# NousResearch/hermes-agent · Stop env-sourced API keys from being stored

## Open now

- Nothing open on GitHub.

These issues and pull requests address a bug where API keys sourced from environment variables were being written back into stored provider configuration. Related work includes preserving references to custom provider API key sources.

## 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 #16372. Verify it addresses your case.
- **Recommended:** read PR #16372 (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-16372`. 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evidence (`STRUCTURAL_SPANNING`): every member is connected by structural evidence: shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference.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

- #15803: fix(model): avoid persisting key_env-resolved secrets

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#16372: fix(model): avoid persisting key_env-resolved secrets to providers entry**. merged to main · fix tier `verified`
  - maintainer direction: category `merged`
  - files: `hermes_cli/main.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_custom_provider_model_switch.py`
  - fix hunks:
  - `hermes_cli/main.py`

    ```diff
    @@ -3332,7 +3332,26 @@ def _model_flow_named_custom(config, provider_info):
                 provider_entry = providers_cfg.get(provider_key)
                 if isinstance(provider_entry, dict):
                     provider_entry["default_model"] = model_name
    -                if config_api_key and not str(provider_entry.get("api_key", "") or "").strip():
    +                # Only persist an inline api_key when the user originally had
    +                # one (either a literal secret or a ``${VAR}`` template). When
    +                # the entry relies on ``key_env``, do not synthesize a
    +                # ``${key_env}`` api_key — the runtime already resolves the
    +                # key from ``key_env`` directly, and writing the resolved
    +                # secret (or even a synthesized template) would silently
    +                # downgrade credential hygiene on entries that intentionally
    +                # keep plaintext out of ``config.yaml``. See issue #15803.
    +                original_api_key_ref = str(
    +                    provider_info.get("api_key_ref", "") or ""
    +                ).strip()
    +                original_api_key = str(
    +                    provider_info.get("api_key", "") or ""
    +                ).strip()
    +                had_inline_api_key = [redacted:secret-assignment] or original_api_key)
    +                if (
    +                    had_inline_api_key
    +                    and config_api_key
    +                    and not str(provider_entry.get("api_key", "") or "").strip()
    +                ):
                         provider_entry["api_key"] = config_api_key
                     if key_env and not str(provider_entry.get("key_env", "") or "").strip():
                         provider_entry["key_env"] = key_env
    ```
  - `tests/hermes_cli/test_custom_provider_model_switch.py`

    ```diff
    @@ -322,3 +322,129 @@ def _pick_neuralwatt(labels, default=0):
             assert config["model"]["api_key"] == "${NEURALWATT_API_KEY}"
             assert config["custom_providers"][0]["api_key"] == "${NEURALWATT_API_KEY}"
             assert "[redacted:openai-key]" not in saved
    +
    +    def test_key_env_providers_dict_entry_does_not_add_api_key(
    +        self, config_home, monkeypatch
    +    ):
    +        """Regression for #15803: a ``providers:`` (keyed-schema) entry that
    +        relies on ``key_env`` must not gain an ``api_key`` field after the
    +        model picker runs.
    +
    +        Before the fix, ``_model_flow_named_custom`` synthesized
    +        ``api_key: ${KEY_ENV}`` from the resolved secret and wrote it to the
    +        ``providers.<key>`` entry, cluttering configs that intentionally keep
    +        credentials out of ``config.yaml``. The entry already carries
    +        ``key_env``; the runtime resolves it directly, so no inline
    +        ``api_key`` belongs on disk.
    +        """
    +        import yaml
    +        from hermes_cli.main import _model_flow_named_custom
    +
    +        config_path = config_home / "config.yaml"
    +        config_path.write_text(
    +            "providers:\n"
    +            "  crs-henkee:\n"
    +            "    name: CRS Henkee\n"
    +            "    base_url: http://127.0.0.1:3000/api/v1\n"
    +            "    key_env: HERMES_CRS_HENKEE_KEY\n"
    +            "    transport: anthropic_messages\n"
    +            "    model: claude-opus-4-7\n"
    +            "    default_model: claude-opus-4-7\n"
    +            "custom_providers: []\n"
    +        )
    +        monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_CRS_HENKEE_KEY", "cr_live_secret_xyz")
    +
    +        # provider_info as built by _named_custom_provider_map for a
    +        # ``providers:`` entry that has key_env but no inline api_key.
    +        provider_info = {
    +            "name": "CRS Henkee",
    +            "base_url": "http://127.0.0.1:3000/api/v1",
    +            "api_key": "",
    +            "key_env": "HERMES_CRS_HENKEE_KEY",
    +            "model": "claude-opus-4-7",
    +            "api_mode": "anthropic_messages",
    +            "provider_key": "crs-henkee",
    +            "api_key_ref": "",
    +        }
    +
    +        with patch(
    +            "hermes_cli.models.fetch_api_models",
    +            return_value=["claude-opus-4-7"],
    +        ) as mock_fetch, \
    +             patch.dict("sys.modules", {"simple_term_menu": None}), \
    +             patch("builtins.input", return_value="1"), \
    +             patch("builtins.print"):
    +            _model_flow_named_custom({}, provider_info)
    +
    +        # The /models probe must resolve the secret from the env var.
    +        mock_fetch.assert_called_once()
    +        probe_args, _ = mock_fetch.call_args
    +        assert probe_args[0] == "cr_live_secret_xyz"
    +
    +        # The providers entry must NOT gain an api_key field — neither the
    +        # plaintext secret nor a synthesized ${KEY_ENV} template.
    +        saved_text = config_path.read_text()
    +        saved = yaml.safe_load(saved_text) or {}
    +        entry = saved["providers"]["crs-henkee"]
    +        assert "api_key" not in entry, (
    +            f"providers.crs-henkee gained an api_key field: {entry.get('api_key')!r}"
    +        )
    +        assert entry["key_env"] == "HERMES_CRS_HENKEE_KEY"
    +        assert entry["default_model"] == "claude-opus-4-7"
    +
    +        # And the plaintext secret must never appear anywhere on disk.
    +        assert "cr_live_secret_xyz" not in saved_text
    +        # The synthesized template is also redundant here — key_env owns it.
    +        assert "${HERMES_CRS_HENKEE_KEY}" not in saved_text
    +
    +    def test_key_env_providers_dict_preserves_existing_api_key(
    +        self, config_home, monkeypatch
    +    ):
    +        """A ``providers:`` entry that already has an inline ``api_key``
    +        template must keep it untouched. Only entries that never declared
    +        an ``api_key`` should skip the write."""
    +        import yaml
    +        from hermes_cli.main import _model_flow_named_custom
    +
    +        config_path = config_home / "config.yaml"
    +        config_path.write_text(
    +            "providers:\n"
    +            "  crs-henkee:\n"
    +            "    name: CRS Henkee\n"
    +            "    base_url: http://127.0.0.1:3000/api/v1\n"
    +            "    api_key: ${HERMES_CRS_HENKEE_KEY}\n"
    +            "    key_env: HERMES_CRS_HENKEE_KEY\n"
    +            "    transport: anthropic_messages\n"
    +            "    model: claude-opus-4-7\n"
    +            "    default_model: claude-opus-4-7\n"
    +            "custom_providers: []\n"
    +        )
    +        monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_CRS_HENKEE_KEY", "cr_live_secret_xyz")
    +
    +        provider_info = {
    +            "name": "CRS Henkee",
    +            "base_url": "http://127.0.0.1:3000/api/v1",
    +            "api_key": "[redacted:secret-assignment]",  # expanded by load_config
    +            "key_env": "HERMES_CRS_HENKEE_KEY",
    +            "model": "claude-opus-4-7",
    +            "api_mode": "anthropic_messages",
    +            "provider_key": "crs-henkee",
    +            "api_key_ref": "${HERMES_CRS_HENKEE_KEY}",  # raw template preserved
    +        }
    +
    +        with patch(
    +            "hermes_cli.models.fetch_api_models",
    +            return_value=["claude-opus-4-7"],
    +        ), \
    +             patch.dict("sys.modules", {"simple_term_menu": None}), \
    +             patch("builtins.input", return_value="1"), \
    +             patch("builtins.print"):
    +            _model_flow_named_custom({}, provider_info)
    +
    +        saved_text = config_path.read_text()
    +        saved = yaml.safe_load(saved_text) or {}
    +        entry = saved["providers"]["crs-henkee"]
    +        # Existing api_key template must survive (the resolved secret must not
    +        # clobber it via _preserve_env_ref_templates).
    +        assert entry["api_key"] == "${HERMES_CRS_HENKEE_KEY}"
    +        assert "cr_live_secret_xyz" not in saved_text
    ```
- **#15805: fix(model): avoid persisting key_env-resolved secrets**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `implemented_elsewhere`; implication `superseded`; refs `#16372`, `#15803`
- **#17351: fix(models): strip env-resolved api_key before persisting provider config**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `implemented_elsewhere`; implication `superseded`; refs `8258f4dcb`, `#16372`, `#15803`

## Fix status

- Merged to main in PR #16372 (cited above). No release data is tracked. Verify downstream.
- Fix last verified (merged) `2026-04-27`. This confirmation is old and may be out of date (a revert/reopen would not have invalidated it here); re-verify.