# CVE-2026-82020: Hermes Agent 0.16.0 < 0.17.0 Credential Store Overwrite via File-Write Tool

> Attackers can overwrite credential stores via file-write tools by bypassing path restrictions, leading to credential tampering or unauthorized access.

- **Severity:** High 7.6 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 28 Aug 2026
- **Updated:** 1 Sep 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-rrm3-x23q-98qc

## What is CVE-2026-82020?

CVE-2026-82020 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in NousResearch hermes-agent, published on 28 Aug 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Hermes Agent 0.16.0 prior to 0.17.0 contains an improper path restriction vulnerability that allows attackers who can influence ingested message content to overwrite the credential store by bypassing sensitive-path guards that excluded the auth.json file. Attackers can craft malicious messages directing the agent's file-write tooling to overwrite the credential store without triggering any path-based protection, enabling credential tampering or unauthorized access.

Weakness: CWE-552 (Files or Directories Accessible to External Parties)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-82020?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-82020?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-82020 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2026-82020 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-82020 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-82020 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-82020 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in NousResearch hermes-agent, published on 28 Aug 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-82020 in the wild and no public exploit code.

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-2026-82020/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-82020/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-82020
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-82020
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-82020

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-82020/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.