CVE-2026-9368
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedA vulnerability was identified in NousResearch hermes-agent up to 2026.4.16. This impacts the function execute_code of the file tools/code_execution_tool.py of the component Environment Variable Handler. Such manipulation leads to sandbox issue. It is possible to launch the attack remotely. The exploit is publicly available and might be used. The vendor was contacted early about this disclosure but did not respond in any way.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · moderate confidenceA sandbox bypass vulnerability exists in the execute_code function of tools/code_execution_tool.py in hermes-agent. The Environment Variable Handler improperly sanitizes or restricts environment variables, allowing remote attackers to escape the intended sandbox and execute arbitrary code.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify hermes-agent installationSearch for hermes-agent in your environment: run 'pip show hermes-agent' or check for the package in your dependency manager, or locate the tools/code_execution_tool.py file in your installation directoryAffected if hermes-agent is installed and the code_execution_tool.py module exists in your environment
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Check hermes-agent versionRun 'pip show hermes-agent' or check the package version file to compare against any fixed versions released by the vendorAffected if The installed version has not been patched for the sandbox escape vulnerability in the Environment Variable Handler
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Verify code execution tool is enabledExamine your hermes-agent configuration to confirm the execute_code function or tools/code_execution_tool.py module is actively enabled or exposed as an API endpointAffected if The execute_code function is enabled and accessible, allowing remote or local code execution to be invoked
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Inspect Environment Variable Handler configurationOpen tools/code_execution_tool.py and review the execute_code function's handling of environment variables - check for lack of sanitization or isolation of env vars before passing to executed codeAffected if The code shows environment variables are passed directly to executed code without sanitization, isolation, or sandboxing controls
You are affected if hermes-agent with the vulnerable code_execution_tool.py module is installed, the execute_code function is enabled, and environment variables are not sanitized or isolated before being passed to executed code.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataImplement strict environment variable filtering/whitelisting, run code execution in an isolated container or VM with minimal privileges, and validate all inputs to the execute_code function before processing.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-9368 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-9368 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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