# NousResearch/hermes-agent · Fix unexpanded ${VAR} references in credential pool

## Open now

- Nothing open on GitHub.

These issues and PRs address a bug where literal \`${VAR}\` strings from .env files were being stored and used as API keys instead of their expanded values. The fixes apply variable expansion before seeding the credential pool across auth, agent, and CLI components.

## TL;DR

- 7 member(s): 0 open issue(s), 1 closed issue(s), 0 open PR(s), 0 merged PR(s), 6 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evidence (`STRUCTURAL_SPANNING`): every member is connected by structural evidence: shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference.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 `0.29`: 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

- #20310: \[Bug\]: credential pool stores literal ${VAR} from .env — auxiliary requests send unexpanded variable as API key

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#20319: fix(agent): skip unexpanded ${VAR} references when seeding credential pool**. closed without merge · fix tier `suggested`
  - maintainer direction: category `uncategorized`; implication `needs_llm`; refs `#20310`
  - _suggested-tier fix detail withheld; re-request with `?tier=all` to include it._
- **#20328: fix(cli): expand ${VAR} references in load_env to match python-dotenv**. closed without merge · fix tier `suggested`
  - maintainer direction: category `superseded_by_pr`; implication `superseded`; refs `#20319`
  - _suggested-tier fix detail withheld; re-request with `?tier=all` to include it._
- **#20757: fix(agent): expand ${VAR} references in credential pool**. closed without merge · fix tier `suggested`
  - maintainer direction: category `uncategorized`; implication `needs_llm`; refs `#20310`
  - _suggested-tier fix detail withheld; re-request with `?tier=all` to include it._
- **#20541: fix(auth): expand dotenv refs before credential pool seeding**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `uncategorized`; implication `needs_llm`; refs `#20310`, `#20757`, `#20319`, `#20981`
- **#20981: fix(auth): expand dotenv credential references**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `uncategorized`; implication `needs_llm`; refs `#20310`, `#20541`, `#20757`, `#20319`
- **#33331: fix(auth): expand ${VAR} references in .env before seeding credential pool**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `wontfix_bydesign`; implication `wontfix`; refs `#20310`, `#20319`, `#20541`, `#20981`

## Fix status

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