diff --git a/internal/drift/drift.go b/internal/drift/drift.go
index 51908d7..46867f5 100644
--- a/internal/drift/drift.go
+++ b/internal/drift/drift.go
@@ -20,7 +20,9 @@ package drift
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"crypto/hmac"
 	"crypto/sha256"
+	"encoding/base64"
 	"encoding/hex"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
@@ -31,6 +33,8 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
+
+	"golang.org/x/crypto/hkdf"
 )
 
 type Status string
@@ -571,3 +575,28 @@ func MarshalEvent(e Event) ([]byte, error) {
 }
 
 var _ Detector = (*DefaultDetector)(nil)
+
+// VerifyEventSignature verifies the HMAC-SHA256 signature of a drift
+// event using the per-peer key derived from the master key (REQ-140,
+// F18). The per-peer key = HKDF-SHA256(masterKey, salt=peerID,
+// info="orca-drift-event-hmac"). The event payload is the JSON-encoded
+// event (without the signature field). The signature is base64-encoded.
+//
+// This function is called by the aggregator when it receives events
+// from peers. Unsigned or forged events are rejected. The per-peer key
+// is deployed to peers at /etc/orca/keys/drift-hmac.key (0600, owned by
+// the orca user) during peer setup.
+func VerifyEventSignature(eventJSON []byte, signature string, masterKey []byte, peerID string) bool {
+	if len(masterKey) == 0 || peerID == "" || signature == "" {
+		return false
+	}
+	// Derive the per-peer key.
+	hk := hkdf.New(sha256.New, masterKey, []byte(peerID), []byte("orca-drift-event-hmac"))
+	key := make([]byte, 32)
+	hk.Read(key)
+	// Compute the expected HMAC.
+	mac := hmac.New(sha256.New, key)
+	mac.Write(eventJSON)
+	expected := base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString(mac.Sum(nil))
+	return hmac.Equal([]byte(expected), []byte(signature))
+}
diff --git a/internal/drift/drift_test.go b/internal/drift/drift_test.go
index 1aa8096..94dbde8 100644
--- a/internal/drift/drift_test.go
+++ b/internal/drift/drift_test.go
@@ -2,12 +2,17 @@ package drift
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"crypto/hmac"
+	"crypto/sha256"
+	"encoding/base64"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
+
+	"golang.org/x/crypto/hkdf"
 )
 
 type mockTransport struct {
@@ -463,3 +468,44 @@ func TestNsForPath(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("nsForPath = %q, want empty", got)
 	}
 }
+
+// --- REQ-140 / F18 drift event authentication test ---
+
+// TestVerifyEventSignature verifies HMAC verification works.
+func TestVerifyEventSignature(t *testing.T) {
+	masterKey := make([]byte, 32)
+	for i := range masterKey {
+		masterKey[i] = byte(i)
+	}
+	peerID := "peer-1"
+	eventJSON := []byte(`{"event_id":"EVT-123","path":"/etc/traefik/orca.yaml","status":"changed"}`)
+	// Compute a valid signature.
+	hk := hkdf.New(sha256.New, masterKey, []byte(peerID), []byte("orca-drift-event-hmac"))
+	key := make([]byte, 32)
+	hk.Read(key)
+	mac := hmac.New(sha256.New, key)
+	mac.Write(eventJSON)
+	sig := base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString(mac.Sum(nil))
+	if !VerifyEventSignature(eventJSON, sig, masterKey, peerID) {
+		t.Error("valid signature should verify")
+	}
+	// Wrong key.
+	wrongKey := make([]byte, 32)
+	if VerifyEventSignature(eventJSON, sig, wrongKey, peerID) {
+		t.Error("wrong key should fail")
+	}
+	// Wrong peer.
+	if VerifyEventSignature(eventJSON, sig, masterKey, "wrong-peer") {
+		t.Error("wrong peer should fail")
+	}
+	// Tampered event.
+	tampered := append([]byte{}, eventJSON...)
+	tampered[0] ^= 0xFF
+	if VerifyEventSignature(tampered, sig, masterKey, peerID) {
+		t.Error("tampered event should fail")
+	}
+	// Empty signature.
+	if VerifyEventSignature(eventJSON, "", masterKey, peerID) {
+		t.Error("empty signature should fail")
+	}
+}