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Secure Hermes Agent by controlling who can reach it, keeping destructive-command approval enabled, isolating execution in a properly hardened container, minimizing environment variables, and protecting provider credentials in ~/.hermes/.env. Treat each layer as necessary: command approval is not an operating-system sandbox, and container backends skip Hermes’ dangerous-command checks, so a weak container removes an important safety net.
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What a locked-down Hermes Agent setup protects
Hermes Agent can receive messages, inspect project files, invoke terminal tools and run code. A compromise can therefore affect more than the chat account itself: an unauthorized person may trigger tool calls, a malicious project file may attempt prompt injection, and a leaked provider key may be reused outside Hermes. Lockdown means reducing the chance of each path succeeding and limiting the damage if one control fails.
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The Tool Desk
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- Authorization: permit only known users through platform allowlists or direct-message pairing.
- Approval: require a human decision for uncertain or dangerous terminal operations.
- File safety: use the built-in denylist and, where appropriate, a write sandbox.
- Execution isolation: run tools in a hardened container or sandbox when the workload does not need host access.
- Environment isolation: pass only explicitly required variables to terminal and code subprocesses.
- Prompt-injection resistance: scan project files before allowing their instructions to influence the agent.
- Secret handling: keep provider credentials in Hermes’ credential mechanism, not in chat messages or a broad process environment.
Baseline configuration to apply first
For a production or internet-facing installation, apply these controls before connecting a busy chat account or granting access to private repositories:
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- Set an explicit user allowlist on the messaging platform, or require direct-message pairing. Do not leave the agent open to every user.
- Leave terminal approval in
smartmode. Do not disable approval merely to make automation convenient. - Add
approvals.denyglob rules for destructive command patterns that must never run in your environment. - Choose a container backend for untrusted work and verify that its image, mounts, users, capabilities and network access are locked down.
- Keep
env_passthroughempty unless a specific tool needs a named variable. Add names one at a time and review them after every skill installation. - Store credentials in
~/.hermes/.env, restrict the file to its owner withchmod 600 ~/.hermes/.env, and use scoped provider keys. - Check that the account running the gateway can read approval files created during container setup.
- If Docker is installed through a snap package, test startup before enabling
--initandno-new-privileges; AppArmor interactions can prevent the container from starting.
This sequence establishes access control and secret hygiene before you spend time tuning execution details. It also keeps a failed container launch from being mistaken for a successful security configuration.
Control who can message or pair with the agent
Use explicit allowlists for persistent access
An allowlist is the clearest production policy: only named accounts, user IDs or approved rooms can invoke the agent. Keep the list short and review it when staff, contractors or shared channels change. A user who can send a message may be able to cause tool use, so membership in a chat room should not be treated as harmless visibility.
When the platform supports it, direct-message pairing provides a deliberate enrollment step. Pair only from an account you control, record which identity was paired, and remove old pairings when access is revoked. Pairing is an authorization mechanism, not an approval mechanism; a paired user can still ask for a dangerous action, which must be handled by the command-approval layer.
Avoid open-access shortcuts
Third-party configuration examples sometimes refer to an open-access variable named GATEWAY_ALLOW_ALL_USERS. Its behavior and official status are not established in the available Hermes documentation, so do not enable an unknown switch as a way to solve onboarding. Use the platform’s documented allowlist or pairing flow instead. If you inherit an installation containing an all-users setting, disable it until you can confirm exactly which identities it permits.
Separate operators from untrusted participants
Use different chat destinations or accounts for administration and ordinary requests. Keep administrative commands out of public rooms, and avoid giving a shared channel permission to modify allowlists, credentials or container settings. This separation limits the effect of a compromised participant account.
Keep command approval enabled and understand its limits
How smart mode behaves
In the default smart mode, Hermes evaluates each command against curated dangerous patterns:
- Low-risk commands are automatically approved for that command only.
- Clearly dangerous commands are automatically denied.
- Uncertain commands produce a manual approval prompt.
- If nobody answers a prompt before its timeout, Hermes denies the command (fail-closed).
Approval is per command, so approving one harmless listing should not be treated as permission for a later write or network action. Keep the prompt visible to an operator who can understand the requested command and its working directory.
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Add permanent deny rules for known hazards
Use approvals.deny glob rules for command families that your deployment never needs, such as destructive filesystem operations or attempts to alter the host’s service configuration. Deny rules apply on every terminal backend, including containers. Test a rule with a harmless matching command before relying on it, and document exceptions rather than deleting a broad rule during an incident.
Hardline blocks remain in force
Hermes has a hardline blocklist for catastrophic patterns such as root-filesystem wipes and fork bombs. The block remains active even when a user selects --yolo or sets mode: off. These protections are intentionally narrow. Hermes states that approval and deny rules are not a full shell interpreter and are not an operating-system sandbox; a command can still be harmful without matching a known pattern.
Why containers change the approval picture
With the Docker, Singularity, Modal, Daytona or Vercel Sandbox backend, Hermes skips dangerous-command checks because the container or remote sandbox is considered the boundary. Consequently, a container launch does not give you both isolation and host-side approval: inside the container, the image and runtime policy must stop the command. If the container is privileged, exposes sensitive mounts or has an unrestricted network, the skipped approval check becomes a serious gap.
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Harden the execution backend
Prefer an isolated backend for untrusted work
A local terminal keeps Hermes’ dangerous-command approval checks, but tool processes share the host’s operating-system boundary. A container or cloud sandbox can provide stronger separation when configured correctly, at the cost of image maintenance and operational complexity. Select the backend according to the data and permissions the agent needs, not simply according to startup convenience.
Docker controls to verify
The Hermes configuration reference describes a Docker backend that drops all Linux capabilities, prevents privilege escalation and applies PID limits. The work-machine setup guidance additionally calls for a process-count limit, no-new-privileges, size-limited temporary filesystems and only a minimal set of capabilities added back for a specific workload.
Before enabling a container backend, verify each item:
- The image is minimal, pinned to a reviewed version and rebuilt for security updates.
- The container runs as an unprivileged user wherever the workload permits.
- Host directories are mounted only when required, with the narrowest read/write mode.
- Linux capabilities are dropped by default; any restored capability has a documented reason.
- Privilege escalation is disabled and
no-new-privilegesis active. - PID and process-count limits prevent fork-bomb-style resource exhaustion.
- Temporary filesystems have explicit size limits.
- Network egress is restricted when the task does not need arbitrary internet access.
- The container cannot reach host sockets, metadata services or unrelated secrets.
Do not copy a compose snippet that uses an unverified image tag or a key named docker_forward_env. Hermes versions may use env_passthrough instead, and an incorrect key can silently leave the intended policy unapplied. Confirm the option name in the configuration reference for the version you installed.
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Account and AppArmor caveats
The Docker image runs the gateway as an unprivileged user, but docker exec defaults to root. If an approval file is created through a root-run docker exec, the gateway may be unable to read it. Create or repair such files as the same user that runs the gateway, then verify ownership and permissions from inside the container.
On snap-packaged Docker with AppArmor, the combination of --init and no-new-privileges can prevent the container from starting. Treat a startup failure as a compatibility issue to diagnose, not as a reason to remove every hardening control. Check logs, test each flag separately in a staging container and retain the strongest combination that works on the host.
Minimize environment variables and subprocess access
Rely on the default filtering
Terminal and execute_code child processes normally receive a minimal environment. Variables whose names resemble KEY, TOKEN, SECRET or PASSWORD are stripped by default. This reduces accidental leakage through command output, crash reports and tools that print their environment.
Use env_passthrough as an allowlist
env_passthrough is an explicit opt-in list of variable names. Add only the exact names a command needs, not a prefix such as APP_* or the entire host environment. Recheck the list whenever you add a skill, change a provider or move the agent to a new machine.
Hermes-managed provider credentials cannot be re-allowed through this list, and variables declared by a skill are passed through once that skill loads. Review skill definitions as part of your change-control process, because installing a skill can alter the subprocess environment without changing your global list.
Keep provider keys and gateway tokens out of passthrough
The Security guidance specifically says provider keys and gateway tokens should never be placed in env_passthrough. They have dedicated credential mechanisms. Forwarding them defeats the purpose of Hermes’ filtering and increases the number of commands that can read them.
Protect API keys and gateway credentials
Lock down the default credential file
Hermes stores keys and tokens in ~/.hermes/.env by default. On a Unix-like host, run:
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chmod 600 ~/.hermes/.envThe file should be owned by the account that runs Hermes and should not be in a shared home directory, a world-readable backup, a public repository or a container mount exposed to unrelated processes. After changing ownership or permissions, restart the gateway if your installation reads credentials only at startup, then perform a harmless authenticated request to confirm the account can still load them.
Use least privilege and rotation
Create provider keys with the narrowest scopes and quotas that support the agent’s jobs. Separate development and production credentials so a test cannot spend production quota or access private data. Rotate a key on a schedule appropriate to its provider and immediately after suspected exposure.
Never paste a live key into a chat to “test” it. A credential sent through chat may remain in message history, process memory or logs even after the message is deleted. If a key was pasted, displayed in a terminal transcript or committed to a repository, revoke it and issue a replacement rather than relying on deletion.
Consider an external secret store
For teams that already operate a secret-management system, Hermes can be integrated with an external store such as Bitwarden Secrets Manager according to the deployment’s supported method. The goal is to keep long-lived values out of source control and routine chat or shell history; external storage does not remove the need for scoped keys and rotation.
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Use the file denylist and optional write sandbox
Hermes’ file-write safety layer includes a denylist and an optional write sandbox. Keep the denylist enabled, and use a write sandbox when the agent only needs to modify a designated workspace. Give the workspace the least privilege needed: a documentation task may need one project directory, while a deployment task may need a narrowly scoped build output but not system configuration.
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Scan project files for prompt injection
Project files can contain instructions that look like agent directions. Hermes includes prompt-injection scanning for project files so content such as “ignore previous instructions” can be identified before it influences tool use. Treat scan results as a warning requiring human judgment, not as proof that a repository is safe. Keep secrets and operational instructions out of untrusted repositories, and avoid asking the agent to execute commands copied directly from a file without review.
Choose a backend deliberately
| Backend choice | Approval coverage | Isolation considerations | Credential exposure | Operational trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local terminal | Hermes dangerous-command approval remains active. | Processes share the host operating-system boundary. | Depends on minimal environment and a tight passthrough list. | Simplest setup, but the host bears the impact of a tool compromise. |
| Docker | Dangerous-command checks are skipped inside the container. | Strong only when capabilities, privileges, mounts, PIDs, temporary storage and networking are restricted. | Keep provider keys out of mounts and passthrough; check container user ownership. | Requires image maintenance and may encounter AppArmor or snap compatibility issues. |
| Singularity | Dangerous-command checks are skipped in the sandbox. | Depends on the image and runtime policy supplied by the operator. | Use the same minimal-environment rules as other backends. | Useful where Singularity is already governed, but still needs image review. |
| Modal, Daytona or Vercel Sandbox | Dangerous-command checks are skipped because the remote sandbox is the boundary. | Review workspace persistence, network access, identity and provider-side isolation. | Pass only task-specific values and use dedicated credentials. | Less host maintenance, with reliance on remote runtime policy and service availability. |
No backend eliminates the need for authorization, secret hygiene or human review. The table describes the security direction; exact isolation depends on the runtime configuration and image you deploy.
Validate the lockdown before production use
- Authorization test: send a harmless message from an approved identity, then repeat from an unapproved identity. The second request should be rejected or ignored.
- Approval test: request a command that should require review. Confirm that a prompt appears, that an unanswered prompt is denied after its timeout and that approval applies only to the requested command.
- Deny-rule test: use a safe command that matches one of your
approvals.denyglobs and verify that it is blocked on the selected backend. - Container test: inspect the running container for user identity, capabilities, privilege escalation, PID limits, mounts, temporary-storage limits and network reachability.
- Environment test: run a diagnostic that lists variable names, not values. Confirm that secret-like names are absent and only intentionally allowed names appear.
- Credential test: check
ls -l ~/.hermes/.envand verify owner-only permissions. Confirm that the gateway can authenticate without exposing the value in chat or logs. - File-safety test: attempt a harmless write outside the permitted workspace and confirm that the denylist or write sandbox stops it.
- Recovery test: revoke a test provider key, remove a paired user and restart the gateway. Confirm that old access fails and that the replacement credential works.
Record the expected result for each test and rerun the set after upgrading Hermes, changing a backend, installing a skill or modifying mounts.
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A container starts, but dangerous commands run without prompts
This is expected for the container backends: Hermes skips dangerous-command checks there. Fix the problem at the container boundary by removing unnecessary capabilities, restricting mounts and network access, enforcing non-root execution and applying process limits. Add deny rules as a defense-in-depth policy, but do not assume they replace runtime isolation.
The gateway cannot read approval files
Check whether an administrator used docker exec as root. Change ownership and permissions from the gateway’s unprivileged account, then restart or reload the service as required. Keep future maintenance commands aligned with the runtime user.
Hardening flags prevent startup
On snap-packaged Docker under AppArmor, --init and no-new-privileges can conflict with the host policy. Inspect Docker and AppArmor logs, test the flags independently and update the host packaging or policy where possible. Do not solve an incompatibility by enabling a privileged container.
A tool cannot see a required setting
First confirm that the variable is genuinely needed. If it is, add its exact name to env_passthrough and retest. Do not add provider keys or gateway tokens; use Hermes’ dedicated credential path. If a skill declares variables, inspect the skill and account for those values in your threat model.
An API key appeared in a transcript
Revoke it immediately, create a scoped replacement, update ~/.hermes/.env, and search logs, chat history and backups for further copies. Treat deletion from the visible conversation as insufficient because the value may remain in memory or retained logs.
Ongoing operations
- Review allowlists, pairings, deny globs, passthrough variables and container mounts on a defined schedule.
- Patch and rebuild container images, then rerun the validation tests.
- Rotate provider keys and remove credentials belonging to departed users or retired integrations.
- Monitor for repeated denied commands, unexpected pairing attempts, unusual network destinations and container resource exhaustion.
- Keep backups of configuration without copying live secrets into broadly accessible backup locations.
- Document which tasks require host access; move everything else to the most restricted backend available.
A secure Hermes deployment is therefore a maintained control system: authorize narrowly, approve deliberately, isolate execution, expose little environment state and assume any exposed credential must be replaced.
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