# NousResearch/hermes-agent · Path-traversal vulnerability in pending ID handling

## Open now

- 1 issue, 4 PRs open on GitHub.
- #119997: \[Bug\]: /memory and /skills approve, reject and diff take the pending id as a path, so ../../auth reads or deletes <HERMES_HOME>/auth.json
- PR #119998: fix(write-approval): a pending id names a staged record, never a path
- PR #120132: fix(security): reject path-traversal ids in /memory and /skills pending store
- PR #142244: fix(security): the write-approval pending store acts only on minted entries inside it
- PR #142245: feat(tools): keep rejected staged writes with a reason and fire on_write_rejected

A security bug where pending IDs in /memory and /skills endpoints were treated as file paths, enabling directory traversal attacks (e.g., ../../auth) to read or delete sensitive files. The members cover the bug report and corresponding fixes enforcing that pending IDs reference staged records only.

## TL;DR

- 5 member(s): 1 open issue(s), 0 closed issue(s), 4 open PR(s), 0 merged PR(s), 0 PR(s) closed without merging.
- No fix has been merged to main; one or more PRs were attempted (see below).
- **Recommended:** review the prior/competing PR(s) below. A fix was attempted but not merged; your case may extend or revive that work.

## Maintainer resolution verdict

- Internal-tracker verdict over this cluster's issue members: `unresolved`. 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evidence (`STRUCTURAL_SPANNING`): every member is connected by structural evidence: shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference.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 `0.40`: 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.

## Open related issues

- #119997: \[Bug\]: /memory and /skills approve, reject and diff take the pending id as a path, so ../../auth reads or deletes <HERMES_HOME>/auth.json

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#119998: fix(write-approval): a pending id names a staged record, never a path**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `uncategorized`; implication `needs_llm`
  - files: `tests/tools/test_write_approval.py`, `tools/write_approval.py`
- **#120132: fix(security): reject path-traversal ids in /memory and /skills pending store**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `uncategorized`; implication `needs_llm`; refs `#119998`, `#119997`
  - files: `tests/tools/test_write_approval.py`, `tools/write_approval.py`
- **#142244: fix(security): the write-approval pending store acts only on minted entries inside it**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `silent_close`; implication `active`
  - files: `hermes_cli/write_approval_commands.py`, `tests/e2e/core/security/test_store_traversal.py`, `tests/tools/test_write_approval.py`, `tools/memory_tool.py`, `tools/skill_manager_tool.py`, `tools/write_approval.py`
- **#142245: feat(tools): keep rejected staged writes with a reason and fire on_write_rejected**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `silent_close`; implication `active`
  - files: `hermes_cli/config_defaults.py`, `hermes_cli/plugins.py`, `hermes_cli/write_approval_commands.py`, `tests/e2e/core/security/test_store_traversal.py`, `tests/tools/test_write_approval.py`, `tools/memory_tool.py`, `tools/skill_manager_tool.py`, `tools/write_approval.py`, `website/docs/user-guide/features/hooks.md`, `website/docs/user-guide/features/memory.md`, `website/docs/user-guide/features/plugins.md`, `website/docs/user-guide/features/skills.md`

## Fix status

- No merged fix on record.
- Subsystem: `agent`