# NousResearch/hermes-agent · False positive: env-var name mistaken for hardcoded secret

## Open now

- Nothing open on GitHub.

These issues and PRs address a false positive where a string constant holding the *name* of an environment variable was incorrectly flagged as a hardcoded secret, blocking plugin installation. The fixes aim to distinguish env-var name literals from actual embedded credentials.

## TL;DR

- 4 member(s): 0 open issue(s), 1 closed issue(s), 0 open PR(s), 1 merged PR(s), 2 PR(s) closed without merging.
- A fix was merged to main in PR #116875. Verify it addresses your case.
- **Recommended:** read PR #116875 (and any competing PRs below) before filing. Confirm the merged change covers your symptom.

## Maintainer resolution verdict

- Internal-tracker verdict over this cluster's issue members: `resolved` · deciding PR(s): `pr-116875`. This is distinct from the fix status above. Weigh it yourself.

## How this cluster was grouped

- Link evidence (`STRUCTURAL_SPANNING`): every member is connected by structural evidence: shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference.
- Pairwise link density `0.50`: the share of member pairs that carry a link, counting a structural link in full and a relevance-only link at 0.36. `1.00` means every pair is linked.

## Closed / duplicate issues

- #116221: plugin_guard: hardcoded_secret false positive on constants holding the NAME of a credential env var (blocks install, --force cannot override)

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#116875: fix(guard): an env-var NAME constant no longer blocks a plugin install as a hardcoded secret (#116221, salvage #116231)**. merged to main · fix tier `verified`
  - maintainer direction: category `merged`
  - files: `tests/tools/test_plugin_guard.py`, `tests/tools/test_threat_patterns.py`, `tools/plugin_guard.py`, `tools/skills_guard.py`, `tools/threat_patterns.py`
- **#116231: fix(skills): an env-var NAME constant is not an embedded credential**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `merged_via`; implication `superseded`; refs `3d14b20de9d2`, `#116875`, `#116221`, `#116231`
- **#117517: fix(plugin-guard): treat an env-var NAME literal as public, not a hardcoded secret (#116221)**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `implemented_elsewhere`; implication `superseded`; refs `1b50e99a47`, `#116221`, `#116875`, `#116231`

## Fix status

- Merged to main in PR #116875 (cited above). No release data is tracked. Verify downstream.
- Fix last verified (merged) `2026-09-20`.