokens) |

POLICY.md

@@ -0,0 +1,514 @@
+# MCIAS Policy Engine
+
+Reference guide for the MCIAS attribute-based access control (ABAC) policy
+engine. Covers concepts, rule authoring, the full action/resource catalogue,
+built-in defaults, time-scoped rules, and worked examples.
+
+For the authoritative design rationale and middleware integration details see
+[ARCHITECTURE.md §20](ARCHITECTURE.md).
+
+---
+
+## 1. Concepts
+
+### Evaluation model
+
+The policy engine is a **pure function**: given a `PolicyInput` (assembled from
+JWT claims and database lookups) and a slice of `Rule` values, it returns an
+`Effect` (`allow` or `deny`) and a pointer to the matching rule.
+
+Evaluation proceeds in three steps:
+
+1. **Sort** all rules (built-in defaults + operator rules) by `Priority`
+   ascending. Lower number = evaluated first. Stable sort preserves insertion
+   order within the same priority.
+2. **Deny-wins**: the first matching `deny` rule terminates evaluation
+   immediately and returns `Deny`.
+3. **First-allow**: if no `deny` matched, the first matching `allow` rule
+   returns `Allow`.
+4. **Default-deny**: if no rule matched at all, the request is denied.
+
+The engine never touches the database. The caller (middleware) is responsible
+for assembling `PolicyInput` from JWT claims and DB lookups before calling
+`engine.Evaluate`.
+
+### Rule matching
+
+A rule matches a request when **every populated field** satisfies its
+condition. An empty/zero field is a wildcard (matches anything).
+
+| Rule field | Match condition |
+|---|---|
+| `roles` | Principal holds **at least one** of the listed roles |
+| `account_types` | Principal's account type is in the list (`"human"`, `"system"`) |
+| `subject_uuid` | Principal UUID equals this value exactly |
+| `actions` | Request action is in the list |
+| `resource_type` | Target resource type equals this value |
+| `owner_matches_subject` | (if `true`) resource owner UUID equals the principal UUID |
+| `service_names` | Target service account username is in the list |
+| `required_tags` | Target account carries **all** of the listed tags |
+
+All conditions are AND-ed. To express OR across principals or resources, create
+multiple rules.
+
+### Priority
+
+| Range | Intended use |
+|---|---|
+| 0 | Built-in defaults (compiled in; cannot be overridden via API) |
+| 1–49 | High-precedence operator deny rules (explicit blocks) |
+| 50–99 | Normal operator allow rules |
+| 100 | Default for new rules created via API or CLI |
+| 101+ | Low-precedence fallback rules |
+
+Because deny-wins applies within the matched set (not just within a priority
+band), a `deny` rule at priority 100 still overrides an `allow` at priority 50
+if both match. Use explicit deny rules at low priority numbers (e.g. 10) when
+you want them to fire before any allow can be considered.
+
+### Built-in default rules
+
+These rules are compiled into the binary (`internal/policy/defaults.go`). They
+have IDs -1 through -7, priority 0, and **cannot be disabled or deleted via
+the API**. They reproduce the previous binary admin/non-admin behavior exactly.
+
+| ID | Description | Conditions | Effect |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| -1 | Admin wildcard | `roles=[admin]` | allow |
+| -2 | Self-service logout / token renewal | `actions=[auth:logout, tokens:renew]` | allow |
+| -3 | Self-service TOTP enrollment | `actions=[totp:enroll]` | allow |
+| -7 | Self-service password change | `account_types=[human]`, `actions=[auth:change_password]` | allow |
+| -4 | System account reads own pgcreds | `account_types=[system]`, `actions=[pgcreds:read]`, `resource_type=pgcreds`, `owner_matches_subject=true` | allow |
+| -5 | System account issues/renews own token | `account_types=[system]`, `actions=[tokens:issue, tokens:renew]`, `resource_type=token`, `owner_matches_subject=true` | allow |
+| -6 | Public endpoints | `actions=[tokens:validate, auth:login]` | allow |
+
+Custom operator rules extend this baseline; they do not replace it.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Actions and Resource Types
+
+### Actions
+
+Actions follow the `resource:verb` convention. Use the exact string values
+shown below when authoring rules.
+
+| Action string | Description | Notes |
+|---|---|---|
+| `accounts:list` | List all accounts | admin |
+| `accounts:create` | Create an account | admin |
+| `accounts:read` | Read account details | admin |
+| `accounts:update` | Update account (status, etc.) | admin |
+| `accounts:delete` | Soft-delete an account | admin |
+| `roles:read` | Read role assignments | admin |
+| `roles:write` | Grant or revoke roles | admin |
+| `tags:read` | Read account tags | admin |
+| `tags:write` | Set account tags | admin |
+| `tokens:issue` | Issue or rotate a service token | admin or delegate |
+| `tokens:revoke` | Revoke a token | admin |
+| `tokens:validate` | Validate a token | public |
+| `tokens:renew` | Renew own token | self-service |
+| `pgcreds:read` | Read Postgres credentials | admin or delegated |
+| `pgcreds:write` | Set Postgres credentials | admin |
+| `audit:read` | Read audit log | admin |
+| `totp:enroll` | Enroll TOTP | self-service |
+| `totp:remove` | Remove TOTP from an account | admin |
+| `auth:login` | Authenticate (username + password) | public |
+| `auth:logout` | Invalidate own session token | self-service |
+| `auth:change_password` | Change own password | self-service |
+| `policy:list` | List policy rules | admin |
+| `policy:manage` | Create, update, or delete policy rules | admin |
+
+### Resource types
+
+| Resource type string | Description |
+|---|---|
+| `account` | A human or system account record |
+| `token` | A JWT or service bearer token |
+| `pgcreds` | A Postgres credential record |
+| `audit_log` | The audit event log |
+| `totp` | A TOTP enrollment record |
+| `policy` | A policy rule record |
+
+---
+
+## 3. Rule Schema
+
+Rules are stored in the `policy_rules` table. The `rule_json` column holds a
+JSON-encoded `RuleBody`. All other fields are dedicated columns.
+
+### Database columns
+
+| Column | Type | Description |
+|---|---|---|
+| `id` | INTEGER PK | Auto-assigned |
+| `priority` | INTEGER | Default 100; lower = evaluated first |
+| `description` | TEXT | Human-readable label (required) |
+| `enabled` | BOOLEAN | Disabled rules are excluded from the cache |
+| `not_before` | DATETIME (nullable) | Rule inactive before this UTC timestamp |
+| `expires_at` | DATETIME (nullable) | Rule inactive at and after this UTC timestamp |
+| `rule_json` | TEXT | JSON-encoded `RuleBody` (see below) |
+
+### RuleBody JSON fields
+
+```json
+{
+  "effect":               "allow" | "deny",
+  "roles":                ["role1", "role2"],
+  "account_types":        ["human"] | ["system"] | ["human", "system"],
+  "subject_uuid":         "<UUID string>",
+  "actions":              ["action:verb", ...],
+  "resource_type":        "<resource type string>",
+  "owner_matches_subject": true | false,
+  "service_names":        ["svc-username", ...],
+  "required_tags":        ["tag:value", ...]
+}
+```
+
+All fields are optional except `effect`. Omitted fields are wildcards.
+
+---
+
+## 4. Managing Rules
+
+### Via mciasctl
+
+```sh
+# List all rules
+mciasctl policy list
+
+# Create a rule from a JSON file
+mciasctl policy create -description "My rule" -json rule.json
+
+# Create a time-scoped rule
+mciasctl policy create \
+  -description "Temp production access" \
+  -json rule.json \
+  -not-before 2026-04-01T00:00:00Z \
+  -expires-at  2026-04-01T04:00:00Z
+
+# Enable or disable a rule
+mciasctl policy update -id 7 -enabled=false
+
+# Delete a rule
+mciasctl policy delete -id 7
+```
+
+### Via REST API (admin JWT required)
+
+| Method | Path | Description |
+|---|---|---|
+| GET | `/v1/policy/rules` | List all rules |
+| POST | `/v1/policy/rules` | Create a rule |
+| GET | `/v1/policy/rules/{id}` | Get a single rule |
+| PATCH | `/v1/policy/rules/{id}` | Update priority, enabled, or description |
+| DELETE | `/v1/policy/rules/{id}` | Delete a rule |
+
+### Via Web UI
+
+The `/policies` page lists all rules with enable/disable toggles and a create
+form. Mutating operations use HTMX partial-page updates.
+
+### Cache reload
+
+The `Engine` caches the active rule set in memory. It reloads automatically
+after any `policy_rule_*` admin event. To force a reload without a rule change,
+send `SIGHUP` to `mciassrv`.
+
+---
+
+## 5. Account Tags
+
+Tags are key:value strings attached to accounts (human or system) and used as
+resource match conditions in rules. They are stored in the `account_tags` table.
+
+### Recommended tag conventions
+
+| Tag | Meaning |
+|---|---|
+| `env:production` | Account belongs to the production environment |
+| `env:staging` | Account belongs to the staging environment |
+| `env:dev` | Account belongs to the development environment |
+| `svc:payments-api` | Account is associated with the payments-api service |
+| `machine:db-west-01` | Account is associated with a specific host |
+| `team:platform` | Account is owned by the platform team |
+
+Tag names are not enforced by the schema; the conventions above are
+recommendations only.
+
+### Managing tags
+
+```sh
+# Set tags on an account (replaces the full tag set atomically)
+mciasctl accounts update -id <uuid> -tags "env:staging,svc:payments-api"
+
+# Via REST (admin JWT)
+PUT /v1/accounts/{id}/tags
+Content-Type: application/json
+["env:staging", "svc:payments-api"]
+```
+
+---
+
+## 6. Worked Examples
+
+### Example A — Named service delegation
+
+**Goal:** Alice needs to read Postgres credentials for `payments-api` only.
+
+1. Grant Alice the role `svc:payments-api`:
+
+   ```sh
+   mciasctl accounts roles grant -id <alice-uuid> -role svc:payments-api
+   ```
+
+2. Create the allow rule (`rule.json`):
+
+   ```json
+   {
+     "effect": "allow",
+     "roles": ["svc:payments-api"],
+     "actions": ["pgcreds:read"],
+     "resource_type": "pgcreds",
+     "service_names": ["payments-api"]
+   }
+   ```
+
+   ```sh
+   mciasctl policy create -description "Alice: read payments-api pgcreds" \
+     -json rule.json -priority 50
+   ```
+
+When Alice calls `GET /v1/accounts/{payments-api-uuid}/pgcreds`, the middleware
+sets `resource.ServiceName = "payments-api"`. The rule matches and access is
+granted. A call against any other service account sets a different
+`ServiceName`; no rule matches and default-deny applies.
+
+---
+
+### Example B — Machine-tag gating (staging only)
+
+**Goal:** `deploy-agent` may read pgcreds for staging accounts but must be
+explicitly blocked from production.
+
+1. Tag all staging system accounts:
+
+   ```sh
+   mciasctl accounts update -id <svc-uuid> -tags "env:staging"
+   ```
+
+2. Explicit deny for production (low priority number = evaluated first):
+
+   ```json
+   {
+     "effect": "deny",
+     "subject_uuid": "<deploy-agent-uuid>",
+     "resource_type": "pgcreds",
+     "required_tags": ["env:production"]
+   }
+   ```
+
+   ```sh
+   mciasctl policy create -description "deploy-agent: deny production pgcreds" \
+     -json deny.json -priority 10
+   ```
+
+3. Allow for staging:
+
+   ```json
+   {
+     "effect": "allow",
+     "subject_uuid": "<deploy-agent-uuid>",
+     "actions": ["pgcreds:read"],
+     "resource_type": "pgcreds",
+     "required_tags": ["env:staging"]
+   }
+   ```
+
+   ```sh
+   mciasctl policy create -description "deploy-agent: allow staging pgcreds" \
+     -json allow.json -priority 50
+   ```
+
+The deny rule (priority 10) fires before the allow rule (priority 50) for any
+production-tagged resource. For staging resources the deny does not match and
+the allow rule permits access.
+
+---
+
+### Example C — Blanket "secrets reader" role
+
+**Goal:** Any account holding the `secrets-reader` role may read pgcreds for
+any service.
+
+```json
+{
+  "effect": "allow",
+  "roles": ["secrets-reader"],
+  "actions": ["pgcreds:read"],
+  "resource_type": "pgcreds"
+}
+```
+
+```sh
+mciasctl policy create -description "secrets-reader: read any pgcreds" \
+  -json rule.json -priority 50
+```
+
+No `service_names` or `required_tags` means the rule matches any target
+account. Grant the role to any account that needs broad read access:
+
+```sh
+mciasctl accounts roles grant -id <uuid> -role secrets-reader
+```
+
+---
+
+### Example D — Time-scoped emergency access
+
+**Goal:** `deploy-agent` needs temporary access to production pgcreds for a
+4-hour maintenance window on 2026-04-01.
+
+```json
+{
+  "effect": "allow",
+  "subject_uuid": "<deploy-agent-uuid>",
+  "actions": ["pgcreds:read"],
+  "resource_type": "pgcreds",
+  "required_tags": ["env:production"]
+}
+```
+
+```sh
+mciasctl policy create \
+  -description "deploy-agent: temp production access (maintenance window)" \
+  -json rule.json \
+  -priority 50 \
+  -not-before 2026-04-01T02:00:00Z \
+  -expires-at  2026-04-01T06:00:00Z
+```
+
+The engine excludes this rule from the cache before `not_before` and after
+`expires_at`. No manual cleanup is required; the rule becomes inert
+automatically. Both fields are nullable — omitting either means no constraint
+on that end.
+
+---
+
+### Example E — Per-account subject rule
+
+**Goal:** Bob (a contractor) may issue/rotate the token for `worker-bot` only,
+without any admin role.
+
+1. Grant delegation via the delegation API (preferred for token issuance; see
+   ARCHITECTURE.md §21):
+
+   ```sh
+   mciasctl accounts token delegates grant \
+     -id <worker-bot-uuid> -grantee <bob-uuid>
+   ```
+
+   Or, equivalently, via a policy rule:
+
+   ```json
+   {
+     "effect": "allow",
+     "subject_uuid": "<bob-uuid>",
+     "actions": ["tokens:issue", "tokens:renew"],
+     "resource_type": "token",
+     "service_names": ["worker-bot"]
+   }
+   ```
+
+   ```sh
+   mciasctl policy create -description "Bob: issue worker-bot token" \
+     -json rule.json -priority 50
+   ```
+
+2. Bob uses the `/service-accounts` UI page or `mciasctl` to rotate the token
+   and download it via the one-time nonce endpoint.
+
+---
+
+### Example F — Deny a specific account from all access
+
+**Goal:** Temporarily block `mallory` (UUID known) from all operations without
+deleting the account.
+
+```json
+{
+  "effect": "deny",
+  "subject_uuid": "<mallory-uuid>"
+}
+```
+
+```sh
+mciasctl policy create -description "Block mallory (incident response)" \
+  -json rule.json -priority 1
+```
+
+Priority 1 ensures this deny fires before any allow rule. Because deny-wins
+applies globally (not just within a priority band), this blocks mallory even
+though the admin wildcard (priority 0, allow) would otherwise match. Note: the
+admin wildcard is an `allow` rule; a `deny` at any priority overrides it for
+the matched principal.
+
+To lift the block, delete or disable the rule:
+
+```sh
+mciasctl policy update -id <rule-id> -enabled=false
+```
+
+---
+
+## 7. Security Recommendations
+
+1. **Prefer explicit deny rules for sensitive resources.** Use `required_tags`
+   or `service_names` to scope allow rules narrowly, and add a corresponding
+   deny rule at a lower priority number for the resources that must never be
+   accessible.
+
+2. **Use time-scoped rules for temporary access.** Set `expires_at` instead of
+   creating a rule and relying on manual deletion. The engine enforces expiry
+   automatically at cache-load time.
+
+3. **Avoid wildcard allow rules without resource scoping.** A rule with only
+   `roles` and `actions` but no `resource_type`, `service_names`, or
+   `required_tags` matches every resource of every type. Scope rules as
+   narrowly as the use case allows.
+
+4. **Audit deny events.** Every explicit deny produces a `policy_deny` audit
+   event. Review the audit log (`GET /v1/audit` or the `/audit` UI page)
+   regularly to detect unexpected access patterns.
+
+5. **Do not rely on priority alone for security boundaries.** Priority controls
+   evaluation order, not security strength. A deny rule at priority 100 still
+   overrides an allow at priority 50 if both match. Use deny rules explicitly
+   rather than assuming a lower-priority allow will be shadowed.
+
+6. **Keep the built-in defaults intact.** The compiled-in rules reproduce the
+   baseline admin/self-service behavior. Custom rules extend this baseline;
+   they cannot disable the defaults. Do not attempt to work around them by
+   creating conflicting operator rules — the deny-wins semantics mean an
+   operator deny at priority 1 will block even the admin wildcard for the
+   matched principal.
+
+7. **Reload after bulk changes.** After importing many rules via the REST API,
+   send `SIGHUP` to `mciassrv` to force an immediate cache reload rather than
+   waiting for the next individual rule event.
+
+---
+
+## 8. Audit Events
+
+| Event | Trigger |
+|---|---|
+| `policy_deny` | Engine denied a request; payload: `{action, resource_type, service_name, required_tags, matched_rule_id}` — never contains credential material |
+| `policy_rule_created` | New operator rule created |
+| `policy_rule_updated` | Rule priority, enabled flag, or description changed |
+| `policy_rule_deleted` | Rule deleted |
+| `tag_added` | Tag added to an account |
+| `tag_removed` | Tag removed from an account |
+
+All events are written to the `audit_events` table and are visible via
+`GET /v1/audit` (admin JWT required) or the `/audit` web UI page.

PROGRESS.md

@@ -4,6 +4,34 @@ Source of truth for current development state.
 ---
 All phases complete. **v1.0.0 tagged.** All packages pass `go test ./...`; `golangci-lint run ./...` clean (pre-existing warnings only).
 
+### 2026-03-15 — Checkpoint: lint fixes
+
+**Task:** Checkpoint — lint clean, tests pass, commit.
+
+**Lint fixes (13 issues resolved):**
+- `errorlint`: `internal/vault/vault_test.go` — replaced `err != ErrSealed` with `errors.Is(err, ErrSealed)`.
+- `gofmt`: `internal/config/config.go`, `internal/config/config_test.go`, `internal/middleware/middleware_test.go` — reformatted with `goimports`.
+- `govet/fieldalignment`: `internal/vault/vault.go`, `internal/ui/csrf.go`, `internal/audit/detail_test.go`, `internal/middleware/middleware_test.go` — reordered struct fields for optimal alignment.
+- `unused`: `internal/ui/csrf.go` — removed unused `newCSRFManager` function (superseded by `newCSRFManagerFromVault`).
+- `revive/early-return`: `cmd/mciassrv/main.go` — inverted condition to eliminate else-after-return.
+
+**Verification:** `golangci-lint run ./...` → 0 issues; `go test ./...` → all packages pass.
+
+---
+
+### 2026-03-15 — Documentation: ARCHITECTURE.md update + POLICY.md
+
+**Task:** Ensure ARCHITECTURE.md is accurate; add POLICY.md describing the policy engine.
+
+**ARCHITECTURE.md fix:**
+- Corrected `Rule.ID` comment: built-in default rules use negative IDs (-1 … -7), not 0 (§20 Core Types code block).
+
+**New file: POLICY.md**
+- Operator reference guide for the ABAC policy engine.
+- Covers: evaluation model (deny-wins, default-deny, stable priority sort), rule matching semantics, priority conventions, all built-in default rules (IDs -1 … -7) with conditions, full action and resource-type catalogue, rule schema (DB columns + RuleBody JSON), rule management via `mciasctl` / REST API / Web UI, account tag conventions, cache reload, six worked examples (named service delegation, machine-tag gating, blanket role, time-scoped access, per-account subject rule, incident-response deny), security recommendations, and audit events.
+
+---
+
 ### 2026-03-15 — Service account token delegation and download
 
 **Problem:** Only admins could issue tokens for service accounts, and the only way to retrieve the token was a flash message (copy-paste). There was no delegation mechanism for non-admin users.

cmd/mciassrv/main.go

@@ -87,17 +87,16 @@ func run(configPath string, logger *slog.Logger) error {
 	masterKey, mkErr := loadMasterKey(cfg, database)
 	if mkErr != nil {
 		// Check if we can start sealed (passphrase mode, empty env var).
-		if cfg.MasterKey.KeyFile == "" && os.Getenv(cfg.MasterKey.PassphraseEnv) == "" {
+		if cfg.MasterKey.KeyFile != "" || os.Getenv(cfg.MasterKey.PassphraseEnv) != "" {
-			// Verify that this is not a first run — the signing key must already exist.
-			enc, nonce, scErr := database.ReadServerConfig()
-			if scErr != nil || enc == nil || nonce == nil {
-				return fmt.Errorf("first run requires passphrase: %w", mkErr)
-			}
-			v = vault.NewSealed()
-			logger.Info("vault starting in sealed state")
-		} else {
 			return fmt.Errorf("load master key: %w", mkErr)
 		}
+		// Verify that this is not a first run — the signing key must already exist.
+		enc, nonce, scErr := database.ReadServerConfig()
+		if scErr != nil || enc == nil || nonce == nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("first run requires passphrase: %w", mkErr)
+		}
+		v = vault.NewSealed()
+		logger.Info("vault starting in sealed state")
 	} else {
 		// Load or generate the Ed25519 signing key.
 		// Security: The private signing key is stored AES-256-GCM encrypted in the

internal/audit/detail_test.go

@@ -7,9 +7,9 @@ import (
 
 func TestJSON(t *testing.T) {
 	tests := []struct {
+		verify func(t *testing.T, result string)
 		name   string
 		pairs  []string
-		verify func(t *testing.T, result string)
 	}{
 		{
 			name:  "single pair",
@@ -109,9 +109,9 @@ func TestJSON(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestJSONWithRoles(t *testing.T) {
 	tests := []struct {
+		verify func(t *testing.T, result string)
 		name   string
 		roles  []string
-		verify func(t *testing.T, result string)
 	}{
 		{
 			name:  "multiple roles",

internal/config/config.go

@@ -174,8 +174,8 @@ func (c *Config) validate() error {
 	// generous to accommodate a range of legitimate deployments while
 	// catching obvious typos (e.g. "876000h" instead of "8760h").
 	const (
-		maxDefaultExpiry = 30 * 24 * time.Hour  // 30 days
+		maxDefaultExpiry = 30 * 24 * time.Hour      // 30 days
-		maxAdminExpiry   = 24 * time.Hour        // 24 hours
+		maxAdminExpiry   = 24 * time.Hour           // 24 hours
 		maxServiceExpiry = 5 * 365 * 24 * time.Hour // 5 years
 	)
 	if c.Tokens.DefaultExpiry.Duration <= 0 {

internal/config/config_test.go

@@ -213,9 +213,9 @@ threads = 4
 // TestTrustedProxyValidation verifies that trusted_proxy must be a valid IP.
 func TestTrustedProxyValidation(t *testing.T) {
 	tests := []struct {
-		name        string
+		name    string
-		proxy       string
+		proxy   string
-		wantErr     bool
+		wantErr bool
 	}{
 		{"empty is valid (disabled)", "", false},
 		{"valid IPv4", "127.0.0.1", false},

internal/middleware/middleware_test.go

@@ -361,8 +361,8 @@ func TestClientIP(t *testing.T) {
 		remoteAddr    string
 		xForwardedFor string
 		xRealIP       string
-		trustedProxy  net.IP
 		want          string
+		trustedProxy  net.IP
 	}{
 		{
 			name:       "no proxy configured: uses RemoteAddr",
@@ -377,11 +377,11 @@ func TestClientIP(t *testing.T) {
 			want:          "198.51.100.9",
 		},
 		{
-			name:          "request from trusted proxy with X-Real-IP: uses X-Real-IP",
+			name:         "request from trusted proxy with X-Real-IP: uses X-Real-IP",
-			remoteAddr:    "10.0.0.1:8080",
+			remoteAddr:   "10.0.0.1:8080",
-			xRealIP:       "203.0.113.42",
+			xRealIP:      "203.0.113.42",
-			trustedProxy:  proxy,
+			trustedProxy: proxy,
-			want:          "203.0.113.42",
+			want:         "203.0.113.42",
 		},
 		{
 			name:          "request from trusted proxy with X-Forwarded-For: uses first entry",
@@ -407,10 +407,10 @@ func TestClientIP(t *testing.T) {
 			want:          "203.0.113.55",
 		},
 		{
-			name:          "proxy request with no forwarding headers falls back to RemoteAddr host",
+			name:         "proxy request with no forwarding headers falls back to RemoteAddr host",
-			remoteAddr:    "10.0.0.1:8080",
+			remoteAddr:   "10.0.0.1:8080",
-			trustedProxy:  proxy,
+			trustedProxy: proxy,
-			want:          "10.0.0.1",
+			want:         "10.0.0.1",
 		},
 		{
 			// Security: attacker fakes X-Forwarded-For but connects directly.

internal/ui/csrf.go

@@ -29,15 +29,9 @@ import (
 //     on the next unseal. This is safe because sealed middleware prevents
 //     reaching CSRF-protected routes.
 type CSRFManager struct {
-	mu    sync.Mutex
-	key   []byte
 	vault *vault.Vault
-}
+	key   []byte
-
+	mu    sync.Mutex
-// newCSRFManager creates a CSRFManager with a static key derived from masterKey.
-// Key derivation: SHA-256("mcias-ui-csrf-v1" || masterKey)
-func newCSRFManager(masterKey []byte) *CSRFManager {
-	return &CSRFManager{key: deriveCSRFKey(masterKey)}
 }
 
 // newCSRFManagerFromVault creates a CSRFManager that derives its key lazily

internal/vault/vault.go

@@ -24,10 +24,10 @@ var ErrSealed = errors.New("vault is sealed")
 // Vault holds the server's cryptographic key material behind a mutex.
 // All three servers (REST, UI, gRPC) share a single Vault by pointer.
 type Vault struct {
-	mu        sync.RWMutex
 	masterKey []byte
 	privKey   ed25519.PrivateKey
 	pubKey    ed25519.PublicKey
+	mu        sync.RWMutex
 	sealed    bool
 }
 

internal/vault/vault_test.go

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package vault
 import (
 	"crypto/ed25519"
 	"crypto/rand"
+	"errors"
 	"sync"
 	"testing"
 )
@@ -25,13 +26,13 @@ func TestNewSealed(t *testing.T) {
 	if !v.IsSealed() {
 		t.Fatal("NewSealed() should be sealed")
 	}
-	if _, err := v.MasterKey(); err != ErrSealed {
+	if _, err := v.MasterKey(); !errors.Is(err, ErrSealed) {
 		t.Fatalf("MasterKey() error = %v, want ErrSealed", err)
 	}
-	if _, err := v.PrivKey(); err != ErrSealed {
+	if _, err := v.PrivKey(); !errors.Is(err, ErrSealed) {
 		t.Fatalf("PrivKey() error = %v, want ErrSealed", err)
 	}
-	if _, err := v.PubKey(); err != ErrSealed {
+	if _, err := v.PubKey(); !errors.Is(err, ErrSealed) {
 		t.Fatalf("PubKey() error = %v, want ErrSealed", err)
 	}
 }