[PATCH v1] gpg-interface: Signatures by expired keys are fine

From: Uwe Kleine-König <ukleinek@kernel.org>
Date: Feb 4, 2026, 15:23 UTC
Message-ID: <20260204152306.1767112-2-ukleinek@kernel.org>

If a signature is done with a valid key and that key later expires, the signature should still be considered good.

GnuPG exmits in this case something like:

	[GNUPG:] NEWSIG
	gpg: Signature made Wed 26 Nov 2014 05:56:50 AM CET
	gpg:                using RSA key FE3958F9067BC667
	[GNUPG:] KEYEXPIRED 1478449622
	[GNUPG:] KEY_CONSIDERED D783920D6D4F0C06AA4C25F3FE3958F9067BC667 0
	[GNUPG:] KEYEXPIRED 1478449622
	[GNUPG:] SIG_ID 8tAN3Fx6XB2NAoH5U8neoguQ9MI 2014-11-26 1416977810
	[GNUPG:] EXPKEYSIG FE3958F9067BC667 Jason Cooper <jason@lakedaemon.net>
	gpg: Good signature from "Jason Cooper <jason@lakedaemon.net>" [expired]
	[GNUPG:] VALIDSIG D783920D6D4F0C06AA4C25F3FE3958F9067BC667 2014-11-26 1416977810 0 4 0 1 2 00 D783920D6D4F0C06AA4C25F3FE3958F9067BC667
	gpg: Note: This key has expired!
	      D783920D6D4F0C06AA4C25F3FE3958F9067BC667

(signature and signed data in this example is taken from Linux commit 756f80cee766574ae282baa97fdcf9cc). So GnuPG is relaxed and the fact that the key is expired is only worth a "Note" which is weaker than e.g.

	gpg: WARNING: The key's User ID is not certified with a trusted signature!
	gpg:          There is no indication that the signature belongs to the owner.

which git still considers ok.

So stop coloring the signature by an expired key red and handle it like any other good signature.

Signed-off-by: Uwe Kleine-König <ukleinek@kernel.org>
---
Hello,

the motivation for this patch originates from a mail correspondence with Linus Torvalds, see https://lore.kernel.org/ksummit/CAHC9VhRwMpSCphW_FsHojX1r12D5MOMUBm6MAzpGYD_FDjEVtA@mail.gmail.com/T/#m6cc3cc4b599658cab6012326993a1261fd641046 for the details.

Best regards Uwe

 gpg-interface.c | 4 ++--
 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/gpg-interface.c b/gpg-interface.c
index 47222bf31b6e..6635c6c8e16f 100644
--- a/gpg-interface.c
+++ b/gpg-interface.c
@@ -382,7 +382,7 @@ static int verify_gpg_signed_buffer(struct signature_check *sigc,
 
 	delete_tempfile(&temp);
 
-	ret |= !strstr(gpg_stdout.buf, "\n[GNUPG:] GOODSIG ");
+	ret |= !strstr(gpg_stdout.buf, "\n[GNUPG:] GOODSIG ") && !strstr(gpg_stdout.buf, "\n[GNUPG:] EXPKEYSIG ");
 	sigc->output = strbuf_detach(&gpg_stderr, NULL);
 	sigc->gpg_status = strbuf_detach(&gpg_stdout, NULL);
 
@@ -680,7 +680,7 @@ int check_signature(struct signature_check *sigc,
 	if (status && !sigc->output)
 		return !!status;
 
-	status |= sigc->result != 'G';
+	status |= sigc->result != 'G' && sigc->result != 'Y';
 	status |= sigc->trust_level < configured_min_trust_level;
 
 	return !!status;

base-commit: b2826b52eb7caff9f4ed6e85ec45e338bf02ad09

-- 
2.47.3