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What Hermes Agent security is protecting
Hermes Agent can receive messages, invoke tools, run terminal commands and execute code. That combination creates three security boundaries to defend:
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- People and messages: an unauthorized user could ask the agent to read files, run commands or spend API credits.
- Execution: a prompt, skill or compromised project file could lead to destructive commands or unauthorized network activity.
- Credentials and data: provider keys, gateway tokens, source code and command output can leak through environment variables, logs or chat history.
Lockdown is therefore a layered design problem. An allowlist does not make a shell safe, and a container does not compensate for an exposed gateway or an image running with excessive privileges.
Start with a threat model
Decide who may talk to the agent
For a personal test installation, your messaging account may be the only intended user. A production gateway, shared server or bot connected to a group needs an explicit identity policy. Use platform allowlists or direct-message pairing rather than open access. Every identity that can submit a prompt should be treated as a potential command source, even if the person is trusted: accounts can be hijacked and prompts can contain malicious instructions.
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Decide what a compromise may reach
Inventory the files, sockets, network services and credentials visible to the process. The most important questions are:
- Can the agent read your home directory, source repositories or backup files?
- Can it reach cloud metadata endpoints, internal databases or administrative APIs?
- Can it write outside a disposable workspace?
- Which provider keys or gateway tokens would be exposed if a command or skill printed its environment?
Use the answers to choose between a local terminal and a container/cloud backend, and to define the smallest possible environment passthrough list.
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Apply Hermes’ layered security controls
The Hermes security model describes eight related layers. They are most useful when configured together rather than treated as alternatives.
1. User authorization
Configure explicit user allowlists or DM pairing on every platform connected to the gateway. Do not rely on an obscure variable from a third-party example to enable open access; the exact setting name and status must be confirmed in the configuration reference for the Hermes version you installed. If you cannot identify the authorized-user control in your version, keep the gateway private until you can verify it.
2. Human approval for destructive work
Keep command approval enabled. It is the point at which a human can stop a request that crossed from conversation into an irreversible action.
3. File-write safety
Hermes applies a file-write denylist and can use an optional write sandbox. Limit the agent’s writable area to the project or scratch directory it actually needs. A write restriction is valuable even when terminal approval is enabled, because a file operation may be performed by a skill or tool rather than by a visibly dangerous shell command.
4. Execution isolation
Hermes supports Docker, Singularity and several hosted sandbox backends, including Modal, Daytona and Vercel Sandbox. Isolation quality depends on the backend, its image and its runtime settings; selecting a container name alone is not a security guarantee.
5. Environment isolation
Terminal and execute_code children normally receive a minimal environment. Variables whose names suggest secrets—such as those containing KEY, TOKEN, SECRET or PASSWORD—are stripped by default. Explicit passthrough is an opt-in exception, so keep that list short.
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6. Prompt-injection scanning
Hermes can scan project files for prompt-injection content. Treat this as detection and warning, not proof that a repository is safe. A README, issue export or data file can contain instructions designed to manipulate an agent.
7. Credential-specific mechanisms
Provider credentials and gateway tokens have dedicated Hermes mechanisms. Do not try to re-enable them through env_passthrough; the security guidance specifically says they should not be placed there.
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8. Operational safeguards
Permissions, image maintenance, runtime compatibility and monitoring determine whether the preceding controls work in practice. Recheck them after upgrades, backend changes and edits to the gateway configuration.
Configure command approval correctly
Why smart mode is the right default
In smart mode, Hermes evaluates each command against a curated set of dangerous patterns. Low-risk commands are approved for that command only, clearly dangerous commands are denied, and uncertain cases are sent to a manual prompt. If nobody answers the prompt before its timeout, Hermes denies the command. That fail-closed behavior matters for unattended gateways and temporary network outages.
Approval is a decision aid, not a shell sandbox. Pattern checks cannot model every effect of a valid-looking command, a script it invokes or a program that interprets data as instructions.
Use deny rules for operations that are never acceptable
Add approvals.deny glob rules for destructive patterns that your deployment must never run. These rules apply on every terminal backend, including containers. Keep the rules narrow enough to avoid breaking routine work, but deny actions such as recursive destruction of critical paths, device manipulation and other irreversible operations that have no legitimate use in your environment.
Understand hardline blocks and --yolo
Hermes’ hardline blocklist covers especially dangerous patterns, such as root-filesystem wipes and fork bombs. It remains active even when a user selects --yolo or sets approval mode to off. Those switches should never be interpreted as a security bypass. The documentation also warns that hardline and deny rules are not a full shell interpreter and are not an operating-system-level sandbox.
Why containers change the approval trade-off
When the execution backend is Docker, Singularity, Modal, Daytona or Vercel Sandbox, Hermes skips dangerous-command checks because the container is treated as the security boundary. This makes container hardening decisive: a weak image, excessive mounts or a privileged runtime removes the approval backstop at the same time that commands are being delegated to the container.
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Harden a Docker execution backend
Required runtime properties
The configuration reference says the Docker backend runs with all Linux capabilities dropped, privilege escalation disabled and a PID limit. The work-machine setup guidance adds a process-count limit, no-new-privileges, size-limited temporary filesystems and only a minimal set of capabilities added back when a workload genuinely needs them.
| Control | Security purpose | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Drop capabilities | Removes kernel powers the process does not need. | The container does not run with the default capability set. |
| No privilege escalation | Prevents a process from gaining additional privileges through set-user-ID or similar mechanisms. | no-new-privileges is enabled. |
| PID/process limit | Reduces fork-bomb and process-exhaustion impact. | A finite PID limit is configured for the container. |
| Bounded tmpfs | Stops temporary files from consuming the host’s disk or memory without limit. | Temporary mounts have explicit size limits. |
| Minimal added capabilities | Supports required workloads without restoring broad host powers. | Every added capability has a documented need. |
| Restricted mounts | Limits the files an agent can read or modify. | Only the workspace and required data are mounted; host sockets and broad home-directory mounts are excluded. |
Use a maintained, minimal image and pin it to a reviewed version. The image must not contain cloud credentials, SSH private keys or unnecessary administrative tools. Keep network access restricted to the services the task requires.
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The Hermes image runs its gateway as an unprivileged user, but docker exec defaults to root. Approval files created by a root docker exec can therefore be unreadable by the gateway user. Run administrative commands as the same UID/GID that owns the gateway files, or repair ownership and permissions before starting the gateway.
Account for AppArmor and snap-packaged Docker
On Docker installed through snap with AppArmor, the --init and no-new-privileges flags can prevent the container from starting. Treat a startup failure as a compatibility issue to diagnose—not a reason to remove hardening blindly. Check the Docker packaging, AppArmor profile and daemon logs, then choose a supported combination of flags or installation method.
Container checklist
- Run as an unprivileged user and verify file ownership from inside the container.
- Drop all capabilities, then add back only those required by the task.
- Enable
no-new-privilegesand finite PID/process limits. - Use bounded tmpfs mounts and a read-only filesystem where the workload permits it.
- Mount a narrow workspace rather than the host home directory.
- Keep host Docker, container images and security profiles patched.
- Test that the container cannot reach host sockets, metadata services or unrelated internal networks.
Choose an execution backend deliberately
| Backend class | Approval behavior | Isolation depends on | Main operational concern |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local terminal | Hermes dangerous-command approval remains active. | Host permissions, write sandboxing and your operating system. | A mistake can affect the machine directly; avoid broad mounts and privileged accounts. |
| Docker or Singularity | Dangerous-command checks are skipped because the container is the boundary. | Image quality, capabilities, mounts, users, resource limits and network policy. | Misconfiguration removes the approval backstop. |
| Modal, Daytona or Vercel Sandbox | Dangerous-command checks are skipped under the same container-boundary rule. | The provider’s sandbox implementation, your project settings and exposed credentials. | Review tenancy, network egress, persistence and data-retention behavior for your account. |
For a low-risk, interactive task, a local terminal with smart approval may be simpler. For untrusted repositories or automation, a hardened disposable container is usually the safer design—but only after you verify the container boundary.
Minimize environment-variable exposure
What passes by default
Hermes launches terminal and code-execution children with a minimal environment. Secret-looking names are stripped automatically, reducing accidental disclosure through commands such as environment dumps or diagnostic scripts.
How to use env_passthrough
Specify only the variable names a particular skill or command needs. Prefer a short per-workflow list over a global list. Recheck the list whenever you add a skill: skill-declared variables pass through once that skill loads.
- Use a dedicated, low-privilege variable for one task rather than a broad administrator credential.
- Do not pass through wildcard patterns that could include future secrets.
- Do not expose variables merely because a library might use them.
- Test the child environment with a harmless, non-secret variable and confirm that unlisted names are absent.
Never forward provider keys or gateway tokens this way
Hermes’ security guidance reserves dedicated mechanisms for provider credentials and gateway tokens. Adding those names to env_passthrough defeats that separation and can expose them to terminal commands, code execution and skills.
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Protect API keys and gateway tokens
Lock down the default key file
Hermes stores keys and tokens in ~/.hermes/.env by default. On a Unix-like host, set owner-only permissions:
chmod 600 ~/.hermes/.envConfirm that the file is owned by the account running Hermes and is not inside a world-readable directory or shared backup. Do not commit it to a repository or copy it into a container image.
Use least privilege and rotation
Create provider keys scoped to the smallest set of models, APIs and spending limits the agent needs. Rotate a key on a schedule appropriate to its value and immediately after any suspected exposure. A key pasted into chat for “testing” should be considered exposed: it may remain in memory, transcripts or logs even after the message is deleted.
Consider an external secret manager
For servers and teams, an external secret manager such as Bitwarden Secrets Manager can keep credentials out of ordinary files and deployment manifests. The manager still needs a narrowly scoped retrieval identity, protected host permissions and an audit trail; moving a secret does not remove the need for rotation and access review.
Keep secrets out of conversations and logs
- Never ask the agent to print an API key, token or full environment.
- Redact secrets from bug reports and terminal transcripts before sharing them.
- Review gateway, container and provider logs for accidental command output.
- Use separate keys for development, production and incident investigation.
Secure skills, files and prompts
Treat project files as untrusted input
A repository can contain prompt-injection text in documentation, tests, issue exports or generated data. Let Hermes scan project files, but require human review before a skill or agent follows instructions that change permissions, install software, upload data or alter its own configuration.
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Load only skills required for the current workflow. Review their declared environment variables and file access. A skill that needs a token should receive a task-specific credential, not every credential available to the gateway.
Separate workspace and state
Use a disposable workspace for untrusted code and keep Hermes configuration, key files, backups and unrelated repositories outside the mounted path. If the task needs persistent output, copy out only reviewed artifacts rather than mounting a broad, writable directory.
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- Restrict ingress: expose the gateway only through the intended messaging or API endpoint, and use platform allowlists or DM pairing.
- Confirm the account: run Hermes and its gateway files as an unprivileged service account.
- Set approvals: leave
smartmode enabled and addapprovals.denyglobs for operations that are never allowed. - Select isolation: use a hardened disposable backend for untrusted work; document why any local-terminal workflow is safe.
- Harden the runtime: apply capability dropping,
no-new-privileges, PID limits, bounded temporary storage and narrow mounts. - Minimize variables: review
env_passthroughand remove every name that is not required by the current skills. - Protect credentials: set
chmod 600 ~/.hermes/.env, verify ownership and use scoped keys. - Restrict network egress: allow only required provider and service destinations; block metadata and administrative networks.
- Monitor: retain approval decisions, gateway access records and container events without recording secret values.
- Test recovery: revoke a test key, rebuild the container and restore the gateway from known-good configuration before relying on the setup.
Common failure modes and fixes
“I enabled a container, so approvals no longer appear”
This is expected for Docker, Singularity, Modal, Daytona and Vercel Sandbox backends: Hermes skips dangerous-command checks when it treats the container as the boundary. Fix the container’s user, capabilities, mounts, resource limits and network policy instead of assuming an approval prompt will protect the host.
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“The gateway cannot read approval files”
Check whether a root docker exec created them. Align ownership and permissions with the unprivileged gateway user, then recreate files if necessary.
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On snap-packaged Docker with AppArmor, --init and no-new-privileges can conflict with the packaging. Inspect daemon and AppArmor logs, verify the Docker installation type, and use a supported hardened configuration rather than dropping all protections.
“A command still sees a credential”
Find out whether the value came from env_passthrough, a skill declaration, a mounted file, a process argument or inherited shell state. Remove the unnecessary path, rotate the credential if it was exposed, and test again from a clean child process.
“A key appeared in a transcript or log”
Revoke and rotate it immediately, remove copies from accessible logs and backups where practical, and issue a replacement with narrower permissions. Assume that deletion from the chat interface alone is insufficient.
“An agent followed instructions in a repository file”
Isolate the repository, review the file that supplied the instruction and inspect any resulting commands or network activity. Keep prompt-injection scanning enabled, but require approval for changes to credentials, permissions, uploads and system configuration.
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A safe operating routine
Before each new project
- Confirm the authorized users and the workspace mount.
- Review the backend and verify that its image and runtime policy are current.
- Inspect the skill list and environment passthrough entries.
- Issue a task-specific, low-privilege credential if one is needed.
During execution
- Read approval prompts in context; do not approve a command merely because its first token looks familiar.
- Stop when a request changes scope, accesses a new directory or uploads data.
- Watch for unexpected child processes, network destinations and file writes.
After execution
- Remove temporary credentials and destroy disposable workspaces.
- Review logs for secrets and unexpected commands.
- Revoke credentials that were only needed for the task.
- Record configuration changes so the next run does not silently broaden access.
What “safe on a VPS” really means
Hermes can be operated on a VPS, but “safe” is conditional rather than a product guarantee. The host must be patched and dedicated enough that unrelated services cannot reach the gateway or its files. The agent should run as an unprivileged user, receive only a narrow workspace, use scoped credentials and execute untrusted work in a locked-down container. Network controls should prevent access to host administration and cloud metadata endpoints. Finally, you must verify the exact Docker/AppArmor combination on that VPS, because a startup workaround that removes hardening can create a larger risk than the original compatibility problem.
Final security decision
Use local execution only when the host, files and commands are trusted and the human operator can answer approvals. Use a container or hosted sandbox for untrusted code or automation, but compensate for the fact that Hermes’ dangerous-command checks are skipped there by enforcing the container boundary at the runtime level. In every deployment, restrict users, keep smart approval enabled where it applies, deny known-destructive patterns, minimize environment passthrough and protect ~/.hermes/.env. Layering these controls is what turns a convenient agent into a defensible service.
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