fix: make .dockerignore exclusions apply at any depth (E00-S02-T08)

Resolve the security review of #389 (findings 1-4):

- .dockerignore: every env/credential pattern is now **/-prefixed
  (**/.env, **/.env.*, **/node_modules, **/.npmrc, ..., **/secrets,
  **/*.pem, **/*.key, ...) and the redundant 'secrets/' line is dropped.
  Docker's matcher (moby/patternmatcher) anchors slash-less patterns to
  the context root, so the bare forms excluded nothing under apps/server/;
  **/ matches the root AND any nested depth. (finding 1, 3)
- tests/secrets-not-embedded.test.mjs: the dockerignore matcher is now a
  faithful port of moby/patternmatcher (filepath.Clean + anchored full-path
  match + parent-directory propagation), not gitignore basename semantics;
  asserts nested example paths (apps/server/.npmrc, config/server.key,
  apps/server/secrets/...) are excluded; requires no redundant equivalent
  patterns verbatim; adds mutation probes for bare-pattern and
  duplicate-pattern regressions. (finding 2, 3)
- apps/server/Dockerfile + compose.yaml: guarantee restated precisely
  (credential files excluded at the context root AND at any depth).
- .gitea/workflows/ci.yml: new job runs
  'node --test tests/secrets-not-embedded.test.mjs' on every PR; the
  docker-gated layer-scan probe runs where a daemon exists, skips cleanly
  otherwise. (finding 4)
- tests/compose-config.test.mjs: .dockerignore presence list updated to the
  **/-prefixed forms (node_modules, .env).

Tested: secrets suite 16 tests -> 15 pass / 1 docker-gated skip / 0 fail;
full suite 101 pass / 12 fail / 8 skip, failures identical to clean main
(env-dependent pnpm/Node-24 suites); matcher port verified against the
moby/patternmatcher evidence table.

.dockerignore

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 .gitignore
 
 # Dependencies
-node_modules
+**/node_modules
 .pnpm-store
 
 # Build output
@@ -11,26 +11,29 @@ dist
 coverage
 
 # Local environment files (a committed .env.example lands in E00-S04)
-.env
+**/.env
-.env.*
+**/.env.*
 
 # Secrets & credentials (E00-S02-T08) — never part of the build context, so a
 # secret-bearing file cannot be embedded in the image even if a developer has
-# one locally. Keep this list in sync with tests/secrets-not-embedded.test.mjs.
+# one locally. Every pattern is `**/`-prefixed because Docker's matcher
-.npmrc
+# (moby/patternmatcher) anchors a slash-less pattern to the context ROOT — a
-.netrc
+# bare `.npmrc`/`*.key`/`secrets` would exclude nothing under `apps/server/…`.
-.credentials
+# `**/` matches the file at the root AND at any nested depth. Keep this list
-.aws
+# in sync with tests/secrets-not-embedded.test.mjs.
-.ssh
+**/.npmrc
-secrets
+**/.netrc
-secrets/
+**/.credentials
-*.pem
+**/.aws
-*.key
+**/.ssh
-*.p12
+**/secrets
-*.pfx
+**/*.pem
-*.jks
+**/*.key
-id_rsa
+**/*.p12
-id_ed25519
+**/*.pfx
+**/*.jks
+**/id_rsa
+**/id_ed25519
 
 # Logs
 *.log

.gitea/workflows/ci.yml

@@ -21,3 +21,18 @@ jobs:
         run: pnpm install --frozen-lockfile
       - name: Verify workspace groups
         run: pnpm -r list --depth -1
+
+  # E00-S02-T08: the static assertions of tests/secrets-not-embedded.test.mjs
+  # gate every PR (the docker-gated layer-scan probe inside the same file runs
+  # where a Docker daemon is available and skips cleanly otherwise).
+  secrets-not-embedded:
+    name: Secrets not embedded (E00-S02-T08)
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - name: Install Node.js 24
+        uses: actions/setup-node@v4
+        with:
+          node-version: '24'
+      - name: Run secrets-not-embedded test suite
+        run: node --test tests/secrets-not-embedded.test.mjs

apps/server/Dockerfile

@@ -21,10 +21,12 @@
 # ARG/ENV instruction (the only ENV is `NODE_ENV=production`) and every COPY
 # copies a fixed, non-secret path (manifests, source, compiled dist) — never
 # `.env` or credential files; `.dockerignore` additionally excludes env and
-# credential files from the build context, so a local secret file cannot be
+# credential files from the build context at the context root AND at any
-# embedded even by mistake. Runtime credentials (e.g. DATABASE_URL) are
+# nested depth (its patterns are `**/`-prefixed because Docker's matcher
-# injected by Compose at run time (compose.yaml `app.environment`), never baked
+# anchors slash-less patterns to the context root), so a local secret file
-# into the image. Tests: tests/secrets-not-embedded.test.mjs.
+# cannot be embedded even by mistake. Runtime credentials (e.g. DATABASE_URL)
+# are injected by Compose at run time (compose.yaml `app.environment`), never
+# baked into the image. Tests: tests/secrets-not-embedded.test.mjs.
 #
 # Image base: node:24.19.0-bookworm-slim (glibc Debian) per Technology-Stack
 # §5.4 — argon2 is a native dependency and musl/Alpine causes native-module

compose.yaml

@@ -40,7 +40,9 @@
 # Secrets not embedded (T08): the app image carries no secrets — the committed
 # apps/server/Dockerfile declares no secret-bearing ARG/ENV instruction and
 # copies only fixed, non-secret paths, and the committed .dockerignore excludes
-# env and credential files from the build context. Runtime credentials are
+# env and credential files from the build context at the context root AND at
+# any nested depth (`**/`-prefixed patterns — Docker's matcher anchors
+# slash-less patterns to the context root). Runtime credentials are
 # injected here, at run time, via service `environment` values (the app's
 # DATABASE_URL, the db service's POSTGRES_* defaults) — they live in
 # Compose/deploy config, never in the image. Rollback: rebuild the image after

tests/compose-config.test.mjs

@@ -445,7 +445,10 @@ test('the build context excludes local artifacts and environment files', () => {
     .split(/\r?\n/)
     .map((line) => line.trim())
     .filter((line) => line && !line.startsWith('#'));
-  for (const required of ['node_modules', 'dist', '.env', '.git']) {
+  // T08 hardened these to their `**/`-prefixed forms so the exclusions also
+  // apply at any nested depth (Docker's matcher anchors slash-less patterns to
+  // the context root).
+  for (const required of ['**/node_modules', 'dist', '**/.env', '.git']) {
     assert.ok(
       patterns.includes(required),
       `.dockerignore must exclude "${required}" (got: ${patterns.join(', ')})`,

tests/secrets-not-embedded.test.mjs

@@ -9,19 +9,34 @@
  *     copies a fixed, non-secret path — never `.env` or credential files, and
  *     never a blanket `COPY . .` of the whole context; the committed
  *     `.dockerignore` excludes local env + credential files from the build
- *     context, so a developer's secret file cannot be embedded even by
+ *     context at the context root AND at any nested depth (`**`-prefixed
- *     mistake; and the committed files the Dockerfile copies into the image
+ *     patterns — Docker's matcher anchors slash-less patterns to the context
+ *     root, so a bare `.npmrc`/`*.key`/`secrets` would exclude nothing under
+ *     `apps/server/…`), so a developer's secret file cannot be embedded even
+ *     by mistake; and the committed files the Dockerfile copies into the image
  *     contain no default credential values. The mutation probes below prove
  *     the assertions are non-vacuous (adding a secret ENV/ARG, a credential
- *     URI value, a `COPY` of `.env`, a blanket `COPY . .`, or dropping a
+ *     URI value, a `COPY` of `.env`, a blanket `COPY . .`, dropping a
- *     `.dockerignore` exclusion breaks the criterion).
+ *     `.dockerignore` exclusion, replacing a `**`-prefixed pattern with its
+ *     root-anchored bare form, or adding a redundant equivalent pattern all
+ *     break the criterion).
  *   - "image layers contain no secret values" → on machines with Docker, the
  *     real-image probe builds the committed image from the repo root with a
  *     marker-bearing probe env file (`.env.t08-*`, excluded by `.dockerignore`)
  *     present in the build context, then `docker save`s the image, extracts
  *     every layer (raw + decompressed) and the image config, and confirms
  *     neither the probe marker nor the compose default credential values
- *     appear anywhere in the layers.
+ *     appear anywhere in the layers. CI runs this file on every PR
+ *     (.gitea/workflows/ci.yml), so the static assertions gate merges.
+ *
+ * The dockerignore matcher below is a faithful port of Docker's real matcher,
+ * moby/patternmatcher (patternmatcher.go): every pattern is `filepath.Clean`ed
+ * (so `secrets` and `secrets/` are the SAME pattern), compiled to an anchored
+ * full-path matcher (exact / trailing-`**` prefix / leading-`**`+separator suffix /
+ * regexp), and a path matches when a pattern matches it OR any of its parent
+ * directories (docker prunes a matched directory, taking everything under it).
+ * It is deliberately NOT gitignore-basename matching: a slash-less pattern
+ * only matches at the context root.
  *
  * Run: `node --test tests/secrets-not-embedded.test.mjs`
  * (node:test — built into Node >= 18; no dependencies, lockfile untouched.)
@@ -59,24 +74,54 @@ const DOCKERIGNORE_PATH = '.dockerignore';
  * Env/credential path patterns that must never enter the image. The committed
  * `.dockerignore` must exclude every one of them, and no Dockerfile `COPY` may
  * target a path matching one. Keep in sync with the committed `.dockerignore`.
+ *
+ * Every pattern is `**`-prefixed: Docker's matcher (moby/patternmatcher)
+ * anchors a slash-less pattern to the context root, so a bare `.npmrc`/
+ * `*.key`/`secrets` would exclude nothing under `apps/server/…`. A `**`-
+ * prefixed `foo` matches `foo` at the root AND at any nested depth.
  */
 const SECRET_PATH_PATTERNS = [
-  '.env',
+  '**/.env',
-  '.env.*',
+  '**/.env.*',
-  '.npmrc',
+  '**/node_modules',
-  '.netrc',
+  '**/.npmrc',
-  '.credentials',
+  '**/.netrc',
-  '.aws',
+  '**/.credentials',
-  '.ssh',
+  '**/.aws',
-  'secrets',
+  '**/.ssh',
-  'secrets/',
+  '**/secrets',
-  '*.pem',
+  '**/*.pem',
-  '*.key',
+  '**/*.key',
-  '*.p12',
+  '**/*.p12',
-  '*.pfx',
+  '**/*.pfx',
-  '*.jks',
+  '**/*.jks',
-  'id_rsa',
+  '**/id_rsa',
-  'id_ed25519',
+  '**/id_ed25519',
+];
+
+/**
+ * One representative NESTED context path per required pattern — the acceptance
+ * criteria call these out explicitly (`apps/server/.npmrc`, `config/server.key`,
+ * `apps/server/secrets/…`). The committed `.dockerignore` (the full pattern
+ * set) must exclude every one of them under Docker's anchored matcher.
+ */
+const SECRET_PATH_EXAMPLES = [
+  ['**/.env', 'apps/server/.env'],
+  ['**/.env.*', 'apps/server/.env.local'],
+  ['**/node_modules', 'apps/server/node_modules/pkg/index.js'],
+  ['**/.npmrc', 'apps/server/.npmrc'],
+  ['**/.netrc', 'packages/core/.netrc'],
+  ['**/.credentials', 'config/.credentials'],
+  ['**/.aws', 'apps/server/.aws/credentials'],
+  ['**/.ssh', 'apps/server/.ssh/id_ed25519'],
+  ['**/secrets', 'apps/server/secrets/db.pem'],
+  ['**/*.pem', 'config/server.pem'],
+  ['**/*.key', 'config/server.key'],
+  ['**/*.p12', 'certs/app.p12'],
+  ['**/*.pfx', 'certs/app.pfx'],
+  ['**/*.jks', 'certs/app.jks'],
+  ['**/id_rsa', 'apps/server/id_rsa'],
+  ['**/id_ed25519', 'apps/server/.ssh/id_ed25519'],
 ];
 
 /** Default credential values committed in compose.yaml (dev-only defaults). */
@@ -137,59 +182,183 @@ function copyInstructions(dockerfile) {
 }
 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-// dockerignore-style path matching (the subset the committed patterns use)
+// Docker-faithful .dockerignore matching (moby/patternmatcher port)
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-/** Converts a glob (`*` = non-separator run, `**` = anything, `?` = one char) to a RegExp. */
+/**
-function globToRegExp(pattern) {
+ * POSIX `filepath.Clean` for the pattern/path forms this repo uses (moby's
-  let re = '';
+ * patternmatcher runs every pattern through `filepath.Clean` before compiling
-  for (let i = 0; i < pattern.length; i += 1) {
+ * it): collapses repeated separators, resolves `.`/`..`, and drops a trailing
-    const ch = pattern[i];
+ * separator — so `secrets` and `secrets/` are the SAME pattern, and `./x`
-    if (ch === '*') {
+ * is `x`.
-      if (pattern[i + 1] === '*') {
+ */
-        re += '.*';
+function cleanPath(p) {
-        i += 1;
+  if (p === '') return '.';
-      } else {
+  const rooted = p.startsWith('/');
-        re += '[^/]*';
+  const out = [];
+  let dotdot = 0; // `..` may not backtrack past this index
+  for (const part of p.split('/')) {
+    if (part === '' || part === '.') continue;
+    if (part === '..') {
+      if (out.length > dotdot) {
+        out.pop();
+      } else if (!rooted) {
+        out.push('..');
+        dotdot = out.length;
       }
-    } else if (ch === '?') {
+      continue;
-      re += '[^/]';
-    } else {
-      re += ch.replace(/[.+^${}()|[\]\\]/g, '\\$&');
     }
+    out.push(part);
   }
-  return new RegExp(`^${re}$`);
+  const result = `${rooted ? '/' : ''}${out.join('/')}`;
+  return result === '' ? '.' : result;
 }
 
 /**
- * True when `relPath` (context-relative, `/` separators) matches a
+ * Compiles one cleaned pattern exactly as moby/patternmatcher's `compile`
- * dockerignore-style pattern: a pattern with no `/` matches any path
+ * does: a leading `**` followed by a separator becomes an optional
- * component (docker prunes a matched directory, taking its contents); a
+ * "any segments" group `(.*` + separator + `)?` (or, when followed only by
- * trailing `/` restricts to directories (and everything under them); `*`/`**`/
+ * literal chars, a suffix match that also matches the root form); a trailing
- * `?` follow docker's glob rules. Supports the subset the committed
+ * `**` becomes a prefix match; a mid-pattern `**` becomes the same optional
- * `.dockerignore` and the Dockerfile COPY sources use.
+ * group; `*`/`?` become `[^/]*`/`[^/]`; regexp metachars are escaped. A
+ * pattern with no globs is an exact full-path match.
+ *
+ * Returns `{ cleanedPattern, matchType, regexp }` with matchType one of
+ * 'exact' | 'prefix' | 'suffix' | 'regexp'.
  */
-function matchesDockerignore(relPath, pattern) {
+function compilePattern(cleaned) {
-  const normPath = relPath.replace(/^\.\//, '').replace(/\/+$/, '');
+  let regStr = '^';
-  let pat = pattern.replace(/^\.\//, '');
+  let matchType = 'exact';
-  const dirOnly = pat.endsWith('/');
+  let iter = 0; // Go scanner iteration counter (i in patternmatcher.go)
-  if (dirOnly) pat = pat.slice(0, -1);
+  let i = 0;
+  const n = cleaned.length;
+  while (i < n) {
+    const ch = cleaned[i];
+    if (ch === '*') {
+      if (i + 1 < n && cleaned[i + 1] === '*') {
+        i += 2;
+        // Treat "**/" as "**" — eat the following separator.
+        if (i < n && cleaned[i] === '/') i += 1;
+        if (i >= n) {
+          // Trailing "**": match everything from here on.
+          if (matchType === 'exact') matchType = 'prefix';
+          else {
+            regStr += '.*';
+            matchType = 'regexp';
+          }
+        } else {
+          // Mid-pattern "**": any number of segments (incl. zero).
+          regStr += '(.*/)?';
+          matchType = 'regexp';
+        }
+        // A leading "**/..." with no further globs is a suffix match.
+        if (iter === 0) matchType = 'suffix';
+      } else {
+        // "*" matches anything but a separator.
+        regStr += '[^/]*';
+        matchType = 'regexp';
+        i += 1;
+      }
+    } else if (ch === '?') {
+      regStr += '[^/]';
+      matchType = 'regexp';
+      i += 1;
+    } else if ('.+()|{}$'.includes(ch)) {
+      // Regexp metachars that are not filepath pattern chars get escaped.
+      regStr += `\\${ch}`;
+      i += 1;
+    } else if (ch === '\\') {
+      // Escape the next char (a trailing lone backslash is kept literal).
+      if (i + 1 < n) {
+        regStr += `\\${cleaned[i + 1]}`;
+        i += 2;
+        matchType = 'regexp';
+      } else {
+        regStr += '\\';
+        i += 1;
+      }
+    } else if (ch === '[' || ch === ']') {
+      // Brackets are passed through to the regexp (char classes).
+      regStr += ch;
+      matchType = 'regexp';
+      i += 1;
+    } else {
+      regStr += ch;
+      i += 1;
+    }
+    iter += 1;
+  }
+  let regexp = null;
+  if (matchType === 'regexp') {
+    regStr += '$';
+    regexp = new RegExp(regStr);
+  }
+  return { cleanedPattern: cleaned, matchType, regexp };
+}
 
-  if (dirOnly) {
+/** Matches one compiled pattern against a full cleaned path (pattern.match). */
-    if (pat.includes('/')) {
+function patternMatches(pattern, path) {
-      return normPath === pat || normPath.startsWith(`${pat}/`);
+  const { cleanedPattern, matchType, regexp } = pattern;
-    }
+  if (matchType === 'exact') return path === cleanedPattern;
-    // A directory pattern with no slash matches a directory of that name at
+  if (matchType === 'prefix') return path.startsWith(cleanedPattern.slice(0, -2));
-    // any depth — and everything under it (docker prunes matched dirs).
+  if (matchType === 'suffix') {
-    const re = globToRegExp(pat);
+    const suffix = cleanedPattern.slice(2);
-    return normPath.split('/').some((component) => re.test(component));
+    if (path.endsWith(suffix)) return true;
+    // "**/foo" also matches the bare "foo" at the context root.
+    return suffix.startsWith('/') && path === suffix.slice(1);
   }
+  if (matchType === 'regexp') return regexp.test(path);
+  return false;
+}
 
-  const re = globToRegExp(pat);
+/**
-  if (!pat.includes('/')) {
+ * Parses `.dockerignore` text the way docker does (trim, skip blanks and `#`
-    return normPath.split('/').some((component) => re.test(component));
+ * comments) and compiles every pattern via the moby/patternmatcher pipeline
+ * (TrimSpace, filepath.Clean, optional `!` exclusion prefix).
+ */
+function dockerignorePatterns(dockerignoreText) {
+  const patterns = [];
+  for (const rawLine of dockerignoreText.split(/\r?\n/)) {
+    let line = rawLine.trim();
+    if (line === '' || line.startsWith('#')) continue;
+    line = cleanPath(line);
+    let exclusion = false;
+    if (line.startsWith('!')) {
+      if (line.length === 1) throw new Error('illegal exclusion pattern: "!"');
+      exclusion = true;
+      line = line.slice(1);
     }
-  return re.test(normPath);
+    patterns.push({ exclusion, ...compilePattern(line) });
+  }
+  return patterns;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Docker's MatchesOrParentMatches: true when `relPath` (context-relative) is
+ * excluded by any of the compiled patterns. A pattern matches the full cleaned
+ * path OR any of its parent directories (docker prunes a matched directory,
+ * taking everything under it). A slash-less pattern is anchored to the context
+ * ROOT — exactly as in moby/patternmatcher — so only `**`-prefixed patterns
+ * reach nested paths.
+ */
+function matchesDockerignore(patterns, relPath) {
+  const file = cleanPath(relPath);
+  if (file === '.') return false;
+  const parent = file.includes('/') ? file.slice(0, file.lastIndexOf('/')) : '.';
+  const parentDirs = parent === '.' ? [] : parent.split('/');
+  let matched = false;
+  for (const pattern of patterns) {
+    if (pattern.exclusion !== matched) continue;
+    let m = patternMatches(pattern, file);
+    if (!m && parent !== '.') {
+      for (let i = 0; i < parentDirs.length; i += 1) {
+        m = patternMatches(pattern, parentDirs.slice(0, i + 1).join('/'));
+        if (m) break;
+      }
+    }
+    if (m) matched = !pattern.exclusion;
+  }
+  return matched;
 }
 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -232,6 +401,7 @@ function assertNoSecretsEmbedded(dockerfile) {
     copies.length > 0,
     'the Dockerfile must declare COPY instructions (the app files must reach the image)',
   );
+  const secretPatterns = dockerignorePatterns(SECRET_PATH_PATTERNS.join('\n'));
   for (const copy of copies) {
     const tokens = copy.split(/\s+/).filter((token) => !token.startsWith('--from='));
     const sources = tokens.slice(0, -1).filter((token) => !token.startsWith('/'));
@@ -241,31 +411,49 @@ function assertNoSecretsEmbedded(dockerfile) {
         '.',
         'the Dockerfile must not COPY the whole build context (COPY . ...) — env/credential files could be swept into the image',
       );
-      for (const pattern of SECRET_PATH_PATTERNS) {
       assert.ok(
-          !matchesDockerignore(src, pattern),
+        !matchesDockerignore(secretPatterns, src),
-          `the Dockerfile COPY must not copy a secret/credential path (got "${src}", matches "${pattern}")`,
+        `the Dockerfile COPY must not copy a secret/credential path (got "${src}") — the build context ` +
+          'excludes env/credential files at any depth via .dockerignore',
       );
     }
   }
-  }
 }
 
 /**
  * Asserts the committed `.dockerignore` excludes every `SECRET_PATH_PATTERNS`
- * entry, so a developer's env/credential files never enter the build context —
+ * entry — at the context root AND at any nested depth — so a developer's
- * the first line of defense against embedding secrets in the image.
+ * env/credential files never enter the build context, the first line of
+ * defense against embedding secrets in the image. Concretely:
+ *  - every required `**`-prefixed pattern is present verbatim (a bare
+ *    `.npmrc`/`*.key`/`secrets` would only exclude the context root);
+ *  - no two patterns clean to the same path (redundant equivalent patterns
+ *    such as `secrets` + `secrets/` are never required);
+ *  - every representative NESTED example path is excluded by the full pattern
+ *    set under the Docker-faithful matcher.
  */
 function assertDockerignoreExcludesSecrets(dockerignore) {
-  const patterns = dockerignore
+  const compiled = dockerignorePatterns(dockerignore);
-    .split(/\r?\n/)
+  const cleaned = compiled.map((p) => p.cleanedPattern);
-    .map((line) => line.trim())
-    .filter((line) => line && !line.startsWith('#'));
   for (const required of SECRET_PATH_PATTERNS) {
     assert.ok(
-      patterns.includes(required),
+      cleaned.includes(required),
-      `.dockerignore must exclude "${required}" so env/credential files never enter the build context ` +
+      `.dockerignore must exclude "${required}" (the **/-prefixed form, so the pattern applies at the ` +
-        `(got: ${patterns.join(', ')})`,
+        `context root AND any nested depth — Docker's matcher anchors slash-less patterns to the root) ` +
+        `(got: ${cleaned.join(', ')})`,
+    );
+  }
+  assert.equal(
+    new Set(cleaned).size,
+    cleaned.length,
+    `.dockerignore must not contain redundant equivalent patterns (two patterns that clean to the same ` +
+      `path, e.g. \`secrets\` and \`secrets/\`, add nothing) (got: ${cleaned.join(', ')})`,
+  );
+  for (const [pattern, example] of SECRET_PATH_EXAMPLES) {
+    assert.ok(
+      matchesDockerignore(compiled, example),
+      `.dockerignore must exclude the nested example path "${example}" (via "${pattern}") so a local ` +
+        'secret file cannot be embedded even by mistake',
     );
   }
 }
@@ -521,20 +709,39 @@ test('a blanket COPY of the whole build context fails the no-secrets criterion (
   assert.throws(() => assertNoSecretsEmbedded(mutated), /whole build context/);
 });
 
-test('removing .env.* from .dockerignore fails the exclusion criterion (mutation probe)', () => {
+test('removing **/.env.* from .dockerignore fails the exclusion criterion (mutation probe)', () => {
   const dockerignore = read(DOCKERIGNORE_PATH);
-  const mutated = dockerignore.replace(/^\.env\.\*\s*$/m, '');
+  const mutated = dockerignore.replace(/^\*\*\/\.env\.\*\s*$/m, '');
-  assert.notEqual(mutated, dockerignore, 'the mutation must actually remove the .env.* pattern');
+  assert.notEqual(mutated, dockerignore, 'the mutation must actually remove the **/.env.* pattern');
   assert.throws(() => assertDockerignoreExcludesSecrets(mutated), /\.env\.\*/);
 });
 
-test('removing a credential pattern (*.key) from .dockerignore fails the exclusion criterion (mutation probe)', () => {
+test('removing a credential pattern (**/*.key) from .dockerignore fails the exclusion criterion (mutation probe)', () => {
   const dockerignore = read(DOCKERIGNORE_PATH);
-  const mutated = dockerignore.replace(/^\*\.key\s*$/m, '');
+  const mutated = dockerignore.replace(/^\*\*\/\*\.key\s*$/m, '');
-  assert.notEqual(mutated, dockerignore, 'the mutation must actually remove the *.key pattern');
+  assert.notEqual(mutated, dockerignore, 'the mutation must actually remove the **/*.key pattern');
   assert.throws(() => assertDockerignoreExcludesSecrets(mutated), /\.key/);
 });
 
+test('replacing a **/-prefixed exclusion with its root-anchored bare form fails (mutation probe)', () => {
+  // A bare `secrets` matches only the context root in Docker's matcher, so it
+  // cannot satisfy the "excluded at any depth" criterion — only `**/secrets`
+  // can. This locks in why the committed patterns are `**/`-prefixed.
+  const dockerignore = read(DOCKERIGNORE_PATH);
+  const mutated = dockerignore.replace('**/secrets', 'secrets');
+  assert.notEqual(mutated, dockerignore, 'the mutation must actually replace **/secrets with secrets');
+  assert.throws(() => assertDockerignoreExcludesSecrets(mutated), /secrets/);
+});
+
+test('redundant equivalent .dockerignore patterns (secrets + secrets/) fail the exclusion criterion (mutation probe)', () => {
+  // `secrets` and `secrets/` clean to the same path, so requiring both is
+  // redundant; the no-redundancy assertion must catch them.
+  const dockerignore = read(DOCKERIGNORE_PATH);
+  const mutated = dockerignore.replace('**/secrets', 'secrets\nsecrets/');
+  assert.notEqual(mutated, dockerignore, 'the mutation must actually split **/secrets into the bare forms');
+  assert.throws(() => assertDockerignoreExcludesSecrets(mutated), /secrets/);
+});
+
 test('a copied committed file containing a default credential value fails (mutation probe)', () => {
   const contents = new Map([
     ['apps/server/src/index.ts', 'const url = "postgres://eppp:eppp@db:5432/eppp";'],
@@ -542,14 +749,60 @@ test('a copied committed file containing a default credential value fails (mutat
   assert.throws(() => assertCopiedFilesHaveNoCredentials(contents), /postgres:\/\/eppp:eppp@db:5432\/eppp/);
 });
 
-test('the dockerignore matcher excludes probe env files and keeps source files (parser probe)', () => {
+test('the dockerignore matcher is Docker-faithful and excludes nested credential paths (parser probe)', () => {
-  assert.ok(matchesDockerignore('.env.t08-probe', '.env.*'), '.env.* must match probe env files');
+  const patterns = dockerignorePatterns(read(DOCKERIGNORE_PATH));
-  assert.ok(matchesDockerignore('.env', '.env'), '.env must match the exact file');
+
-  assert.ok(!matchesDockerignore('.env.production', '.env'), '.env must not match .env.production');
+  // The nested example paths the acceptance criteria call out are excluded.
-  assert.ok(!matchesDockerignore('apps/server/src/index.ts', '.env'), 'source files must not match .env');
+  assert.ok(matchesDockerignore(patterns, 'apps/server/.npmrc'), 'apps/server/.npmrc must be excluded');
-  assert.ok(matchesDockerignore('secrets/credentials.txt', 'secrets'), 'a path under secrets/ must be excluded');
+  assert.ok(matchesDockerignore(patterns, 'config/server.key'), 'config/server.key must be excluded');
-  assert.ok(matchesDockerignore('config/secrets/credentials.txt', 'secrets'), 'nested secrets/ dirs must be excluded');
+  assert.ok(matchesDockerignore(patterns, 'apps/server/secrets/db.pem'), 'apps/server/secrets/db.pem must be excluded');
-  assert.ok(matchesDockerignore('config/server.key', '*.key'), '*.key must match a key file at any depth');
+  assert.ok(matchesDockerignore(patterns, 'apps/server/.env'), 'apps/server/.env must be excluded');
-  assert.ok(matchesDockerignore('secrets/credentials.txt', 'secrets/'), 'secrets/ must exclude everything under it');
+  assert.ok(matchesDockerignore(patterns, 'apps/server/.env.local'), 'apps/server/.env.local must be excluded');
-  assert.ok(!matchesDockerignore('apps/server/package.json', 'secrets/'), 'source files must not match secrets/');
+  assert.ok(
+    matchesDockerignore(patterns, 'apps/server/node_modules/pkg/index.js'),
+    'apps/server/node_modules/pkg/index.js must be excluded',
+  );
+  assert.ok(matchesDockerignore(patterns, '.npmrc'), 'the root .npmrc must be excluded too');
+  assert.ok(matchesDockerignore(patterns, '.env.t08-probe'), 'the probe env file must be excluded');
+
+  // Source files and committed manifests are kept.
+  assert.ok(!matchesDockerignore(patterns, 'apps/server/src/index.ts'), 'source files must not be excluded');
+  assert.ok(!matchesDockerignore(patterns, 'apps/server/package.json'), 'committed manifests must not be excluded');
+  assert.ok(!matchesDockerignore(patterns, 'package.json'), 'the root manifest must not be excluded');
+
+  // Docker semantics (moby/patternmatcher), NOT gitignore basename semantics:
+  // a slash-less pattern is anchored to the context root, so the bare forms
+  // exclude nothing under apps/server/… — this is exactly why the committed
+  // patterns are `**/`-prefixed.
+  assert.ok(
+    !matchesDockerignore(dockerignorePatterns('.npmrc'), 'apps/server/.npmrc'),
+    'bare .npmrc must not match a nested .npmrc (Docker anchors it to the root)',
+  );
+  assert.ok(
+    !matchesDockerignore(dockerignorePatterns('.env'), 'apps/server/.env'),
+    'bare .env must not match a nested .env (Docker anchors it to the root)',
+  );
+  assert.ok(
+    !matchesDockerignore(dockerignorePatterns('*.key'), 'config/server.key'),
+    'bare *.key must not match a nested key file (Docker anchors it to the root)',
+  );
+  assert.ok(
+    !matchesDockerignore(dockerignorePatterns('secrets'), 'apps/server/secrets/creds.txt'),
+    'bare secrets must not prune a nested secrets/ dir (Docker anchors it to the root)',
+  );
+
+  // Parent-directory propagation: a pattern that matches a directory prunes
+  // everything under it — at the root (bare form) and at any depth (**/ form).
+  assert.ok(
+    matchesDockerignore(dockerignorePatterns('secrets'), 'secrets/credentials.txt'),
+    'a root-level secrets/ dir must be pruned by the bare pattern',
+  );
+  assert.ok(
+    matchesDockerignore(dockerignorePatterns('**/secrets'), 'apps/server/secrets/credentials.txt'),
+    'a nested secrets/ dir must be pruned by the **/-prefixed pattern',
+  );
+  assert.ok(
+    matchesDockerignore(dockerignorePatterns('**/.npmrc'), '.npmrc'),
+    '**/.npmrc must also match the root form',
+  );
 });