# NousResearch/hermes-agent · Subagent auto-approve bypasses instruction-file protections

## Open now

- 1 issue, 2 PRs open on GitHub.
- #120000: \[Bug\]: delegation.subagent_auto_approve lets a delegated child write AGENTS.md / SOUL.md / .cursorrules without any human approval
- PR #120001: fix(file-tools): a delegated child's auto-approve callback is no human for protected instruction files
- PR #120134: fix(file-tools): subagent auto-approve cannot bypass instruction-file gate (#120000)

These items concern a security gap where a delegated child agent's auto-approve callback can write to protected instruction files (AGENTS.md, SOUL.md, .cursorrules) without human approval. The group covers the bug report and related fix attempts targeting this gate.

## TL;DR

- 3 member(s): 1 open issue(s), 0 closed issue(s), 2 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evidence (`STRUCTURAL_SPANNING`): every member is connected by structural evidence: shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference.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 `0.67`: 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

- #120000: \[Bug\]: delegation.subagent_auto_approve lets a delegated child write AGENTS.md / SOUL.md / .cursorrules without any human approval

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#120001: fix(file-tools): a delegated child's auto-approve callback is no human for protected instruction files**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `partial_fix`; implication `needs_llm`; refs `#57955`, `#58631`
  - files: `agent/background_review.py`, `tests/tools/test_file_write_safety.py`, `tools/delegate_tool_config.py`, `tools/file_tools_write_guards.py`
- **#120134: fix(file-tools): subagent auto-approve cannot bypass instruction-file gate (#120000)**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `uncategorized`; implication `needs_llm`; refs `#120001`, `#120001`, `#120001`, `#120001`
  - files: `agent/background_review.py`, `tests/tools/test_file_write_safety.py`, `tools/delegate_tool_config.py`, `tools/file_tools_write_guards.py`

## Fix status

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