diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index ba3ab86..b2cd6c4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -95,12 +95,39 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install dependencies
         run: pip install cryptography
 
+      # 🔴 TRUST ANCHOR — issue #68 finding 4.
+      #
+      # This step used to do `import bcc_core as c` FROM THE CHECKED-OUT PR
+      # BRANCH and verify the catalog against c.CATALOG_PUBKEYS — i.e. it
+      # trusted the public key shipped in the very diff it was reviewing. A
+      # PR that changed data/catalog.json AND bcc_core.CATALOG_PUBKEYS (to
+      # an attacker key, with a matching signature produced by the attacker's
+      # matching private key) went green, because there was nothing outside
+      # the PR's own content to check the key against. The gate's whole
+      # point is catching a friendly-looking PR the maintainer merges
+      # without really reading it — and that hole made it a two-file diff.
+      #
+      # EXPECTED_CATALOG_PUBKEY_B64 below is hardcoded HERE, in the workflow
+      # file, independent of whatever bcc_core.py says on the PR branch. It
+      # is intentionally the only line in this step that matters for
+      # security review: changing it changes what this gate is willing to
+      # trust. THIS CONSTANT IS A TRUST ANCHOR. A PR that changes this line
+      # in the same diff as a catalog change is exactly the attack this gate
+      # exists to prevent — review a change to this line on its own,
+      # never bundled with a catalog update.
+      #
+      # NOTE for the next key rotation: update EXPECTED_CATALOG_PUBKEY_B64
+      # below to the new key's base64 form, as its own reviewed change.
       - name: Verify data/catalog.json.sig
+        env:
+          EXPECTED_CATALOG_PUBKEY_B64: "082NOwVB7uURkvfyS3+knJ+40Fk6C9unsF47+2uPKo4="
         run: |
           python - <<'PY'
-          import pathlib, sys
+          import base64, os, pathlib, sys
           import bcc_core as c
 
+          expected_pubkey_b64 = os.environ["EXPECTED_CATALOG_PUBKEY_B64"]
+
           raw = pathlib.Path("data/catalog.json").read_bytes()
           sig_path = pathlib.Path("data/catalog.json.sig")
 
@@ -111,6 +138,26 @@ jobs:
           if b"\x00" * 32 in c.CATALOG_PUBKEYS:
               sys.exit("FAIL: CATALOG_PUBKEYS still holds the placeholder key.")
 
+          # Trust anchor check FIRST, before verifying anything against
+          # bcc_core.CATALOG_PUBKEYS: a PR is not allowed to bring its own
+          # key. CATALOG_PUBKEYS on the checked-out branch must be EXACTLY
+          # the key(s) this workflow file itself expects -- no more, no
+          # fewer, no substitutions.
+          actual_pubkeys_b64 = [base64.b64encode(k).decode() for k in c.CATALOG_PUBKEYS]
+          if actual_pubkeys_b64 != [expected_pubkey_b64]:
+              sys.exit(
+                  "FAIL: bcc_core.CATALOG_PUBKEYS on this branch does not match the "
+                  "trust anchor hardcoded in .github/workflows/ci.yml.\n"
+                  f"  expected: {[expected_pubkey_b64]}\n"
+                  f"  actual:   {actual_pubkeys_b64}\n"
+                  "\n"
+                  "This PR is changing (or has changed) the catalog signing key. That "
+                  "change must be reviewed on its own, separately from any catalog "
+                  "content change, and the workflow's EXPECTED_CATALOG_PUBKEY_B64 "
+                  "updated deliberately -- not accepted because it happened to match "
+                  "whatever bcc_core.py says on this branch."
+              )
+
           if not c.verify_catalog_signature(raw, sig_path.read_bytes(), c.CATALOG_PUBKEYS):
               sys.exit(
                   "FAIL: data/catalog.json does NOT match its signature.\n"
@@ -124,5 +171,6 @@ jobs:
           if problems:
               sys.exit("FAIL: catalog failed validation:\n  " + "\n  ".join(problems))
 
-          print("OK: catalog signature verifies and the catalog validates clean.")
+          print("OK: catalog signature verifies, the pubkey matches the CI trust anchor, "
+                "and the catalog validates clean.")
           PY
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 616ed94..a65ba33 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -101,9 +101,20 @@ jobs:
   # signing step — which means a wrong/missing RELEASE_SIGNING_KEY secret
   # would only be discovered at the worst possible moment: during a real
   # release. This job signs a throwaway manifest with the secret and verifies
-  # the result against the PUBLIC key already compiled into bcc_core.
+  # the result against scripts/sign_checksums.RELEASE_PUBKEYS.
   #
-  # It proves the two halves of the keypair actually match, without
+  # IMPORTANT (issue #68 finding 5): this must verify against the RELEASE
+  # public key, never bcc_core.CATALOG_PUBKEYS. The catalog key is the
+  # offline, maintainer-held root of trust for what BCC executes; it must
+  # NEVER be compared against a value that lives in a CI secret, because
+  # that comparison is itself a way to smuggle a catalog-trusted key through
+  # CI review ("does this repo secret match the catalog key" is a question
+  # this workflow must never even ask). The release key is a SEPARATE
+  # keypair, generated via `catalog_console.py keygen --release`, that only
+  # ever signs release SHA256SUMS manifests -- a CI/secret compromise burns
+  # this key, not the catalog key.
+  #
+  # It proves the two halves of the RELEASE keypair actually match, without
   # publishing anything. Run it from the Actions tab after setting or
   # rotating the secret.
   signing-smoke-test:
@@ -120,42 +131,54 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install dependencies
         run: pip install cryptography
 
-      - name: Sign a throwaway manifest and verify against the shipped pubkey
+      - name: Sign a throwaway manifest and verify against the RELEASE pubkey
         env:
           RELEASE_SIGNING_KEY: ${{ secrets.RELEASE_SIGNING_KEY }}
         run: |
           if [ -z "$RELEASE_SIGNING_KEY" ]; then
             echo "FAIL: RELEASE_SIGNING_KEY secret is not set."
-            echo "Generate it with: python catalog_console.py show-seed-b64"
-            echo "then add it under Settings -> Actions -> Secrets."
+            echo "Generate the RELEASE key (NOT the catalog key) with:"
+            echo "    python catalog_console.py keygen --release"
+            echo "then add its seed under Settings -> Actions -> Secrets, via:"
+            echo "    python catalog_console.py show-seed-b64 --release"
             exit 1
           fi
           mkdir -p smoke && echo "smoke test payload" > smoke/hello.txt
           python3 scripts/sign_checksums.py generate smoke --out smoke/SHA256SUMS
           python3 scripts/sign_checksums.py sign --sums smoke/SHA256SUMS --out smoke/SHA256SUMS.sig
           python - <<'PY'
-          import base64, pathlib, sys
-          import bcc_core as c
-          from scripts.sign_checksums import verify_checksums
+          import pathlib, sys
+          from scripts.sign_checksums import RELEASE_PUBKEYS, verify_checksums_against_any
 
-          # The public half that ships inside the binary. If the secret is a
-          # DIFFERENT key than the one users' copies trust, this fails here --
-          # which is the entire point of the job.
-          pub_b64 = base64.b64encode(c.CATALOG_PUBKEYS[0]).decode()
+          # Deliberately does NOT import bcc_core / CATALOG_PUBKEYS at all --
+          # this smoke test must never be able to compare the CI secret
+          # against the catalog's root of trust (issue #68 finding 5). Only
+          # RELEASE_PUBKEYS (scripts/sign_checksums.py) is a legitimate
+          # target for a CI-resident key.
+          if not RELEASE_PUBKEYS:
+              sys.exit(
+                  "FAIL: scripts/sign_checksums.RELEASE_PUBKEYS is empty.\n"
+                  "\n"
+                  "Generate the release keypair with:\n"
+                  "    python catalog_console.py keygen --release\n"
+                  "then paste the printed public key into RELEASE_PUBKEYS in\n"
+                  "scripts/sign_checksums.py and commit that change."
+              )
 
           sums = pathlib.Path("smoke/SHA256SUMS").read_text()
           sig = pathlib.Path("smoke/SHA256SUMS.sig").read_bytes()
 
-          if not verify_checksums(pub_b64, sums, sig):
+          if not verify_checksums_against_any(RELEASE_PUBKEYS, sums, sig):
               sys.exit(
                   "FAIL: the signature produced by RELEASE_SIGNING_KEY does NOT verify\n"
-                  "against the public key in bcc_core.CATALOG_PUBKEYS.\n"
+                  "against any key in scripts/sign_checksums.RELEASE_PUBKEYS.\n"
                   "\n"
-                  "The secret and the shipped public key are different keypairs. Users\n"
-                  "would reject every signature this CI produces. Re-copy the seed from\n"
-                  "`catalog_console.py show-seed-b64`, or update CATALOG_PUBKEYS."
+                  "The secret and the shipped release public key are different keypairs.\n"
+                  "Downloaders would reject every signature this CI produces. Re-copy the\n"
+                  "seed from `catalog_console.py show-seed-b64 --release`, or update\n"
+                  "RELEASE_PUBKEYS with the matching public key."
               )
-          print("OK: RELEASE_SIGNING_KEY matches the public key shipped in bcc_core.")
+          print("OK: RELEASE_SIGNING_KEY matches a key in RELEASE_PUBKEYS.")
           PY
 
   # ── Create GitHub Release with all three artifacts ──────────────────────
@@ -206,9 +229,13 @@ jobs:
       # checks. It does NOT remove Gatekeeper/SmartScreen warnings.
       #
       # The private key is a repo secret (RELEASE_SIGNING_KEY, base64 raw
-      # Ed25519 seed) generated via the Catalog Console (#62). If it's not
-      # set, we still publish the release — just without a .sig — rather
-      # than fail the release outright.
+      # Ed25519 seed) for the RELEASE key -- a SEPARATE keypair from the
+      # catalog key, generated via `python catalog_console.py keygen
+      # --release` (issue #68 finding 5; #62). This key is intentionally
+      # CI-resident and signs ONLY this checksum manifest; it is never
+      # trusted to sign data/catalog.json. If it's not set, we still
+      # publish the release — just without a .sig — rather than fail the
+      # release outright.
       - name: Check for signing key
         id: signing
         run: |
@@ -234,7 +261,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Warn — release will be unsigned
         if: steps.signing.outputs.has_key != 'true'
         run: |
-          echo "::warning::RELEASE_SIGNING_KEY secret is not set — this release is being published WITHOUT a signed SHA256SUMS.sig. Add the secret (base64 raw Ed25519 seed, generated via the Catalog Console, #62) before the next tag."
+          echo "::warning::RELEASE_SIGNING_KEY secret is not set — this release is being published WITHOUT a signed SHA256SUMS.sig. Generate the RELEASE key (python catalog_console.py keygen --release) and add its seed (python catalog_console.py show-seed-b64 --release) as this secret before the next tag."
 
       - name: Create GitHub Release
         uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v2
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d28ffd3..c04b894 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -36,11 +36,10 @@ are only suppressed by a paid OS-vendor certificate, which this project
 doesn't have. Verifying checksums is about detecting tampering in transit or
 on a mirror, not about vouching for the software.
 
-**Release signing public key** (Ed25519, base64, raw 32 bytes):
-
-```
-<PLACEHOLDER — AJ: paste the public key from the Catalog Console (#62) here>
-```
+This manifest is signed with BCC's **release key**, which is a different
+key from the one that signs the MCP server catalog — see
+[Signing keys](#signing-keys) below for why, and for the public key value
+to use with `--pubkey-b64` below.
 
 ### macOS / Linux
 
@@ -59,7 +58,7 @@ To also verify the manifest's signature (optional, requires Python +
 ```bash
 python3 scripts/sign_checksums.py verify \
   --sums SHA256SUMS --sig SHA256SUMS.sig \
-  --pubkey-b64 "<the public key above>"
+  --pubkey-b64 "<the release public key from Signing keys, below>"
 ```
 
 ### Windows (PowerShell)
@@ -78,6 +77,45 @@ release is missing the `.sig` file, the checksums themselves are still
 valid and safe to check against — the release workflow only skips signing,
 never checksum generation.
 
+## Signing keys
+
+BCC uses **two separate Ed25519 keypairs**, deliberately never the same
+key, because they protect different things and live in different places:
+
+| | Catalog key | Release key |
+|---|---|---|
+| Signs | `data/catalog.json` (the MCP server catalog every user's app trusts) | `SHA256SUMS` (the checksum manifest for release binaries) |
+| Verified by | `bcc_core.CATALOG_PUBKEYS` | `scripts/sign_checksums.RELEASE_PUBKEYS` |
+| Lives | Offline, passphrase-encrypted, maintainer's machine only (OS keychain or an encrypted file outside the repo — see the [Catalog Console](#files), issue #62) | A Gitea Actions repo secret, `RELEASE_SIGNING_KEY` — **intentionally CI-resident** |
+| Generated with | `python catalog_console.py keygen` | `python catalog_console.py keygen --release` |
+| Exported for CI with | *(never — there is no supported way to export this key)* | `python catalog_console.py show-seed-b64 --release` |
+
+**Why two keys:** the catalog key is the root of trust for what BCC
+actually *executes* on a user's machine — every `command`/`args` pair in
+the shipped catalog is only there because this key signed it. If that key
+and the release-checksum key were the same (as they briefly were — see
+[issue #68](../../issues/68)), then anything that can exfiltrate a Gitea
+Actions secret (a malicious workflow-file PR, a compromised runner, a leaky
+log) could sign a catalog every user's copy of BCC would trust, not just a
+checksum manifest. Splitting them means **a CI/secret compromise burns the
+release key, never the catalog key** — checksums for a future release could
+be forged, which is bad, but no attacker gains the ability to make BCC run
+arbitrary commands on installs that trust the catalog. That asymmetry is
+the entire point of having two keys instead of one.
+
+The catalog key is **never** meant to leave the maintainer's machine: it's
+generated, stored, unlocked, and used to sign entirely inside the Catalog
+Console (`catalog_console.py`), and `catalog_console.py show-seed-b64`
+refuses to run without `--release` specifically so the catalog seed can't
+be exported by habit or muscle memory.
+
+**Release signing public key** (Ed25519, base64, raw 32 bytes) — this is
+the RELEASE key, not the catalog key:
+
+```
+<PLACEHOLDER — AJ: paste the release public key from `catalog_console.py keygen --release` here>
+```
+
 ## Run from source
 
 ```bash
@@ -152,6 +190,7 @@ file is also listed, marked *legacy*, so you can copy them over.
 - `bcc.spec` — PyInstaller build spec (cross-platform).
 - `scripts/build_icons.py` — regenerates `icons/app.icns` and `icons/app.ico` from source PNGs.
 - `scripts/sign_checksums.py` — generates and Ed25519-signs the release `SHA256SUMS` manifest (see [Verifying your download](#verifying-your-download)).
+- `catalog_console.py` / `catalog_review.py` — **maintainer-only**, never shipped to users (excluded from `bcc.spec`; see `tests/test_catalog_console_packaging.py`). The Catalog Console: review + sign `data/catalog.json`, and generate/manage both signing keys (`keygen`, `keygen --release`) — see [Signing keys](#signing-keys).
 
 ## Building from source
 
diff --git a/bcc_core.py b/bcc_core.py
index 677faab..38cea9c 100644
--- a/bcc_core.py
+++ b/bcc_core.py
@@ -2165,6 +2165,30 @@ def restart_claude_desktop() -> RestartResult:
 # is rejected by validate_catalog() regardless of how plausible it looks.
 CATALOG_ALLOWED_COMMANDS = frozenset({"npx", "uvx", "docker", "node", "python", "python3"})
 
+# Env var keys a catalog entry's config.env must never set. Every one of
+# these is a loader/interpreter override that lets a value walk straight
+# past CATALOG_ALLOWED_COMMANDS and the -e/--eval/-c deny-rule below: e.g.
+# NODE_OPTIONS="--require /tmp/x.js" turns an allowlisted `npx` entry into
+# arbitrary code execution without ever touching config.args, which is the
+# only field the allowlist/deny-rules/ASCII/secret checks used to cover.
+# Matched case-insensitively -- env keys are case-sensitive on POSIX, but a
+# `node_options` lookalike is exactly the kind of thing this must catch.
+CATALOG_DENIED_ENV_KEYS = frozenset(
+    {
+        "NODE_OPTIONS",
+        "PYTHONSTARTUP",
+        "PYTHONPATH",
+        "PYTHONHOME",
+        "LD_PRELOAD",
+        "LD_LIBRARY_PATH",
+        "DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES",
+        "DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH",
+        "BROWSER",
+        "PATH",
+        "NODE_REPL_EXTERNAL_MODULE",
+    }
+)
+
 # Ed25519 public keys allowed to sign a catalog, raw 32-byte form. A LIST
 # (not a single key) so keys can be rotated without bricking installs that
 # still trust an older key: verify_catalog_signature() accepts a match
@@ -2190,6 +2214,36 @@ _CATALOG_SECRET_ARG_RE = re.compile(r"(?i)--api[-_]?key=|--token=|--password=")
 # <PLACEHOLDER>-style tokens the GUI must have the user fill in before Save.
 _PLACEHOLDER_RE = re.compile(r"<[^<>\s]+>")
 
+# A catalog entry's id becomes an mcpServers JSON key AND is interpolated
+# into Qt.AutoText widgets (status bar, QMessageBox) -- an id like
+# "<b>Verified</b>" renders as markup there. Not RCE, but UI spoofing, so
+# ids are constrained to a plain lowercase slug.
+_CATALOG_ID_RE = re.compile(r"^[a-z0-9][a-z0-9._-]{0,63}$")
+
+# Docker flags that consume the next arg as a value (so that value must not
+# be mistaken for the image reference when locating it in config.args).
+_DOCKER_VALUE_FLAGS = frozenset(
+    {
+        "-e",
+        "--env",
+        "-v",
+        "--volume",
+        "-p",
+        "--publish",
+        "--name",
+        "-w",
+        "--workdir",
+        "-u",
+        "--user",
+        "--entrypoint",
+        "--network",
+        "--platform",
+        "--add-host",
+        "-l",
+        "--label",
+    }
+)
+
 # How many versions a single accepted catalog jump may leap in one go. Bounds
 # a "freeze" attack: a compromised/leaked signing key claiming an absurd
 # future version would otherwise permanently outrank every legitimate
@@ -2264,6 +2318,121 @@ def _docker_arg_violations(tag: str, args: list[str]) -> list[str]:
     return problems
 
 
+def _catalog_package_spec_version(spec: str) -> str | None:
+    """
+    Extract the version pin from an npm-style package spec, or None if the
+    spec carries no pin.
+
+    Handles unscoped "name@version" and scoped "@scope/name@version" --
+    scoped names have a leading "@" that is NOT the version separator, so a
+    naive split on the first/only "@" misparses "@scope/pkg" (no version)
+    as pinned to "scope/pkg". Splitting from the right side instead is safe
+    for both forms because a package name may contain "@" only as the
+    scope's leading character.
+    """
+    if spec.startswith("@"):
+        rest = spec[1:]
+        if "@" not in rest:
+            return None
+        _, _, version = rest.rpartition("@")
+        return version or None
+    if "@" not in spec:
+        return None
+    _, _, version = spec.rpartition("@")
+    return version or None
+
+
+def _catalog_package_spec_pinned(spec: str) -> bool:
+    """
+    True if `spec` carries an exact version pin. Covers npm's "name@version"
+    / "@scope/name@version" and uv's documented PyPI pin forms
+    "name@version" and "name==version".
+    """
+    if "==" in spec:
+        _, _, version = spec.partition("==")
+        return bool(version)
+    return bool(_catalog_package_spec_version(spec))
+
+
+def _first_catalog_package_spec(args: list[str]) -> str | None:
+    """
+    The first arg that could plausibly BE a package spec: skip flags
+    (leading "-") and <PLACEHOLDER> tokens (which can't be validated and
+    are filled in by the user later, never shipped by the catalog as the
+    package name itself). Everything after the first hit is ignored --
+    trailing flags, paths, and placeholders are not package specs.
+    """
+    for a in args:
+        if a.startswith("-"):
+            continue
+        if _PLACEHOLDER_RE.fullmatch(a):
+            continue
+        return a
+    return None
+
+
+def _catalog_pin_violations(tag: str, command: str, args: list[str]) -> list[str]:
+    """
+    Version-pinning enforcement (finding #3): a catalog PR can otherwise
+    ship `npx -y @scope/pkg` or `docker run img:latest` and the *next*
+    resolve of that package/image is whatever the registry serves that day
+    -- outside review, outside the signature's meaning. This is the only
+    place that enforces pinning at runtime; catalog_review.py's
+    risk_unpinned_package() is a maintainer-facing hint, not a gate.
+    """
+    if command in ("npx", "uvx"):
+        spec = _first_catalog_package_spec(args)
+        if spec is None:
+            return [f"{tag}: config.args must include a package spec to pin (e.g. name@1.2.3)."]
+        if not _catalog_package_spec_pinned(spec):
+            return [
+                f"{tag}: config.args package {spec!r} is not version-pinned; use "
+                "name@version, @scope/name@version, or name==version."
+            ]
+        return []
+
+    if command == "docker":
+        image = _docker_image_ref(args)
+        if image is None:
+            return [f"{tag}: config.args docker command has no image reference to pin."]
+        _, sep, image_tag = image.rpartition(":")
+        if not sep or "/" in image_tag:
+            return [
+                f"{tag}: config.args docker image {image!r} has no explicit tag; "
+                "pin an exact version (not 'latest', not untagged)."
+            ]
+        if image_tag == "latest":
+            return [
+                f"{tag}: config.args docker image {image!r} uses the 'latest' tag, "
+                "which is not allowed; pin an exact version."
+            ]
+        return []
+
+    return []
+
+
+def _docker_image_ref(args: list[str]) -> str | None:
+    """
+    Locate the image reference in a `docker run ...` args list: skip the
+    "run" subcommand and any flags, including ones that consume the next
+    token as a value (-e, -v, --name, ...) so that value isn't mistaken for
+    the image. The first remaining positional token is the image.
+    """
+    i = 0
+    if i < len(args) and args[i] == "run":
+        i += 1
+    while i < len(args):
+        a = args[i]
+        if a.startswith("-"):
+            if a in _DOCKER_VALUE_FLAGS and "=" not in a:
+                i += 2
+            else:
+                i += 1
+            continue
+        return a
+    return None
+
+
 def _validate_catalog_config(tag: str, config) -> list[str]:
     """Validate the `config` block of a basic-tier catalog entry."""
     if not isinstance(config, dict):
@@ -2284,10 +2453,11 @@ def _validate_catalog_config(tag: str, config) -> list[str]:
             f"({', '.join(sorted(CATALOG_ALLOWED_COMMANDS))})."
         )
 
-    args = config.get("args")
-    if not isinstance(args, list) or not all(isinstance(a, str) for a in args):
+    raw_args = config.get("args")
+    args_ok = isinstance(raw_args, list) and all(isinstance(a, str) for a in raw_args)
+    args = raw_args if args_ok else []
+    if not args_ok:
         problems.append(f"{tag}: config.args must be a list of strings.")
-        args = []
 
     for a in args:
         if not a.isascii():
@@ -2306,11 +2476,55 @@ def _validate_catalog_config(tag: str, config) -> list[str]:
     if command == "docker":
         problems.extend(_docker_arg_violations(tag, args))
 
+    # Version pinning (finding #3) -- only meaningful once command/args are
+    # actually well-formed; a malformed args list already got its own
+    # problem above and has nothing left to pin-check.
+    if args_ok and command in ("npx", "uvx", "docker"):
+        problems.extend(_catalog_pin_violations(tag, command, args))
+
     env = config.get("env")
-    if env is not None and (
-        not isinstance(env, dict) or any(not isinstance(v, str) for v in env.values())
-    ):
-        problems.append(f"{tag}: config.env must be an object of string values.")
+    if env is not None:
+        env_ok = isinstance(env, dict) and all(
+            isinstance(k, str) and isinstance(v, str) for k, v in env.items()
+        )
+        if not env_ok:
+            problems.append(f"{tag}: config.env must be an object of string values.")
+        else:
+            # config.env (finding #2): unlike args, env was previously
+            # type-checked ONLY -- no allowlist, no deny-rule, no ASCII
+            # check, no secret check. That made it the single easiest way
+            # to smuggle a payload past every other guard in this
+            # function: an allowlisted `command: npx` plus
+            # NODE_OPTIONS=--require /tmp/x.js in env walks straight past
+            # the command allowlist AND the -e/--eval/-c deny-rule above,
+            # because neither of those ever looks at env.
+            for key, value in env.items():
+                if not key.isascii():
+                    problems.append(
+                        f"{tag}: config.env key {key!r} must be ASCII "
+                        "(non-ASCII code points rejected)."
+                    )
+                if key.upper() in CATALOG_DENIED_ENV_KEYS:
+                    problems.append(
+                        f"{tag}: config.env key {key!r} is on the catalog deny-list "
+                        "(interpreter/loader override) and is not allowed."
+                    )
+                if not value.isascii():
+                    problems.append(
+                        f"{tag}: config.env value for {key!r} must be ASCII "
+                        "(non-ASCII code points rejected)."
+                    )
+                if _is_secret_value(value):
+                    problems.append(
+                        f"{tag}: config.env[{key!r}] looks like a real secret value; "
+                        "catalog entries must never ship secret values."
+                    )
+                if value != "" and not _PLACEHOLDER_RE.fullmatch(value):
+                    problems.append(
+                        f"{tag}: config.env[{key!r}] must be an empty string or a "
+                        "single <PLACEHOLDER> token -- the catalog declares which env "
+                        "vars a server needs, it never supplies their values."
+                    )
 
     return problems
 
@@ -2330,6 +2544,12 @@ def _validate_catalog_entry(idx: int, entry, seen_ids: set[str]) -> list[str]:
         tag = f"servers[{idx}] ({entry_id!r})"
         if not entry_id.isascii():
             problems.append(f"{tag}: 'id' must be ASCII (non-ASCII code points rejected).")
+        elif not _CATALOG_ID_RE.match(entry_id):
+            problems.append(
+                f"{tag}: 'id' must match ^[a-z0-9][a-z0-9._-]{{0,63}}$ "
+                "(it becomes an mcpServers JSON key and is interpolated into "
+                "Qt.AutoText widgets)."
+            )
         if entry_id in seen_ids:
             problems.append(f"{tag}: duplicate id.")
         seen_ids.add(entry_id)
@@ -2443,15 +2663,32 @@ def verify_catalog_signature(raw: bytes, sig: bytes, pubkeys: list[bytes]) -> bo
     return False
 
 
+def _verify_catalog_candidate(candidate: tuple[bytes, bytes] | None) -> tuple[dict | None, int]:
+    """Verify+load+validate one (raw, sig) candidate. Returns (None, -1) on any failure."""
+    if not candidate:
+        return None, -1
+    raw, sig = candidate
+    if not verify_catalog_signature(raw, sig, CATALOG_PUBKEYS):
+        return None, -1
+    try:
+        data = load_catalog(raw)
+    except (ValueError, TypeError):
+        return None, -1
+    if validate_catalog(data):
+        return None, -1
+    return data, catalog_version(data)
+
+
 def resolve_catalog(
     bundled: tuple[bytes, bytes] | None,
     cached: tuple[bytes, bytes] | None,
     remote: tuple[bytes, bytes] | None,
+    floor: int = 0,
 ) -> dict:
     """
-    Pick the highest-version catalog among bundled/cached/remote. Each
-    argument is either None (unavailable) or an (raw_bytes, signature_bytes)
-    pair.
+    Pick the highest-version catalog among bundled/cached/remote. Each of
+    bundled/cached/remote is either None (unavailable) or an (raw_bytes,
+    signature_bytes) pair.
 
     🔴 SECURITY: every candidate — including `bundled`, the copy frozen into
     this binary — is verified against CATALOG_PUBKEYS and re-validated from
@@ -2462,46 +2699,68 @@ def resolve_catalog(
     by virtue of being local. Signing (and checking the signature at
     runtime, every time) closes that.
 
-    Anti-rollback: a candidate's version is never accepted if it's lower
-    than the best verified candidate already found in this same resolution
-    pass — an attacker replaying an old, since-superseded signed catalog
-    can't downgrade you.
+    `floor` is a pure, caller-supplied lower bound (e.g. a persisted
+    "last accepted version" the GUI can load from disk and pass in) — this
+    function does no storage of its own.
 
-    Anti-freeze: a candidate whose version leaps more than
-    _CATALOG_MAX_VERSION_JUMP past the current best is also rejected. A
-    compromised/leaked signing key claiming an absurd future version would
-    otherwise permanently outrank every legitimate release from then on,
-    since the resolver always prefers the highest verified version — this
-    caps how far a single accepted jump can go.
+    Anti-rollback / anti-freeze, and WHY they apply to every candidate
+    including the first one evaluated: the previous version of this
+    function only ran these checks `if best_version >= 0`, i.e. once a
+    candidate had already been accepted in this pass. That let the FIRST
+    verified candidate through unconditionally — a signed catalog claiming
+    version=999999999 sailed straight past both guards if it happened to be
+    evaluated first, and rollback protection reset on every call anyway
+    (nothing persisted across restarts). Now both guards are anchored to
+    something that doesn't depend on iteration order:
+
+    - The anti-freeze cap is measured against the BUNDLED catalog's version
+      (verified independently, once), not against "whatever was accepted
+      so far in this loop." Bundled ships inside the binary, so it's the
+      one candidate that isn't attacker-supplied at resolve time — the
+      natural trust anchor. If bundled itself doesn't verify, `floor` is
+      the anchor instead.
+    - The anti-rollback floor is max(floor, bundled's version), so a
+      caller that persists `floor` across restarts gets real rollback
+      protection; a caller that doesn't still gets "never below bundled."
+
+    On a version TIE, the bundled candidate wins over cached/remote (it
+    previously lost ties to whichever candidate happened to be evaluated
+    last, silently preferring remote over bundled at equal version).
 
     Returns the winning catalog dict, or {} if nothing verified and
     validated.
     """
+    bundled_data, bundled_version = _verify_catalog_candidate(bundled)
+
+    anchor = bundled_version if bundled_version >= 0 else floor
+    min_accepted = max(floor, bundled_version if bundled_version >= 0 else 0)
+
+    candidates = (
+        ("bundled", bundled_data, bundled_version),
+        ("cached", *_verify_catalog_candidate(cached)),
+        ("remote", *_verify_catalog_candidate(remote)),
+    )
+
     best: dict = {}
     best_version = -1
+    best_is_bundled = False
 
-    for candidate in (bundled, cached, remote):
-        if not candidate:
-            continue
-        raw, sig = candidate
-        if not verify_catalog_signature(raw, sig, CATALOG_PUBKEYS):
-            continue
-        try:
-            data = load_catalog(raw)
-        except (ValueError, TypeError):
-            continue
-        if validate_catalog(data):
+    for source, data, version in candidates:
+        if data is None:
             continue
+        if version < min_accepted:
+            continue  # anti-rollback / below the persisted floor
+        if version > anchor + _CATALOG_MAX_VERSION_JUMP:
+            continue  # anti-freeze, capped against the bundled trust anchor
 
-        version = catalog_version(data)
-        if best_version >= 0:
-            if version < best_version:
-                continue  # anti-rollback
-            if version > best_version + _CATALOG_MAX_VERSION_JUMP:
-                continue  # anti-freeze
-
-        best = data
-        best_version = version
+        is_bundled = source == "bundled"
+        better = version > best_version or (
+            version == best_version and is_bundled and not best_is_bundled
+        )
+        if better:
+            best = data
+            best_version = version
+            best_is_bundled = is_bundled
 
     return best
 
diff --git a/catalog_console.py b/catalog_console.py
index 0438379..736d67d 100644
--- a/catalog_console.py
+++ b/catalog_console.py
@@ -12,7 +12,12 @@ Flow: Load -> Review -> Sign.
   1. Load    -- pick a source: an open Gitea PR touching data/catalog.json,
                 or the current tip of `main`. The Console fetches the exact
                 git blob (via a local clone's git plumbing) and PINS its
-                blob SHA for the rest of this review pass.
+                blob SHA *and the ref it came from* for the rest of this
+                review pass. For a PR, the diff is against `main`; for
+                `main`, the diff is against the last catalog a maintainer
+                actually SIGNED (the bytes covered by the current
+                data/catalog.json.sig), never against itself -- an empty
+                diff must mean "nothing to sign", never "sign unlocked".
   2. Review  -- a semantic diff (catalog_review.diff_catalogs), one card per
                 changed entry, with risk annotations
                 (catalog_review.entry_risk_findings). A registry lookup for
@@ -25,20 +30,34 @@ Flow: Load -> Review -> Sign.
                 changed entry must be individually acknowledged (its
                 checkbox ticked) before Sign unlocks. There is no
                 "acknowledge all" -- see catalog_review.py.
-  3. Sign    -- re-fetches the current blob SHA and refuses to sign unless
-                it still matches the pinned SHA from step 1 (TOCTOU fix:
-                catalog_review.can_sign). On success, writes
+  3. Sign    -- re-resolves the current blob SHA from the SAME ref that was
+                reviewed (never a hardcoded "main") and refuses to sign
+                unless it still matches the pinned SHA from step 1, the diff
+                is non-empty, and no changed entry has an outstanding
+                blocking risk finding (catalog_review.sign_precondition /
+                can_sign -- the TOCTOU fix). On success, writes
                 data/catalog.json + data/catalog.json.sig and commits BOTH
                 in a single commit, then pushes -- so main is never red
-                between a catalog merge and its signature.
+                between a catalog merge and its signature. Signing uses the
+                CATALOG key ONLY -- see "Two signing keys" below.
 
 The signature must be the artefact of an actual review, not a step that
 follows one. Signing IS the approval act.
+
+Two signing keys (issue #68 finding 5): the CATALOG key (offline,
+Console-only, `keygen` / `keygen --release` picks which) is the root of
+trust for what BCC executes and must never touch CI. The RELEASE key is
+CI-resident and signs ONLY the release SHA256SUMS manifest
+(scripts/sign_checksums.py) -- `show-seed-b64 --release` is the only
+supported way to get a seed out of this tool, and it refuses to run without
+`--release` so the catalog seed can never be exported by habit. See the
+README's "Signing keys" section.
 """
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import argparse
+import base64
 import contextlib
 import getpass
 import html
@@ -69,8 +88,28 @@ SIG_PATH = "data/catalog.json.sig"
 # maintainer-only tool, so a dotfile under $HOME is an acceptable fallback
 # when the OS keychain isn't available -- the blob stored there is always
 # passphrase-encrypted (see catalog_review.encrypt_private_key), never raw.
+#
+# Two SEPARATE keys are stored here, never conflated (issue #68 finding 5):
+#   "catalog" -- offline, Console-only. Verified by bcc_core.CATALOG_PUBKEYS.
+#                Roots of trust for every catalog entry BCC ships. Must
+#                NEVER leave this machine, never touch CI, never become an
+#                env var or a repo secret.
+#   "release" -- CI-resident. Verified by scripts.sign_checksums.
+#                RELEASE_PUBKEYS. Signs ONLY the release SHA256SUMS
+#                manifest. Its private seed is deliberately meant to be
+#                pasted into the RELEASE_SIGNING_KEY Gitea Actions secret
+#                (via `show-seed-b64 --release`) -- that is its normal,
+#                intended flow. A CI compromise burns this key, not the
+#                catalog key: that asymmetry is the whole point of having
+#                two keys instead of one.
 KEY_STORAGE_DIR = Path.home() / ".bcc-catalog-console"
-KEY_STORAGE_FILE = KEY_STORAGE_DIR / "signing_key.enc"
+_KEY_KINDS = ("catalog", "release")
+
+
+def _key_storage_file(kind: str) -> Path:
+    assert kind in _KEY_KINDS, f"unknown key kind {kind!r}, expected one of {_KEY_KINDS}"
+    return KEY_STORAGE_DIR / f"signing_key_{kind}.enc"
+
 
 HTTP_TIMEOUT = 6.0
 
@@ -97,51 +136,64 @@ def _keyring_module():
 
 
 _KEYRING_SERVICE = "bcc-catalog-console"
-_KEYRING_USERNAME = "signing-key"
 
 
-def store_encrypted_key(blob: bytes) -> str:
+def _keyring_username(kind: str) -> str:
+    assert kind in _KEY_KINDS, f"unknown key kind {kind!r}, expected one of {_KEY_KINDS}"
+    return f"signing-key-{kind}"
+
+
+def store_encrypted_key(blob: bytes, kind: str = "catalog") -> str:
     """Persist an already-encrypted key blob (see
-    catalog_review.encrypt_private_key). Prefers the OS keychain; falls back
-    to a file under KEY_STORAGE_DIR (outside the repo) with restrictive
+    catalog_review.encrypt_private_key) under the given `kind`
+    ("catalog" or "release" -- see the KEY_STORAGE_DIR comment above; the
+    two are stored under different keychain entries / filenames so they can
+    never be loaded interchangeably). Prefers the OS keychain; falls back to
+    a file under KEY_STORAGE_DIR (outside the repo) with restrictive
     permissions. Returns a human-readable description of where it went."""
     keyring = _keyring_module()
     if keyring is not None:
         try:
-            keyring.set_password(_KEYRING_SERVICE, _KEYRING_USERNAME, blob.hex())
+            keyring.set_password(_KEYRING_SERVICE, _keyring_username(kind), blob.hex())
             return "OS keychain (via the `keyring` package)"
         except Exception:
             pass  # fall through to the file-based path
     KEY_STORAGE_DIR.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
-    KEY_STORAGE_FILE.write_bytes(blob)
+    key_file = _key_storage_file(kind)
+    key_file.write_bytes(blob)
     with contextlib.suppress(OSError):  # best-effort on platforms without POSIX perm bits
-        KEY_STORAGE_FILE.chmod(0o600)
-    return f"encrypted file at {KEY_STORAGE_FILE}"
+        key_file.chmod(0o600)
+    return f"encrypted file at {key_file}"
 
 
-def load_encrypted_key() -> bytes:
-    """Load the encrypted key blob from wherever store_encrypted_key() put
-    it. Raises FileNotFoundError if no key has been generated yet."""
+def load_encrypted_key(kind: str = "catalog") -> bytes:
+    """Load the encrypted key blob of the given `kind` from wherever
+    store_encrypted_key() put it. Raises FileNotFoundError if no key of that
+    kind has been generated yet."""
     keyring = _keyring_module()
     if keyring is not None:
         try:
-            hex_blob = keyring.get_password(_KEYRING_SERVICE, _KEYRING_USERNAME)
+            hex_blob = keyring.get_password(_KEYRING_SERVICE, _keyring_username(kind))
             if hex_blob:
                 return bytes.fromhex(hex_blob)
         except Exception:
             pass
-    if not KEY_STORAGE_FILE.exists():
+    key_file = _key_storage_file(kind)
+    if not key_file.exists():
+        flag = " --release" if kind == "release" else ""
         raise FileNotFoundError(
-            f"No signing key found (checked the OS keychain and {KEY_STORAGE_FILE}). "
-            "Run `python catalog_console.py keygen` first."
+            f"No {kind} signing key found (checked the OS keychain and {key_file}). "
+            f"Run `python catalog_console.py keygen{flag}` first."
         )
-    return KEY_STORAGE_FILE.read_bytes()
+    return key_file.read_bytes()
 
 
-def unlock_signing_key(passphrase: str) -> bytes:
-    """Load + decrypt the signing key seed. Raises ValueError on a wrong
-    passphrase, FileNotFoundError if no key exists yet."""
-    blob = load_encrypted_key()
+def unlock_signing_key(passphrase: str, kind: str = "catalog") -> bytes:
+    """Load + decrypt the signing key seed of the given `kind`. Raises
+    ValueError on a wrong passphrase, FileNotFoundError if no key of that
+    kind exists yet. Defaults to "catalog" because that's the key
+    ReviewWindow._on_sign uses -- the GUI never touches the release key."""
+    blob = load_encrypted_key(kind)
     return review.decrypt_private_key(blob, passphrase)
 
 
@@ -188,6 +240,49 @@ def read_catalog_at_commit(repo_dir: Path, commit: str) -> tuple[bytes, str]:
     return blob_bytes(repo_dir, sha), sha
 
 
+def catalog_blob_history(repo_dir: Path, ref: str, limit: int = 200) -> list[str]:
+    """Blob SHAs of CATALOG_PATH at each commit that touched it, walking
+    back from `ref`, most-recent-first. Used by last_signed_catalog_raw() to
+    find "the version of the catalog the current signature actually covers"
+    without assuming it's the tip commit."""
+    log_out = _git(repo_dir, "log", f"--max-count={limit}", "--format=%H", ref, "--", CATALOG_PATH)
+    commits = [line for line in log_out.splitlines() if line]
+    shas: list[str] = []
+    for commit in commits:
+        try:
+            shas.append(blob_sha_at(repo_dir, commit, CATALOG_PATH))
+        except GitError:
+            continue
+    return shas
+
+
+def last_signed_catalog_raw(repo_dir: Path, commit: str) -> bytes | None:
+    """The raw data/catalog.json bytes that verify against
+    data/catalog.json.sig as of `commit` -- i.e. "the last catalog a
+    maintainer actually signed", found by walking the catalog's git history
+    on that ref until a version verifies against the *current* signature.
+
+    This is what source="main (current tip)" diffs against (issue #68
+    finding 1): if main's tip catalog.json already matches its .sig, this
+    returns that same content and the diff is correctly empty (nothing new
+    to sign). If someone merged a catalog change to main without running it
+    through the Console -- the exact bypass that produced commit b08cf21 --
+    the signature still covers the OLDER content, so this returns that older
+    version and the diff surfaces exactly what was never actually reviewed.
+
+    Returns None if there's no signature yet, or none of the recent history
+    verifies against it (caller should treat this as "diff against nothing
+    ever signed", i.e. every current entry shows as newly added).
+    """
+    try:
+        sig_sha = blob_sha_at(repo_dir, commit, SIG_PATH)
+    except GitError:
+        return None
+    sig_bytes = blob_bytes(repo_dir, sig_sha)
+    candidates = [blob_bytes(repo_dir, sha) for sha in catalog_blob_history(repo_dir, commit)]
+    return review.find_last_signed_catalog_raw(candidates, sig_bytes, core.CATALOG_PUBKEYS)
+
+
 def commit_and_push_signed_catalog(
     repo_dir: Path, raw_bytes: bytes, signature: bytes, *, branch: str = "main"
 ) -> str:
@@ -644,28 +739,50 @@ class ReviewWindow(QMainWindow):
         row = self.source_list.currentRow()
         try:
             if row <= 0:
-                commit = fetch_ref(self.repo_dir, "main")
-                old_commit = None  # main vs itself has no "old" -- nothing to diff without a base
+                # source = main: diff against the last catalog a maintainer
+                # actually SIGNED (the bytes covered by the current
+                # data/catalog.json.sig), never against itself. Diffing
+                # main-vs-main is what made an empty diff -> instantly
+                # "signable" in the first place (issue #68 finding 1) --
+                # this is the only path that reaches sign_catalog_bytes(),
+                # so if it can't be trusted nothing can.
+                loaded_ref = "main"
+                commit = fetch_ref(self.repo_dir, loaded_ref)
+                new_raw, new_blob_sha = read_catalog_at_commit(self.repo_dir, commit)
+                new_catalog = core.load_catalog(new_raw)
+                old_raw = last_signed_catalog_raw(self.repo_dir, commit)
+                old_catalog = (
+                    core.load_catalog(old_raw)
+                    if old_raw is not None
+                    else {
+                        "schema": 1,
+                        "version": 0,
+                        "servers": [],
+                    }
+                )
             else:
                 pr = self._prs[row - 1]
-                commit = fetch_ref(self.repo_dir, pr.head_ref)
+                loaded_ref = pr.head_ref
+                commit = fetch_ref(self.repo_dir, loaded_ref)
                 old_commit = fetch_ref(self.repo_dir, "main")
 
-            new_raw, new_blob_sha = read_catalog_at_commit(self.repo_dir, commit)
-            new_catalog = core.load_catalog(new_raw)
-
-            if old_commit:
+                new_raw, new_blob_sha = read_catalog_at_commit(self.repo_dir, commit)
+                new_catalog = core.load_catalog(new_raw)
                 old_raw, _old_sha = read_catalog_at_commit(self.repo_dir, old_commit)
                 old_catalog = core.load_catalog(old_raw)
-            else:
-                old_catalog = new_catalog
 
         except (GitError, ValueError) as e:
             QMessageBox.critical(self, "Load failed", html.escape(str(e)))
             return
 
         self._new_raw = new_raw
-        self.session = review.start_review(new_blob_sha, old_catalog, new_catalog)
+        # `loaded_ref` is pinned into the session (not just this method's
+        # local variable) so _on_sign can re-resolve the TOCTOU blob SHA
+        # from the SAME ref that was reviewed, instead of a hardcoded
+        # "main" -- see review.sign_precondition and issue #68 finding 1.
+        self.session = review.start_review(
+            new_blob_sha, old_catalog, new_catalog, loaded_ref=loaded_ref
+        )
         self._render_cards()
 
     def _render_cards(self):
@@ -706,20 +823,43 @@ class ReviewWindow(QMainWindow):
 
     def _on_sign(self):
         assert self.session is not None
+
+        def _resolve_blob_sha(ref: str) -> str:
+            # Re-fetch fresh, immediately before signing, from the SAME ref
+            # that was reviewed (session.loaded_ref) -- NEVER hardcode
+            # "main" here. Hardcoding "main" is the bug that made the PR
+            # review path unable to sign at all: _on_load() pins the PR
+            # head's blob SHA, so comparing against main's SHA differs by
+            # definition for any PR that actually changes the catalog, and
+            # this refused every PR review permanently (see issue #68
+            # finding 1 and review.sign_precondition's docstring).
+            return blob_sha_at(self.repo_dir, fetch_ref(self.repo_dir, ref), CATALOG_PATH)
+
         try:
-            current_sha = blob_sha_at(self.repo_dir, fetch_ref(self.repo_dir, "main"), CATALOG_PATH)
+            decision = review.sign_precondition(self.session, _resolve_blob_sha)
         except GitError as e:
             QMessageBox.critical(self, "Sign failed", html.escape(str(e)))
             return
 
-        decision = review.can_sign(self.session, current_sha)
         if not decision.ok:
             QMessageBox.warning(self, "Cannot sign", html.escape(decision.reason or ""))
-            if decision.reason and "changed" in decision.reason.lower():
-                self._on_load()  # force a re-review against the new bytes
+            # Only the TOCTOU blob-SHA-mismatch reason should trigger a
+            # reload -- "mismatch" appears ONLY in that reason (deliberately
+            # checked instead of the broader "changed", which also matches
+            # "Not every CHANGED entry has been acknowledged yet" and would
+            # wrongly force a reload -- and with it a fresh review.py
+            # ReviewSession -- every time a reviewer pauses partway through
+            # ticking checkboxes).
+            if decision.reason and "mismatch" in decision.reason.lower():
+                # Force a genuine re-review against the new bytes -- this
+                # must call _on_load() (which re-fetches and re-diffs), NOT
+                # re-invoke the same stale resolver, or this becomes the
+                # infinite loop described in issue #68 finding 1: re-pinning
+                # the same wrong SHA forever instead of ever converging.
+                self._on_load()
             return
 
-        dialog = PassphraseDialog("Enter signing key passphrase:", self)
+        dialog = PassphraseDialog("Enter CATALOG signing key passphrase:", self)
         if dialog.exec() != QDialog.DialogCode.Accepted:
             return
         try:
@@ -744,9 +884,17 @@ class ReviewWindow(QMainWindow):
 # --------------------------------------------------------------------------- #
 
 
-def cmd_keygen(_args: argparse.Namespace) -> int:
+def cmd_keygen(args: argparse.Namespace) -> int:
+    # Two SEPARATE keypairs, never conflated (issue #68 finding 5): the
+    # catalog key is the offline root of trust for what BCC executes and
+    # must never touch CI; the release key is CI-resident and signs ONLY
+    # the release SHA256SUMS manifest. Which one this run generates is
+    # explicit via --release, and the printed instructions differ sharply
+    # so it's obvious which key is safe to paste into a CI secret (release)
+    # and which one never is (catalog).
+    kind = "release" if getattr(args, "release", False) else "catalog"
     seed, pubkey = review.generate_keypair()
-    passphrase = getpass.getpass("Choose a passphrase to encrypt the new signing key: ")
+    passphrase = getpass.getpass(f"Choose a passphrase to encrypt the new {kind} signing key: ")
     confirm = getpass.getpass("Confirm passphrase: ")
     if passphrase != confirm:
         print("error: passphrases did not match", file=sys.stderr)
@@ -756,31 +904,67 @@ def cmd_keygen(_args: argparse.Namespace) -> int:
         return 1
 
     blob = review.encrypt_private_key(seed, passphrase)
-    where = store_encrypted_key(blob)
-    pubkey_b64 = __import__("base64").b64encode(pubkey).decode("ascii")
+    where = store_encrypted_key(blob, kind=kind)
+    pubkey_b64 = base64.b64encode(pubkey).decode("ascii")
 
-    print(f"Private key encrypted and stored in: {where}")
+    print(f"{kind.capitalize()} private key encrypted and stored in: {where}")
     print()
-    print("Public key (base64, paste into bcc_core.CATALOG_PUBKEYS):")
-    print(f"    {pubkey_b64}")
-    print()
-    print(
-        "Also add it as the Gitea repo secret RELEASE_SIGNING_KEY (base64 of the "
-        "32-byte private seed) used by release.yml -- get that value with:"
-    )
-    print("    python catalog_console.py show-seed-b64   # careful: prints the raw key")
+    if kind == "catalog":
+        print(
+            "This is the CATALOG key. It is the root of trust for every catalog "
+            "entry BCC ships -- it must stay offline and Console-only. NEVER paste "
+            "it, its seed, or `show-seed-b64` output into CI, an env var, or a repo "
+            "secret. (If the key currently in bcc_core.CATALOG_PUBKEYS has ever been "
+            "pasted into a CI secret, treat it as burned for catalog use -- generate "
+            "a fresh one with this command and rotate.)"
+        )
+        print()
+        print(
+            "Public key (base64) -- hand this to whoever maintains bcc_core.py so "
+            "they can add it to CATALOG_PUBKEYS (this tool does not edit that file):"
+        )
+        print(f"    {pubkey_b64}")
+    else:
+        print(
+            "This is the RELEASE key. It signs ONLY the release SHA256SUMS "
+            "manifest in CI -- it is intentionally CI-resident and is NOT trusted "
+            "to sign the catalog (bcc_core.CATALOG_PUBKEYS does not and must not "
+            "contain it)."
+        )
+        print()
+        print("1. Public key (base64) -- paste into scripts/sign_checksums.py RELEASE_PUBKEYS:")
+        print(f"    {pubkey_b64}")
+        print()
+        print(
+            "2. Private key -- add it as the Gitea repo secret RELEASE_SIGNING_KEY "
+            "(base64 of the 32-byte private seed). Get that value with:"
+        )
+        print("    python catalog_console.py show-seed-b64 --release   # prints the raw key")
     return 0
 
 
-def cmd_show_seed_b64(_args: argparse.Namespace) -> int:
-    passphrase = getpass.getpass("Signing key passphrase: ")
+def cmd_show_seed_b64(args: argparse.Namespace) -> int:
+    # Deliberately requires --release: this command's whole purpose is to
+    # produce a value that gets pasted into a CI secret, and the catalog key
+    # must NEVER be pasted into CI (issue #68 finding 5 -- that is exactly
+    # how the catalog key ended up burned in the first place). Refusing to
+    # run without --release makes "export the catalog seed for CI" a
+    # structurally different, more deliberate action than a typo away.
+    if not getattr(args, "release", False):
+        print(
+            "error: show-seed-b64 only ever exports the RELEASE key -- it is the "
+            "only key allowed to leave this machine, for the RELEASE_SIGNING_KEY CI "
+            "secret. Re-run as `show-seed-b64 --release`. The catalog key must never "
+            "be exported this way; see issue #68 finding 5.",
+            file=sys.stderr,
+        )
+        return 1
+    passphrase = getpass.getpass("Release signing key passphrase: ")
     try:
-        seed = unlock_signing_key(passphrase)
+        seed = unlock_signing_key(passphrase, kind="release")
     except (FileNotFoundError, ValueError) as e:
         print(f"error: {e}", file=sys.stderr)
         return 1
-    import base64
-
     print(base64.b64encode(seed).decode("ascii"))
     return 0
 
@@ -810,11 +994,28 @@ def build_parser() -> argparse.ArgumentParser:
     p_gui.add_argument("--repo", default=".", help="path to a BCC git checkout (default: cwd)")
     p_gui.set_defaults(func=cmd_gui)
 
-    p_keygen = sub.add_parser("keygen", help="generate a new Ed25519 signing keypair")
+    p_keygen = sub.add_parser(
+        "keygen", help="generate a new Ed25519 signing keypair (catalog key by default)"
+    )
+    p_keygen.add_argument(
+        "--release",
+        action="store_true",
+        help=(
+            "generate the RELEASE key (CI-resident, signs SHA256SUMS only) instead "
+            "of the CATALOG key (offline, Console-only, signs data/catalog.json -- "
+            "see issue #68 finding 5)"
+        ),
+    )
     p_keygen.set_defaults(func=cmd_keygen)
 
     p_seed = sub.add_parser(
-        "show-seed-b64", help="print the base64 private seed (for the RELEASE_SIGNING_KEY secret)"
+        "show-seed-b64",
+        help="print a base64 private seed for a CI secret -- RELEASE key only",
+    )
+    p_seed.add_argument(
+        "--release",
+        action="store_true",
+        help="required: only the release key may ever be exported this way",
     )
     p_seed.set_defaults(func=cmd_show_seed_b64)
 
diff --git a/catalog_review.py b/catalog_review.py
index 6edf044..c3c5669 100644
--- a/catalog_review.py
+++ b/catalog_review.py
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ from urllib.parse import urlsplit
 
 from bcc_core import _CATALOG_SIG_DOMAIN as CATALOG_SIG_DOMAIN
 from bcc_core import CATALOG_ALLOWED_COMMANDS
+from bcc_core import verify_catalog_signature as _verify_catalog_signature
 
 # --------------------------------------------------------------------------- #
 # Semantic diff
@@ -432,11 +433,21 @@ def has_blocking_risk(change: EntryChange) -> bool:
 class ReviewSession:
     """State for one review pass. `pinned_blob_sha` is the git blob SHA of
     data/catalog.json as it existed the moment review began -- see
-    can_sign()."""
+    can_sign()/sign_precondition().
+
+    `loaded_ref` is the exact ref this review was loaded from ("main", or a
+    PR's `refs/pull/<n>/head`) -- see issue #68 finding 1. It exists so the
+    Sign path can re-resolve the TOCTOU blob SHA from *the ref that was
+    actually reviewed*, instead of a hardcoded "main" that silently diverges
+    from the reviewed ref on every PR review (the bug that made the PR path
+    unable to sign at all, and forced everyone onto the vacuous
+    main-vs-itself path instead).
+    """
 
     pinned_blob_sha: str
     old_catalog: dict
     new_catalog: dict
+    loaded_ref: str = "main"
     changes: list[EntryChange] = field(default_factory=list)
     acknowledged: set[str] = field(default_factory=set)
 
@@ -445,12 +456,39 @@ class ReviewSession:
             self.changes = diff_catalogs(self.old_catalog, self.new_catalog)
 
 
-def start_review(pinned_blob_sha: str, old_catalog: dict, new_catalog: dict) -> ReviewSession:
+def start_review(
+    pinned_blob_sha: str,
+    old_catalog: dict,
+    new_catalog: dict,
+    loaded_ref: str = "main",
+) -> ReviewSession:
     return ReviewSession(
-        pinned_blob_sha=pinned_blob_sha, old_catalog=old_catalog, new_catalog=new_catalog
+        pinned_blob_sha=pinned_blob_sha,
+        old_catalog=old_catalog,
+        new_catalog=new_catalog,
+        loaded_ref=loaded_ref,
     )
 
 
+def find_last_signed_catalog_raw(
+    candidates: list[bytes], sig: bytes, pubkeys: list[bytes]
+) -> bytes | None:
+    """Given `candidates` (candidate raw catalog.json byte-strings -- e.g.
+    successive historical versions from git log, most-recent-first),
+    return the first one whose signature verifies against `sig`/`pubkeys`,
+    or None if none do.
+
+    This is how source="main" review diffs against "the last catalog a
+    maintainer actually signed" instead of against itself (issue #68
+    finding 1): `catalog_console.last_signed_catalog_raw` walks
+    data/catalog.json's git history on main and hands the candidates here.
+    """
+    for raw in candidates:
+        if _verify_catalog_signature(raw, sig, pubkeys):
+            return raw
+    return None
+
+
 def acknowledge_entry(session: ReviewSession, entry_id: str) -> None:
     ids = {c.entry_id for c in session.changes}
     if entry_id not in ids:
@@ -483,22 +521,53 @@ class SignDecision:
 def can_sign(session: ReviewSession, current_blob_sha: str) -> SignDecision:
     """Whether the Sign button may fire right now.
 
-    Two independent gates, both required:
-    1. TOCTOU: `current_blob_sha` (fetched fresh, immediately before signing)
+    Four independent gates, all required, checked in this order:
+
+    0. The diff must be non-empty. An empty diff historically meant "Sign
+       unlocks instantly" (`set() <= set()` is vacuously True), which is
+       exactly backwards: a vacuously-satisfied gate is worse than no gate
+       at all, because it *manufactures confidence* -- the signature looks
+       identical to one produced by a real review. "Nothing changed" must
+       mean "nothing to sign", never "sign unlocked". (Issue #68 finding 1;
+       this is what let commit b08cf21 sign all 19 entries with zero of them
+       ever reviewed.)
+    1. TOCTOU: `current_blob_sha` (fetched fresh, immediately before signing,
+       from the ref that was actually reviewed -- see sign_precondition())
        must match the blob SHA pinned when review began. If the bytes on the
        remote changed since -- a new commit pushed to the same PR, a
        force-push, another PR merged in between -- signing is refused and a
        re-review is forced. This is what makes "signing is the approval act"
        true rather than aspirational: the signature is bound to the exact
        reviewed bytes, not to "whatever the file happens to be now".
-    2. Every changed entry in the diff must be individually acknowledged.
+    2. No blocking risk finding may be outstanding on ANY changed entry, full
+       stop -- checked here, not just in the GUI. The GUI additionally
+       disables the acknowledge checkbox for a blocking entry, but that is a
+       UI nicety, not the enforcement point: if this pure gate didn't also
+       check it, a blocking risk would only be stopped by the GUI happening
+       to have wired the checkbox correctly, and nothing would catch a
+       regression in that wiring. The GUI must not be the only thing
+       standing between a blocking risk and a signature.
+    3. Every changed entry in the diff must be individually acknowledged.
     """
+    if not session.changes:
+        return SignDecision(
+            False,
+            "Nothing to sign: this review's diff is empty. If you expected "
+            "changes here, you may be diffing the wrong source/ref.",
+        )
     if current_blob_sha != session.pinned_blob_sha:
         return SignDecision(
             False,
             "The reviewed bytes changed since this review began (blob SHA "
             "mismatch) -- re-review required before signing.",
         )
+    blocking_ids = sorted({c.entry_id for c in session.changes if has_blocking_risk(c)})
+    if blocking_ids:
+        return SignDecision(
+            False,
+            "Blocking risk finding(s) outstanding on: "
+            f"{', '.join(blocking_ids)} -- fix the underlying change, do not sign around it.",
+        )
     if not all_entries_acknowledged(session):
         pending = sorted({c.entry_id for c in session.changes} - session.acknowledged)
         return SignDecision(
@@ -507,6 +576,28 @@ def can_sign(session: ReviewSession, current_blob_sha: str) -> SignDecision:
     return SignDecision(True, None)
 
 
+def sign_precondition(
+    session: ReviewSession, resolve_blob_sha: Callable[[str], str]
+) -> SignDecision:
+    """The real Sign-button gate: resolves the current TOCTOU blob SHA from
+    *the ref this session was actually loaded from* (`session.loaded_ref`),
+    never a hardcoded "main", then delegates to can_sign().
+
+    `resolve_blob_sha` is injected so this stays testable without git/Qt --
+    catalog_console.ReviewWindow._on_sign passes a real resolver
+    (fetch_ref + blob_sha_at against self.repo_dir); tests pass a fake
+    dict-backed lookup. This is the fix for issue #68 finding 1's first bug:
+    `_on_sign` used to hardcode `fetch_ref(self.repo_dir, "main")` as the
+    comparison ref, so for any PR review (where `loaded_ref` is the PR's
+    head, not main) the SHAs differed by definition and Sign could never
+    fire -- and the retry path re-called the same hardcoded resolver, so it
+    re-pinned the same wrong value and looped forever instead of forcing a
+    genuine re-review.
+    """
+    current_blob_sha = resolve_blob_sha(session.loaded_ref)
+    return can_sign(session, current_blob_sha)
+
+
 def catalog_signing_message(raw_bytes: bytes) -> bytes:
     """The exact bytes that get signed: bcc_core's domain-separation prefix
     (imported, never retyped) + the raw catalog bytes. Using this function
diff --git a/scripts/sign_checksums.py b/scripts/sign_checksums.py
index 25b6cb7..d4a5f88 100755
--- a/scripts/sign_checksums.py
+++ b/scripts/sign_checksums.py
@@ -42,6 +42,25 @@ from pathlib import Path
 # message signed by the same key.
 DOMAIN_PREFIX = b"bcc-release-v1|"
 
+# Public half of the RELEASE signing key(s) -- a SEPARATE keypair from
+# bcc_core.CATALOG_PUBKEYS (issue #68 finding 5). The catalog key is the
+# offline, Console-only root of trust for what BCC executes; this key is
+# CI-resident and signs ONLY the release SHA256SUMS manifest, never the
+# catalog. Keeping them apart means a CI/repo-secret compromise burns the
+# release key -- annoying, but it never lets an attacker sign a catalog a
+# user's binary would trust. A LIST (not a single key), mirroring
+# CATALOG_PUBKEYS, so the release key can be rotated without invalidating
+# the signature on every past release: verification accepts a match against
+# ANY key here.
+#
+# Empty until the maintainer generates the release keypair (separately from
+# the catalog keypair) and pastes the public half in:
+#     python catalog_console.py keygen --release
+# This is intentionally NOT pre-populated with a placeholder that looks
+# like a real key -- release.yml's signing-smoke-test fails closed (loudly)
+# on an empty list rather than silently verifying against nothing.
+RELEASE_PUBKEYS: list[bytes] = []
+
 CHUNK_SIZE = 1024 * 1024
 
 
@@ -135,6 +154,19 @@ def public_key_b64_from_seed(seed_b64: str) -> str:
     return base64.b64encode(raw).decode("ascii")
 
 
+def verify_checksums_against_any(pubkeys: list[bytes], sums_text: str, signature: bytes) -> bool:
+    """Verify `signature` against ANY key in `pubkeys` (each a raw 32-byte
+    Ed25519 public key). Mirrors bcc_core.verify_catalog_signature's
+    rotation-friendly "any currently-trusted key" semantics, applied to
+    RELEASE_PUBKEYS instead of the catalog's key list. Returns False (never
+    raises) for an empty `pubkeys` list -- fails closed rather than
+    vacuously verifying against nothing."""
+    return any(
+        verify_checksums(base64.b64encode(pk).decode("ascii"), sums_text, signature)
+        for pk in pubkeys
+    )
+
+
 # --------------------------------------------------------------------------- #
 # CLI
 # --------------------------------------------------------------------------- #
diff --git a/tests/test_catalog_review.py b/tests/test_catalog_review.py
index adee2b6..8249d7c 100644
--- a/tests/test_catalog_review.py
+++ b/tests/test_catalog_review.py
@@ -334,13 +334,29 @@ def test_acknowledge_gating_requires_every_entry():
     assert r.all_entries_acknowledged(session) is True
 
 
-def test_no_acknowledge_all_function_exists():
-    """Deliberate: there must be no shortcut to acknowledge every entry at
-    once. See the comment in catalog_review.py above SignDecision."""
+def test_no_acknowledge_all_shortcut_and_gate_is_real():
+    """Two things, both load-bearing (issue #68: the original version of
+    this test asserted ONLY the first half, and passed the entire time the
+    gate below it was vacuously satisfiable -- 'no function named
+    acknowledge_all' is worthless if signing doesn't actually require
+    acknowledgement in practice).
+
+    1. No bulk-acknowledge shortcut exists (see the comment in
+       catalog_review.py above SignDecision -- deliberate friction).
+    2. The gate that friction protects is actually enforced: with entries
+       still unacknowledged, can_sign() must refuse, not just "some GUI
+       checkbox happens to be unticked".
+    """
     names = [n for n in dir(r) if "acknowledge" in n.lower()]
     assert "acknowledge_all" not in names
     assert "acknowledge_all_entries" not in names
 
+    session = r.start_review("sha1", _catalog(), _catalog(_entry(id="a"), _entry(id="b")))
+    r.acknowledge_entry(session, "a")  # only one of two -- not a bulk call
+    decision = r.can_sign(session, "sha1")
+    assert decision.ok is False
+    assert "acknowledged" in decision.reason.lower()
+
 
 # --------------------------------------------------------------------------- #
 # can_sign: TOCTOU blob pinning + acknowledge gating combined
@@ -377,6 +393,130 @@ def test_can_sign_blob_mismatch_takes_priority_message():
     assert "blob" in decision.reason.lower() or "changed" in decision.reason.lower()
 
 
+def test_can_sign_false_on_empty_changeset():
+    """The exact bug behind issue #68 finding 1: 'main' loaded against
+    itself diffs to [], and an empty changeset used to leave can_sign()
+    with nothing to refuse on (set() <= set() is vacuously True). Commit
+    b08cf21 signed 19 entries through precisely this path -- zero of them
+    were ever reviewed. An empty diff must mean 'nothing to sign', never
+    'sign unlocked'."""
+    same_catalog = _catalog(_entry())
+    session = r.start_review("sha1", same_catalog, same_catalog)
+    assert session.changes == []  # diff_catalogs(x, x) -> []
+    assert r.all_entries_acknowledged(session) is True  # vacuously -- this is the trap
+    decision = r.can_sign(session, "sha1")  # blob matches, "everything" acknowledged
+    assert decision.ok is False
+    assert "nothing to sign" in decision.reason.lower()
+
+
+def test_can_sign_false_with_outstanding_blocking_risk_even_if_acknowledged():
+    """can_sign() must itself refuse a blocking risk finding -- today a
+    blocking finding only disables the GUI checkbox, so the pure gate must
+    not simply trust that the caller never acknowledged a blocking entry.
+    Acknowledge it directly here (bypassing any GUI checkbox-disable logic
+    entirely) to prove the gate catches it independently of the GUI."""
+    session = r.start_review(
+        "sha1",
+        _catalog(),
+        _catalog(_entry(config={"command": "bash", "args": ["-c", "evil"]})),
+    )
+    r.acknowledge_entry(session, "filesystem")
+    assert r.all_entries_acknowledged(session) is True
+    decision = r.can_sign(session, "sha1")
+    assert decision.ok is False
+    assert "blocking" in decision.reason.lower()
+
+
+# --------------------------------------------------------------------------- #
+# sign_precondition: the ref-resolution seam that used to hardcode "main"
+# --------------------------------------------------------------------------- #
+def test_sign_precondition_resolves_against_loaded_ref_not_hardcoded_main():
+    """The regression test for issue #68 finding 1's first bug:
+    ReviewWindow._on_sign used to hardcode fetch_ref(repo, "main") as the
+    TOCTOU comparison ref. For a PR review, _on_load pins the PR HEAD's
+    blob SHA, so comparing against main's SHA differs by definition and
+    Sign could never fire on the PR path.
+
+    The fake resolver below returns a DIFFERENT (deliberately wrong) SHA for
+    "main" than for the PR ref that was actually loaded. If
+    sign_precondition ever resolves against "main" instead of
+    session.loaded_ref, this test fails -- both via the recorded `calls`
+    list and via decision.ok flipping to False.
+    """
+    pr_ref = "refs/pull/42/head"
+    session = r.start_review("pr-blob-sha", _catalog(), _catalog(_entry()), loaded_ref=pr_ref)
+    r.acknowledge_entry(session, "filesystem")
+
+    calls: list[str] = []
+
+    def fake_resolver(ref: str) -> str:
+        calls.append(ref)
+        return {"main": "main-blob-sha-WRONG", pr_ref: "pr-blob-sha"}[ref]
+
+    decision = r.sign_precondition(session, fake_resolver)
+    assert calls == [pr_ref]  # never asked the resolver for "main"
+    assert decision.ok is True
+    assert decision.reason is None
+
+
+def test_sign_precondition_refuses_when_loaded_ref_blob_moved():
+    """Same seam, the negative case: if the loaded ref's blob SHA has moved
+    since review began (a new commit landed on the reviewed PR/branch), the
+    resolver reflects that and sign_precondition must refuse -- proving this
+    isn't just a hardcoded pass-through."""
+    pr_ref = "refs/pull/42/head"
+    session = r.start_review("pr-blob-sha", _catalog(), _catalog(_entry()), loaded_ref=pr_ref)
+    r.acknowledge_entry(session, "filesystem")
+
+    def fake_resolver(_ref: str) -> str:
+        return "pr-blob-sha-AFTER-A-NEW-PUSH"
+
+    decision = r.sign_precondition(session, fake_resolver)
+    assert decision.ok is False
+    assert "mismatch" in decision.reason.lower() or "changed" in decision.reason.lower()
+
+
+def test_sign_precondition_defaults_to_main_when_loaded_ref_unset():
+    """start_review()'s loaded_ref defaults to 'main' for source=main
+    reviews (and backward-compat with callers that don't pass it)."""
+    session = r.start_review("sha1", _catalog(), _catalog(_entry()))
+    assert session.loaded_ref == "main"
+    r.acknowledge_entry(session, "filesystem")
+
+    def fake_resolver(ref: str) -> str:
+        assert ref == "main"
+        return "sha1"
+
+    decision = r.sign_precondition(session, fake_resolver)
+    assert decision.ok is True
+
+
+# --------------------------------------------------------------------------- #
+# find_last_signed_catalog_raw: what source=main diffs against
+# --------------------------------------------------------------------------- #
+def test_find_last_signed_catalog_raw_returns_matching_candidate():
+    """Simulates walking catalog.json's git history: the CURRENT signature
+    covers an OLDER version of the bytes (a later commit changed
+    catalog.json without re-signing -- the exact bypass that produced
+    commit b08cf21). The first candidate that verifies against that
+    signature is 'the last catalog a maintainer actually signed'."""
+    seed, pubkey = r.generate_keypair()
+    old_raw = b'{"schema":1,"version":1,"servers":[]}'
+    new_raw = b'{"schema":1,"version":2,"servers":[]}'
+    sig = r.sign_catalog_bytes(old_raw, seed)  # signature covers the OLD bytes
+    found = r.find_last_signed_catalog_raw([new_raw, old_raw], sig, [pubkey])
+    assert found == old_raw
+
+
+def test_find_last_signed_catalog_raw_none_when_nothing_verifies():
+    seed, _pubkey = r.generate_keypair()
+    _other_seed, other_pubkey = r.generate_keypair()
+    raw = b'{"schema":1,"version":1,"servers":[]}'
+    sig = r.sign_catalog_bytes(raw, seed)
+    # Check against a pubkey list that does NOT include the signer's key.
+    assert r.find_last_signed_catalog_raw([raw], sig, [other_pubkey]) is None
+
+
 # --------------------------------------------------------------------------- #
 # catalog_signing_message: domain separation must match bcc_core exactly
 # --------------------------------------------------------------------------- #
diff --git a/tests/test_core.py b/tests/test_core.py
index afeaec5..98562a9 100644
--- a/tests/test_core.py
+++ b/tests/test_core.py
@@ -1690,8 +1690,12 @@ def _minimal_catalog(version: int = 1) -> dict:
                 "official": True,
                 "setup": "basic",
                 "config": {
+                    # Pinned on purpose (issue #68 finding 3): an earlier
+                    # version of this fixture used an unpinned package and
+                    # asserted it validated clean, which enshrined the bug
+                    # instead of catching it.
                     "command": "npx",
-                    "args": ["-y", "widget-mcp"],
+                    "args": ["-y", "widget-mcp@1.0.0"],
                 },
                 "placeholders": {},
                 "env_required": {},
@@ -1952,6 +1956,213 @@ def test_validate_catalog_rejects_duplicate_ids():
     assert any("duplicate id" in p for p in problems)
 
 
+# --- validate_catalog: config.env (issue #68 finding 2) -------------------- #
+def test_validate_catalog_rejects_each_denied_env_key():
+    for key in sorted(c.CATALOG_DENIED_ENV_KEYS):
+        data = _catalog_with(
+            {"config": {"command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "widget-mcp@1.0.0"], "env": {key: ""}}}
+        )
+        problems = c.validate_catalog(data)
+        assert any("deny-list" in p for p in problems), (key, problems)
+
+
+def test_validate_catalog_rejects_denied_env_key_case_insensitively():
+    data = _catalog_with(
+        {
+            "config": {
+                "command": "npx",
+                "args": ["-y", "widget-mcp@1.0.0"],
+                "env": {"node_options": ""},
+            }
+        }
+    )
+    problems = c.validate_catalog(data)
+    assert any("deny-list" in p for p in problems)
+
+
+def test_validate_catalog_rejects_nonempty_nonplaceholder_env_value():
+    data = _catalog_with(
+        {
+            "config": {
+                "command": "npx",
+                "args": ["-y", "widget-mcp@1.0.0"],
+                "env": {"FOO_URL": "https://example.com"},
+            }
+        }
+    )
+    problems = c.validate_catalog(data)
+    assert any("empty string or a single <PLACEHOLDER>" in p for p in problems)
+
+
+def test_validate_catalog_accepts_empty_and_placeholder_env_values():
+    data = _catalog_with(
+        {
+            "config": {
+                "command": "npx",
+                "args": ["-y", "widget-mcp@1.0.0"],
+                "env": {"FOO": "", "BAR_URL": "<BAR_URL>"},
+            }
+        }
+    )
+    assert c.validate_catalog(data) == []
+
+
+def test_validate_catalog_rejects_non_ascii_env_key():
+    data = _catalog_with(
+        {
+            "config": {
+                "command": "npx",
+                "args": ["-y", "widget-mcp@1.0.0"],
+                "env": {"FÖO": ""},
+            }
+        }
+    )
+    problems = c.validate_catalog(data)
+    assert any("config.env key" in p and "ASCII" in p for p in problems)
+
+
+def test_validate_catalog_rejects_non_ascii_env_value():
+    data = _catalog_with(
+        {
+            "config": {
+                "command": "npx",
+                "args": ["-y", "widget-mcp@1.0.0"],
+                "env": {"FOO": "<Bäd>"},
+            }
+        }
+    )
+    problems = c.validate_catalog(data)
+    assert any("config.env value" in p and "ASCII" in p for p in problems)
+
+
+def test_validate_catalog_rejects_secret_looking_env_value():
+    data = _catalog_with(
+        {
+            "config": {
+                "command": "npx",
+                "args": ["-y", "widget-mcp@1.0.0"],
+                "env": {"SOME_TOKEN": "ghp_abcdef1234567890"},
+            }
+        }
+    )
+    problems = c.validate_catalog(data)
+    assert any("real secret value" in p for p in problems)
+
+
+def test_validate_catalog_rejects_node_options_env_walking_past_allowlist():
+    # The exact reproduction from issue #68 finding 2: an allowlisted
+    # `npx` command carrying NODE_OPTIONS in env, which previously passed
+    # validation and would have flowed straight into the executed
+    # subprocess via catalog_entry_to_paste_json().
+    data = _catalog_with(
+        {
+            "config": {
+                "command": "npx",
+                "args": ["-y", "widget-mcp@1.0.0"],
+                "env": {"NODE_OPTIONS": "--require /tmp/payload.js"},
+            }
+        }
+    )
+    problems = c.validate_catalog(data)
+    assert problems != []
+
+
+# --- validate_catalog: version pinning (issue #68 finding 3) --------------- #
+def test_validate_catalog_rejects_unpinned_npx_package():
+    data = _catalog_with({"config": {"command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "widget-mcp"]}})
+    problems = c.validate_catalog(data)
+    assert any("not version-pinned" in p for p in problems)
+
+
+def test_validate_catalog_rejects_unpinned_scoped_npx_package():
+    data = _catalog_with({"config": {"command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "@scope/pkg"]}})
+    problems = c.validate_catalog(data)
+    assert any("not version-pinned" in p for p in problems)
+
+
+def test_validate_catalog_accepts_pinned_scoped_npx_package():
+    data = _catalog_with({"config": {"command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "@scope/pkg@1.2.3"]}})
+    assert c.validate_catalog(data) == []
+
+
+def test_validate_catalog_rejects_unpinned_uvx_package():
+    data = _catalog_with({"config": {"command": "uvx", "args": ["some-tool"]}})
+    problems = c.validate_catalog(data)
+    assert any("not version-pinned" in p for p in problems)
+
+
+def test_validate_catalog_accepts_uvx_at_version_pin():
+    data = _catalog_with({"config": {"command": "uvx", "args": ["some-tool@1.0.0"]}})
+    assert c.validate_catalog(data) == []
+
+
+def test_validate_catalog_accepts_uvx_double_equals_pin():
+    data = _catalog_with({"config": {"command": "uvx", "args": ["some-tool==1.0.0"]}})
+    assert c.validate_catalog(data) == []
+
+
+def test_validate_catalog_rejects_docker_latest_tag():
+    data = _catalog_with({"config": {"command": "docker", "args": ["run", "some/image:latest"]}})
+    problems = c.validate_catalog(data)
+    assert any("'latest'" in p for p in problems)
+
+
+def test_validate_catalog_rejects_docker_untagged_image():
+    data = _catalog_with({"config": {"command": "docker", "args": ["run", "some/image"]}})
+    problems = c.validate_catalog(data)
+    assert any("no explicit tag" in p for p in problems)
+
+
+def test_validate_catalog_accepts_pinned_docker_image_with_flags():
+    data = _catalog_with(
+        {
+            "config": {
+                "command": "docker",
+                "args": ["run", "-i", "--rm", "-e", "SOME_TOKEN", "some/image:1.2.3"],
+            }
+        }
+    )
+    assert c.validate_catalog(data) == []
+
+
+def test_validate_catalog_does_not_pin_check_placeholders_flags_or_subcommand():
+    # A pinned uvx spec followed by flags and a <PLACEHOLDER> positional
+    # must not itself get mistaken for an unpinned package.
+    data = _catalog_with(
+        {
+            "config": {
+                "command": "uvx",
+                "args": ["mcp-server-git@2026.7.10", "--repository", "<REPO_PATH>"],
+            }
+        }
+    )
+    assert c.validate_catalog(data) == []
+
+
+# --- validate_catalog: id constraint (issue #68 finding 7) ----------------- #
+def test_validate_catalog_rejects_id_with_markup():
+    data = _catalog_with({"id": "<b>Verified</b>"})
+    problems = c.validate_catalog(data)
+    assert any("must match" in p for p in problems)
+
+
+def test_validate_catalog_rejects_id_with_uppercase():
+    data = _catalog_with({"id": "Widget"})
+    problems = c.validate_catalog(data)
+    assert any("must match" in p for p in problems)
+
+
+def test_validate_catalog_rejects_id_starting_with_dash():
+    data = _catalog_with({"id": "-widget"})
+    problems = c.validate_catalog(data)
+    assert any("must match" in p for p in problems)
+
+
+def test_validate_catalog_accepts_valid_slug_id():
+    data = _catalog_with({"id": "widget-2.thing-ok"})
+    assert c.validate_catalog(data) == []
+
+
 # --- resolve_catalog -------------------------------------------------------- #
 def test_resolve_catalog_nothing_available_returns_empty_dict():
     assert c.resolve_catalog(None, None, None) == {}
@@ -2003,13 +2214,93 @@ def test_resolve_catalog_rejects_absurd_version_jump(monkeypatch):
     pub = priv.public_key().public_bytes_raw()
     monkeypatch.setattr(c, "CATALOG_PUBKEYS", [pub])
 
-    cached = _signed(_minimal_catalog(version=5), priv)
+    # The freeze attempt goes FIRST (as `cached`), the legitimate catalog
+    # SECOND (as `remote`) -- on purpose. Putting the good catalog first
+    # (as an earlier version of this test did) never exercises the
+    # vulnerable path: the old implementation only guarded a candidate
+    # against "the best accepted so far," so whichever candidate was
+    # evaluated FIRST got in unconditionally, uncapped. Ordering the freeze
+    # attempt first is what actually proves the cap holds regardless of
+    # evaluation order.
     freeze_attempt = _signed(_minimal_catalog(version=999999), priv)
+    good = _signed(_minimal_catalog(version=5), priv)
 
-    result = c.resolve_catalog(None, cached, freeze_attempt)
+    result = c.resolve_catalog(None, freeze_attempt, good)
     assert c.catalog_version(result) == 5
 
 
+def test_resolve_catalog_caps_first_and_only_candidate(monkeypatch):
+    # issue #68 finding 6: with no bundled catalog to anchor against, a
+    # signed catalog claiming an absurd version must still be capped even
+    # when it is the ONLY candidate resolve_catalog() ever sees -- there is
+    # no "best so far" for it to be compared against, so the cap has to
+    # apply unconditionally, not "once something else has already landed."
+    priv = Ed25519PrivateKey.generate()
+    pub = priv.public_key().public_bytes_raw()
+    monkeypatch.setattr(c, "CATALOG_PUBKEYS", [pub])
+
+    freeze_attempt = _signed(_minimal_catalog(version=999999999), priv)
+
+    result = c.resolve_catalog(None, None, freeze_attempt)
+    assert result == {}
+
+
+def test_resolve_catalog_anchors_cap_to_bundled_not_a_chained_best(monkeypatch):
+    # Anti-freeze must be measured against the BUNDLED version specifically,
+    # not against "whatever the best-so-far happens to be after each
+    # candidate is accepted" -- a chained anchor lets each accepted
+    # candidate ratchet the allowed ceiling upward, so a legitimate
+    # moderate bump (cached) plus a second, much larger jump (remote) can
+    # each individually look "within _CATALOG_MAX_VERSION_JUMP of the
+    # previous one" while remote is nowhere near bundled's version.
+    priv = Ed25519PrivateKey.generate()
+    pub = priv.public_key().public_bytes_raw()
+    monkeypatch.setattr(c, "CATALOG_PUBKEYS", [pub])
+
+    bundled = _signed(_minimal_catalog(version=2), priv)
+    cached = _signed(_minimal_catalog(version=1000), priv)  # within 1000 of bundled
+    remote = _signed(_minimal_catalog(version=1900), priv)  # within 1000 of cached,
+    #                                                          NOT of bundled
+
+    result = c.resolve_catalog(bundled, cached, remote)
+    assert c.catalog_version(result) == 1000
+
+
+def test_resolve_catalog_prefers_bundled_on_version_tie(monkeypatch):
+    # issue #68 finding 6: on a tie the LAST candidate evaluated used to
+    # win, so remote silently beat bundled at equal version. Bundled --
+    # the copy frozen into the binary -- must win ties.
+    priv = Ed25519PrivateKey.generate()
+    pub = priv.public_key().public_bytes_raw()
+    monkeypatch.setattr(c, "CATALOG_PUBKEYS", [pub])
+
+    bundled_data = _minimal_catalog(version=5)
+    bundled = _signed(bundled_data, priv)
+
+    remote_data = _minimal_catalog(version=5)
+    remote_data["servers"][0]["display"] = "Remote Impostor"
+    remote = _signed(remote_data, priv)
+
+    result = c.resolve_catalog(bundled, None, remote)
+    assert c.catalog_version(result) == 5
+    assert result["servers"][0]["display"] == "Widget"
+
+
+def test_resolve_catalog_floor_rejects_below_persisted_version(monkeypatch):
+    # `floor` is a pure parameter: the caller (eventually the GUI, from
+    # persisted storage) can pass a previously-accepted version, and
+    # nothing below it may be accepted even with no bundled catalog to
+    # anchor against.
+    priv = Ed25519PrivateKey.generate()
+    pub = priv.public_key().public_bytes_raw()
+    monkeypatch.setattr(c, "CATALOG_PUBKEYS", [pub])
+
+    stale = _signed(_minimal_catalog(version=3), priv)
+
+    result = c.resolve_catalog(None, None, stale, floor=10)
+    assert result == {}
+
+
 def test_resolve_catalog_malformed_candidate_does_not_raise(monkeypatch):
     priv = Ed25519PrivateKey.generate()
     pub = priv.public_key().public_bytes_raw()
@@ -2039,15 +2330,32 @@ def test_resolve_catalog_invalid_but_signed_candidate_is_skipped(monkeypatch):
 def test_catalog_entry_to_paste_json_basic_shape():
     entry = _minimal_catalog()["servers"][0]
     result = c.catalog_entry_to_paste_json(entry)
-    assert result == {"widget": {"command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "widget-mcp"]}}
+    assert result == {"widget": {"command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "widget-mcp@1.0.0"]}}
 
 
 def test_catalog_entry_to_paste_json_includes_env_when_present():
+    # NOTE: catalog_entry_to_paste_json() is a pure shape-converter for an
+    # entry that has ALREADY passed validate_catalog() -- it is correct for
+    # it to carry env through verbatim. The bug (issue #68 finding 2) was
+    # never in this function; it was that validate_catalog() let entries
+    # with dangerous/non-placeholder env values reach this function in the
+    # first place. This test now proves that boundary explicitly: a
+    # validation-legal env value (a <PLACEHOLDER> token) survives the
+    # conversion, and a value validate_catalog() would have rejected is
+    # confirmed rejected before it ever gets here.
     entry = _minimal_catalog()["servers"][0]
     entry["config"]["env"] = {"GRAFANA_URL": "<GRAFANA_URL>"}
     result = c.catalog_entry_to_paste_json(entry)
     assert result["widget"]["env"] == {"GRAFANA_URL": "<GRAFANA_URL>"}
 
+    catalog = _minimal_catalog()
+    catalog["servers"][0]["config"]["env"] = {"GRAFANA_URL": "<GRAFANA_URL>"}
+    assert c.validate_catalog(catalog) == []
+
+    malicious = _minimal_catalog()
+    malicious["servers"][0]["config"]["env"] = {"NODE_OPTIONS": "--require /tmp/payload.js"}
+    assert c.validate_catalog(malicious) != []
+
 
 def test_catalog_entry_to_paste_json_seeds_env_required_keys():
     # Regression: env_required is where the seed data actually keeps its