v1.0.4 introduces a separate operator credential for remote accounting and payout services through --operator-key TOKEN or --operator-key-file FILE. Its exact method allowlist and security requirements are documented in JSON-RPC authentication. Mining, node shutdown, wallet scanning or discovery, address management, unbounded wallet history or UTXO listings, and every other method outside the fixed allowlist remain denied.
Synchronization after an authenticated snapshot now keeps the bounded exact-object route available for newer HeaderDAG-selected descendants inside the existing serving limit. The first authenticated target controls how long that route remains active, but no longer lowers its height ceiling. Unforced proactive manifests received while the verified post-snapshot tail is active return to HeaderDAG selection instead of installing a redundant second snapshot. Forced HeaderDAG decisions and targets beyond the serving limit still use normal snapshot synchronization.
The mining credential remains restricted to getBlockTemplate and submitBlock, and mining and operator keys must be different. A non-loopback RPC listener now requires at least one scoped credential. Local CLI and GUI access remains passwordless when the connection is accepted from the actual TCP loopback address. If a client supplies an Authorization header, the credential is always validated and receives only its exact role, including on loopback.
RPC authentication now uses constant-time comparison of BLAKE3 token digests, removes Authorization before request tracing, rejects browser Origin requests, disables WebSocket upgrades, limits request bodies to 1 MiB and preserves bounded JSON-RPC batch support. Key files must be regular owner-only files on Unix, inline and file credentials receive the same validation, and trace logging does not expose configured tokens or Authorization values.
There are no consensus-rule, wire-protocol, proof-profile, matrix, port or storage-format changes. v1.0.3 and v1.0.4 nodes remain network-compatible, no data reset is required, and ordinary local CLI and GUI use remains unchanged. Node operators, pools and wallet users should update.