error: could not find signing keys for remote repository %s,

Error message

error: could not find signing keys for remote repository %s, or could not decrypt signing key: %v

What it means

Error "error: could not find signing keys for remote repository %s, or could not decrypt signing key: %v" thrown in docker/cli.

Source

Thrown at cmd/docker-trust/internal/trust/trust.go:248

// NotaryError formats an error message received from the notary service
func NotaryError(repoName string, err error) error {
	switch err.(type) {
	case *json.SyntaxError:
		logrus.Debugf("Notary syntax error: %s", err)
		return fmt.Errorf("error: no trust data available for remote repository %s. Try running notary server and setting DOCKER_CONTENT_TRUST_SERVER to its HTTPS address", repoName)
	case signed.ErrExpired:
		return fmt.Errorf("error: remote repository %s out-of-date: %v", repoName, err)
	case trustmanager.ErrKeyNotFound:
		return fmt.Errorf("error: signing keys for remote repository %s not found: %v", repoName, err)
	case storage.NetworkError:
		return fmt.Errorf("error: error contacting notary server: %v", err)
	case storage.ErrMetaNotFound:
		return fmt.Errorf("error: trust data missing for remote repository %s or remote repository not found: %v", repoName, err)
	case trustpinning.ErrRootRotationFail, trustpinning.ErrValidationFail, signed.ErrInvalidKeyType:
		return fmt.Errorf("warning: potential malicious behavior - trust data mismatch for remote repository %s: %v", repoName, err)
	case signed.ErrNoKeys:
		return fmt.Errorf("error: could not find signing keys for remote repository %s, or could not decrypt signing key: %v", repoName, err)
	case signed.ErrLowVersion:
		return fmt.Errorf("warning: potential malicious behavior - trust data version is lower than expected for remote repository %s: %v", repoName, err)
	case signed.ErrRoleThreshold:
		return fmt.Errorf("warning: potential malicious behavior - trust data has insufficient signatures for remote repository %s: %v", repoName, err)
	case client.ErrRepositoryNotExist:
		return fmt.Errorf("error: remote trust data does not exist for %s: %v", repoName, err)
	case signed.ErrInsufficientSignatures:
		return fmt.Errorf("error: could not produce valid signature for %s.  If Yubikey was used, was touch input provided?: %v", repoName, err)
	default:
		return err
	}
}

// AddToAllSignableRoles attempts to add the image target to all the top level
// delegation roles we can (based on whether we have the signing key and whether
// the role's path allows us to).
//
// If there are no delegation roles, we add to the targets role.

View on GitHub (pinned to e9452d6e78)

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at cmd/docker-trust/internal/trust/trust.go:248 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of docker/cli@e9452d6e78 (2026-08-01). Data as JSON: /data/errors/1cc86d994334b7c2.json. Report an issue: GitHub.