# NousResearch/hermes-agent · Skill file write controls and read-only enforcement

## Open now

- 2 issues, 1 PR open on GitHub.
- #32497: \[Bug\]: Hermes unexpectedly modifies its own skills/system prompts during normal task execution, even when the user request is unrelated to agent configuration.
- #45576: skill_manage tool: skill files written without corresponding tool call record
- PR #64996: fix(skills): add skills.read_only hard deny for runtime skill writes

These items concern unintended or ungated modifications to skill files during normal agent operation, and efforts to add read-only enforcement, review gates, and proper toolset restrictions around skill writes. One feature request item does not clearly share this theme.

## TL;DR

- 7 member(s): 2 open issue(s), 2 closed issue(s), 1 open PR(s), 1 merged PR(s), 1 PR(s) closed without merging.
- A fix was merged to main in PR #98254. Verify it addresses your case.
- **Recommended:** read PR #98254 (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: `unresolved`. This is distinct from the fix status above. Weigh it yourself.

## How this cluster was grouped

- Link evidence (`STRUCTURAL_PARTIAL`): some members are connected by structural evidence (shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference); the rest are joined by an automated relevance judgement over their text.
- Members outside that structural core may belong to a different underlying problem.
- Pairwise link density `0.19`: 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

- #32497: \[Bug\]: Hermes unexpectedly modifies its own skills/system prompts during normal task execution, even when the user request is unrelated to agent configuration.
- #45576: skill_manage tool: skill files written without corresponding tool call record

## Closed / duplicate issues

- #51171: \[Feature\]: If Hermes agent doesn't release the skill control module soon, I'll have to switch back to OpenClaw.
- #64926: \[Bug\]: Skill files are modified automatically during normal conversation and cannot be made read-only by config

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#98254: Background review lands skill patches again — read tools whitelisted, cache parity intact (#61521, #39996)**. merged to main · fix tier `verified`
  - maintainer direction: category `merged`; implication `superseded`
  - files: `agent/background_review.py`, `tests/run_agent/test_background_review_toolset_restriction.py`, `tools/file_tools.py`
- **#64964: fix(background-review): gate skills toolset on review_skills flag**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `implemented_elsewhere`; implication `superseded`; refs `#98254`
- **#64996: fix(skills): add skills.read_only hard deny for runtime skill writes**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `uncategorized`; implication `needs_llm`
  - files: `hermes_cli/config.py`, `hermes_cli/skills_hub.py`, `tests/tools/test_skill_manager_tool.py`, `tests/tools/test_skills_hub.py`, `tools/skill_manager_tool.py`, `tools/skill_usage.py`, `tools/skills_hub.py`, `website/docs/user-guide/features/skills.md`

## Fix status

- Merged to main in PR #98254 (cited above). No release data is tracked. Verify downstream.
- Fix last verified (merged) `2026-08-30`.
- Subsystem: `agent`