Microsoft is quietly moving toward a future where Windows package operations require client-side verification. This is part of the same push behind Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) and Smart App Control.
Every application in the WinGet repository must have a manifest file (YAML). Microsoft’s WinGet-Pkgs GitHub repository uses automated bots to verify that the manifest correctly points to the official installer URL. microsoft winget client verified
: WinGet computes a SHA-256 hash of the installer and compares it to the manifest; if they don't match, the installation stops immediately to prevent tampering. Microsoft is quietly moving toward a future where
winget install --id Microsoft.PowerShell --exact --verbose-logs if they don't match