# NousResearch/hermes-agent · chmod 0700 overwrites shared/system directory permissions

## Open now

- 2 issues, 3 PRs open on GitHub.
- #67496: skills_sync: _rmtree_writable error handler chmods the skills root to 0700, breaking group-shared installs on every update
- #68055: config: _secure_dir() chmods through a symlinked $HERMES_HOME subdir, clamping shared skills dirs to 0700 on every load_config()
- PR #67511: fix(skills): merge owner bits in _rmtree_writable error handler instead of replacing mode (#67496)
- PR #67525: fix(skills): preserve existing permissions in _rmtree_writable (#67496)
- PR #68059: fix(config): skip symlinked HERMES_HOME subdirs in _secure_dir (#68055)

Multiple bugs report that Hermes aggressively applies chmod 0700 to home, skills, and parent directories on startup or update, breaking nginx serving, group-shared installs, multi-container setups, and potentially system directories including /. The accompanying fixes attempt to guard against dangerous targets, preserve existing permission bits, and allow overrides.

## TL;DR

- 19 member(s): 2 open issue(s), 4 closed issue(s), 3 open PR(s), 3 merged PR(s), 7 PR(s) closed without merging.
- A fix was merged to main in PR #6993. Verify it addresses your case.
- **Recommended:** read PR #6993 (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: `partially_resolved` · deciding PR(s): `pr-6993,pr-29670,pr-109168`. 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evidence (`STRUCTURAL_PARTIAL`): some members are connected by structural evidence (shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference); the rest are joined by an automated relevance judgement over their text.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 `0.09`: 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

- #67496: skills_sync: _rmtree_writable error handler chmods the skills root to 0700, breaking group-shared installs on every update
- #68055: config: _secure_dir() chmods through a symlinked $HERMES_HOME subdir, clamping shared skills dirs to 0700 on every load_config()

## Closed / duplicate issues

- #5217: \[Bug\]: Running hermes-agent get error "permission denied" on the second start of docker container
- #6991: \[Bug\]: _secure_dir() resets ~/.hermes to 0700 on every gateway start, breaking nginx serving from subdirectories
- #10757: \[Bug\]: Agent repeatedly resets $HERMES_DATA_DIR to chmod 700, breaking multi-container setups with hermes-webu
- #25821: Bug: os.chmod(path.parent, 0o700) bricks host when path.parent resolves to /

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#6993: fix(config): allow HERMES_HOME_MODE env var to override _secure_dir() permissions**. merged to main · fix tier `verified`
  - maintainer direction: category `merged`; implication `superseded`
  - files: `hermes_cli/config.py`
  - fix hunks:
  - `hermes_cli/config.py`

    ```diff
    @@ -158,16 +158,27 @@ def get_project_root() -> Path:
         return Path(__file__).parent.parent.resolve()
     
     def _secure_dir(path):
    -    """Set directory to owner-only access (0700). No-op on Windows.
    +    """Set directory to owner-only access (0700 by default). No-op on Windows.
     
         Skipped in managed mode — the NixOS module sets group-readable
         permissions (0750) so interactive users in the hermes group can
         share state with the gateway service.
    +
    +    The mode can be overridden via the HERMES_HOME_MODE environment variable
    +    (e.g. HERMES_HOME_MODE=0701) for deployments where a web server (nginx,
    +    caddy, etc.) needs to traverse HERMES_HOME to reach a served subdirectory.
    +    The execute-only bit on a directory permits cd-through without exposing
    +    directory listings.
         """
         if is_managed():
             return
         try:
    -        os.chmod(path, 0o700)
    +        mode_str = os.environ.get("HERMES_HOME_MODE", "").strip()
    +        mode = int(mode_str, 8) if mode_str else 0o700
    +    except ValueError:
    +        mode = 0o700
    +    try:
    +        os.chmod(path, mode)
         except (OSError, NotImplementedError):
             pass
     
    ```
- **#26003: fix: guard os.chmod(path.parent, 0o700) against system directories**. closed without merge · fix tier `suggested`
  - maintainer direction: category `superseded_by_pr`; implication `superseded`; refs `#25841`, `#25831`, `#25841`
  - _suggested-tier fix detail withheld; re-request with `?tier=all` to include it._
- **#29670: fix(security): refuse to chmod(parent, 0o700) on / or top-level dirs (#25821)**. merged to main · fix tier `verified`
  - maintainer direction: category `merged`; implication `superseded`
  - files: `agent/google_oauth.py`, `hermes_cli/auth.py`, `hermes_constants.py`, `tests/test_hermes_constants.py`, `tools/mcp_oauth.py`
- **#109168: Containers no longer force HERMES_HOME to 0700, so shared data mounts keep their mode (#10757)**. merged to main · fix tier `verified`
  - maintainer direction: category `merged`; implication `superseded`
  - files: `cron/jobs.py`, `hermes_cli/config.py`, `tests/cron/test_file_permissions.py`, `website/docs/user-guide/docker.md`
- **#6994: fix(config): allow HERMES_HOME permissions override via HERMES_HOME_M…**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `superseded_by_pr`; implication `superseded`; refs `#6993`
- **#7003: fix(config): use 0o701 for HERMES_HOME to allow web server traversal**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `superseded_by_pr`; implication `superseded`; refs `#6993`
- **#25841: fix(security): guard os.chmod(parent) against / and system dirs (#25821)**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `merged_via`; implication `superseded`; refs `#29670`, `#25831`
- **#27384: fix(#25821): refuse to chmod top-level dirs from 5 token-storage call sites**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `duplicate_of`; implication `duplicate`; refs `#25831`, `#25841`, `#25821`, `#26003`
- **#67508: fix(skills): preserve group/other perms in _rmtree_writable error handler (#67496)**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `merged_via`; implication `superseded`
- **#67511: fix(skills): merge owner bits in _rmtree_writable error handler instead of replacing mode (#67496)**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `uncategorized`; implication `needs_llm`
  - files: `tools/skills_sync.py`
- **#67525: fix(skills): preserve existing permissions in _rmtree_writable (#67496)**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `partial_fix`; implication `needs_llm`; refs `0d632bcdd4ba`, `#67508`, `#68193`, `#67525`, `#67511`, `#67508`, `#67511`, `#67525`, `#68193`, `#67508`, `#67525`, `#68193`, `#67508`, `#68193`, `#67508`, `#67511`, `#67525`, `#68193`, `#67511`, `#67525`, `#67525`, `#67508`, `#68193`, `#374151`, `#67496`, `#67508`, `#67525`, `#68193`
  - files: `tools/skills_sync.py`
- **#68059: fix(config): skip symlinked HERMES_HOME subdirs in _secure_dir (#68055)**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `superseded_by_pr`; implication `superseded`; refs `768f42f72ff09ff37cb857141d94405529ad9bdc`
  - files: `hermes_constants.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_secure_dir_symlink_68055.py`
- **#68193: fix(skills_sync): merge owner-write into mode instead of clamping to 0o700 (#67496)**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `duplicate_of`; implication `duplicate`; refs `#67508`

## Fix status

- Merged to main in PR #6993 (cited above). No release data is tracked. Verify downstream.
- Fix last verified (merged) `2026-09-12`.
- Subsystem: `agent`