# CVE-2026-7397: NousResearch hermes-agent file_tools.py _check_sensitive_path symlink

> Local attackers can bypass path restrictions via symlink following in file tools, potentially accessing or modifying sensitive files.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.8 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:L/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 29 Apr 2026
- **Updated:** 30 Apr 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-g8j6-2v57-f5wp

## What is CVE-2026-7397?

CVE-2026-7397 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in NousResearch hermes-agent, published on 29 Apr 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A security flaw has been discovered in NousResearch hermes-agent 0.8.0. This affects the function _check_sensitive_path of the file tools/file_tools.py. The manipulation results in symlink following. Attacking locally is a requirement. The exploit has been released to the public and may be used for attacks. Upgrading to version 0.9.0 is able to mitigate this issue. The patch is identified as 311dac197145e19e07df68feba2cd55d896a3cd1. Upgrading the affected component is recommended.

Weakness: CWE-61 (UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following), CWE-59 (Improper Link Resolution Before File Access)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-7397?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-7397?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-7397 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2026-7397 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-7397 exists.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-7397 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-7397 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in NousResearch hermes-agent, published on 29 Apr 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-7397 exists.

Affected product: NousResearch hermes-agent. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-7397/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-7397/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-7397
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-7397
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-7397

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-7397/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.