diff --git a/extension/src/setup/setup.ts b/extension/src/setup/setup.ts
index 20b38fe..8c0fa6c 100644
--- a/extension/src/setup/setup.ts
+++ b/extension/src/setup/setup.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 import { createGitHost, uint8ArrayToBase64 } from '../service-worker/git-host';
 import { probeVault } from './probe';
 import type { VaultConfig } from '../shared/types';
+import type { SessionHandle } from 'relicario-wasm';
 
 // --- WASM module (loaded dynamically) ---
 
@@ -47,7 +48,7 @@ interface WizardState {
   passphraseVisible: boolean;
   confirmVisible: boolean;
   referenceImageBytes: Uint8Array | null;
-  verifiedHandle: number | null;
+  verifiedHandle: SessionHandle | null;
   creating: boolean;
   attaching: boolean;
   error: string | null;
@@ -323,14 +324,151 @@ function attachStep0(): void {
   });
 }
 
-// --- Step 3 (attach variant) — placeholder; filled in Task 8 ---
+// --- Step 3 (attach variant) ---
 
 function renderStep3Attach(): string {
-  return '<div class="wizard-step"><p>Step 3b (placeholder)</p></div>';
+  const p = state.passphrase;
+  const pType = state.passphraseVisible ? 'text' : 'password';
+  const pToggle = state.passphraseVisible ? 'hide' : 'show';
+  const hasImage = !!state.referenceImageBytesAttach;
+  const gateDisabled = state.attaching || !p || !hasImage;
+
+  return `
+    <div class="wizard-step">
+      <h3>attach this device</h3>
+      <p class="muted" style="margin-bottom:12px;">
+        Use your existing passphrase and reference image to attach this browser
+        to your vault. We'll verify both before registering this device.
+      </p>
+
+      <div class="form-group">
+        <label class="label">reference image (JPEG)</label>
+        <div class="file-drop ${hasImage ? 'has-file' : ''}" id="ref-drop">
+          <input type="file" id="ref-input" accept="image/jpeg" style="display:none;">
+          ${hasImage
+            ? '<p class="secondary">reference image loaded</p>'
+            : '<p class="secondary">click to select your reference JPEG</p>'}
+        </div>
+        <p class="muted" style="margin-top:4px;">
+          The reference image is the JPEG you saved when you first created this vault —
+          <strong>not the original photo</strong>. It has the 256-bit secret embedded.
+        </p>
+      </div>
+
+      <div class="form-group">
+        <label class="label" for="passphrase">passphrase</label>
+        <div class="passphrase-field">
+          <input id="passphrase" type="${pType}" value="${escapeHtml(p)}" placeholder="enter your passphrase" autocomplete="current-password">
+          <button type="button" class="eye-btn" id="eye-btn">${pToggle}</button>
+        </div>
+      </div>
+
+      <div class="form-actions">
+        <button class="btn" id="back-btn">back</button>
+        <button class="btn btn-primary" id="attach-btn" ${gateDisabled ? 'disabled' : ''}>
+          ${state.attaching ? '<span class="spinner"></span> verifying...' : 'verify and attach'}
+        </button>
+      </div>
+    </div>
+  `;
 }
 
 function attachStep3Attach(): void {
-  /* filled in Task 8 */
+  const refDrop = document.getElementById('ref-drop')!;
+  const refInput = document.getElementById('ref-input') as HTMLInputElement;
+
+  refDrop.addEventListener('click', () => refInput.click());
+  refInput.addEventListener('change', () => {
+    const file = refInput.files?.[0];
+    if (!file) return;
+    const reader = new FileReader();
+    reader.onload = () => {
+      state.referenceImageBytesAttach = new Uint8Array(reader.result as ArrayBuffer);
+      state.error = null;
+      render();
+    };
+    reader.readAsArrayBuffer(file);
+  });
+
+  const passInput = document.getElementById('passphrase') as HTMLInputElement | null;
+  passInput?.addEventListener('input', (e) => {
+    state.passphrase = (e.target as HTMLInputElement).value;
+    const btn = document.getElementById('attach-btn') as HTMLButtonElement | null;
+    if (btn) btn.disabled = state.attaching || !state.passphrase || !state.referenceImageBytesAttach;
+  });
+
+  document.getElementById('eye-btn')?.addEventListener('click', () => {
+    state.passphraseVisible = !state.passphraseVisible;
+    if (passInput) passInput.type = state.passphraseVisible ? 'text' : 'password';
+    const btn = document.getElementById('eye-btn');
+    if (btn) btn.textContent = state.passphraseVisible ? 'hide' : 'show';
+    passInput?.focus();
+  });
+
+  document.getElementById('back-btn')?.addEventListener('click', () => {
+    state.step = 2;
+    state.error = null;
+    render();
+  });
+
+  document.getElementById('attach-btn')?.addEventListener('click', async () => {
+    if (!state.referenceImageBytesAttach || !state.passphrase) return;
+    state.attaching = true;
+    state.error = null;
+    render();
+
+    const log = (stage: string, detail?: unknown) => console.log(`[relicario setup] ${stage}`, detail ?? '');
+    let stage = 'init';
+    let handle: SessionHandle | null = null;
+    try {
+      stage = 'load wasm';
+      log(stage);
+      const w = await loadWasm();
+
+      stage = 'fetch vault metadata';
+      log(stage);
+      const hostUrl = state.hostType === 'github' ? 'https://api.github.com' : state.hostUrl;
+      const host = createGitHost(state.hostType, hostUrl, state.repoPath, state.apiToken);
+      const [salt, paramsBytes, encryptedManifest] = await Promise.all([
+        host.readFile('.relicario/salt'),
+        host.readFile('.relicario/params.json'),
+        host.readFile('manifest.enc'),
+      ]);
+      const paramsJson = new TextDecoder().decode(paramsBytes);
+
+      stage = 'derive session handle';
+      log(stage);
+      handle = w.unlock(state.passphrase, state.referenceImageBytesAttach, salt, paramsJson);
+
+      stage = 'decrypt manifest';
+      log(stage);
+      // Throws if AEAD verification fails — wrong passphrase or wrong image.
+      w.manifest_decrypt(handle, encryptedManifest);
+
+      log('attach verified — advancing');
+      state.verifiedHandle = handle;
+      state.attaching = false;
+      state.step = 4;
+      state.error = null;
+      render();
+    } catch (err: unknown) {
+      console.error(`[relicario setup] attach FAILED during "${stage}":`, err);
+      state.attaching = false;
+      // Lock any partial handle to avoid leaking key material.
+      if (handle !== null) {
+        try { (await loadWasm()).lock(handle); } catch { /* best effort */ }
+      }
+      state.verifiedHandle = null;
+      const detail = err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err);
+      // Stage-aware copy: if we got past 'fetch', this is a credential failure.
+      if (stage === 'derive session handle' || stage === 'decrypt manifest') {
+        state.error = 'Could not decrypt vault — wrong passphrase or reference image.';
+      } else {
+        state.error = `Attach failed at "${stage}": ${detail}`;
+      }
+      render();
+    }
+  });
 }
 
 // --- Step 1: Choose Host ---