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Certificates & Signing

Overview​

ProjectAchilles supports up to 5 certificates (uploaded + generated combined) for code signing Windows binaries.

Uploading a Certificate​

  1. Navigate to Settings → Certificates
  2. Click Upload Certificate
  3. Select a PFX/P12 file
  4. Enter the certificate password
  5. Click Upload

Generating a Self-Signed Certificate​

  1. Navigate to Settings → Certificates
  2. Click Generate Certificate
  3. Fill in the subject fields (Common Name, Organization, etc.)
  4. Click Generate
Platform Differences
  • Docker/Railway/Render/Fly.io: Uses OpenSSL CLI for generation and osslsigncode for signing
  • Vercel: Uses node-forge (pure JS) for generation; signing is not available (no osslsigncode)

Active Certificate​

One certificate is marked as "active" at a time. The build service uses the active certificate for all Authenticode signing operations.

Click Set Active on any certificate to make it the current signing certificate.

Storage​

TargetStorage Location
Docker/PaaS~/.projectachilles/certs/cert-<timestamp>/
VercelVercel Blob (certs/ prefix)

Legacy Migration​

If you have flat certificate files (from an older version), they are automatically migrated to the subdirectory structure on first access.

Settings Page Layout​

The Certificates section lives within the broader Settings page, which is organized into four tabs:

Navigate to Settings and select the Tests tab to access certificate management.

Settings tests page — target platform selection and code signing certificate management

Certificate Management Walkthrough​

Uploading a Certificate​

  1. In the Tests tab, scroll to the Certificates section
  2. Click Upload Certificate
  3. Select a PFX or P12 file from your file system
  4. Enter the certificate password
  5. Click Upload
  6. The certificate appears in the certificate list with its subject details and expiration date
PFX Compatibility

Some PFX files use algorithms that the platform cannot parse for metadata extraction. In that case, the upload still succeeds, but the displayed subject and expiration fields may show "Unknown". The certificate itself remains fully functional for signing.

Generating a Self-Signed Certificate​

  1. Click Generate Certificate
  2. Fill in the subject fields:
    • Common Name (required)
    • Organization
    • Organizational Unit
    • Country
    • State/Province
    • Locality
  3. Click Generate
  4. The new certificate appears in the list and is ready for use

Setting the Active Certificate​

Only one certificate can be active at a time. The active certificate is used for all Windows Authenticode signing operations during test and agent builds.

  1. Find the certificate you want to use in the certificate list
  2. Click Set Active
  3. The active badge moves to the selected certificate
  4. All subsequent builds use this certificate for signing

Downloading and Deleting​

  • Download -- Retrieves the PFX file for backup or use in other tools
  • Delete -- Permanently removes the certificate (requires the settings:certificates:delete permission)
5-Certificate Limit

The platform enforces a maximum of 5 certificates (uploaded and generated combined). Delete unused certificates before adding new ones if you have reached the limit.

Other Settings Sections​

The Settings page includes additional configuration areas relevant to the overall platform:

Integrations Tab​

Manages connections to external services through a card-based interface:

IntegrationPurpose
ElasticsearchConnection to your Elasticsearch cluster for analytics data storage. Supports both Elastic Cloud (Cloud ID) and direct URL connections. Includes index management and connection testing.
Azure / Entra IDService principal credentials for tests that target Azure Active Directory.
Microsoft DefenderTenant credentials for pulling Secure Score, alerts, and control profiles from Microsoft Graph.
AlertingThreshold-based alerts dispatched to Slack (webhook) or email (SMTP) when scores drop below configured levels.

Each integration card shows a status indicator: Connected, Not Configured, or Error.

Settings integrations page — Elasticsearch, Azure/Entra ID, Microsoft Defender, and Alerting cards

Agent Tab​

Manages agent binary distribution:

  • Build from Source -- Cross-compile agent binaries with automatic version incrementing and code signing
  • Upload Binary -- Upload pre-compiled agent binaries with version metadata and release notes
  • Version Table -- View all registered agent binaries with size, SHA-256 hash, signing status, and deletion controls

Users Tab​

User and role management (visible only to users with the settings:users:manage permission):

  • User list with role assignment
  • Invitation system for onboarding new team members via email
  • Permission reference showing the full permission matrix for each role

Settings users page — user roles with RBAC permission reference matrix

Platform Config​

Located in the Tests tab alongside certificates:

  • Select the default target operating system and architecture for builds
  • Architecture options adjust based on OS compatibility (e.g., macOS does not support 386)
  • Changes auto-save with visual confirmation

Visual Themes​

The platform supports three visual themes, selectable from the Settings page:

ThemeDescription
DefaultClean light/dark mode with neutral tones
NeobrutalismHot pink accent color, bold borders, high contrast
Hacker TerminalPhosphor green and amber text with CRT scanline effects

The selected theme applies globally across all pages, including chart visualizations and code viewers.