fix(auth): hermes auth remove sticks for shell-exported env vars (#13418)

Removing an env-seeded credential only cleared ~/.hermes/.env and the
current process's os.environ, leaving shell-exported vars (shell profile,
systemd EnvironmentFile, launchd plist) to resurrect the entry on the
next load_pool() call.  This matched the pre-#11485 codex behaviour.

Now we suppress env:<VAR> in auth.json on remove, gate _seed_from_env()
behind is_source_suppressed(), clear env:* suppressions on auth add,
and print a diagnostic pointing at the shell when the var lives there.

Applies to every env:* seeded credential (xai, deepseek, moonshot, zai,
nvidia, openrouter, anthropic, etc.), not just xai.

Reported by @teknium1 from community user 'Artificial Brain' — couldn't
remove their xAI key via hermes auth remove.

agent/credential_pool.py

@@ -1158,10 +1158,22 @@ def _seed_from_singletons(provider: str, entries: List[PooledCredential]) -> Tup
 def _seed_from_env(provider: str, entries: List[PooledCredential]) -> Tuple[bool, Set[str]]:
     changed = False
     active_sources: Set[str] = set()
+    # Honour user suppression — `hermes auth remove <provider> <N>` for an
+    # env-seeded credential marks the env:<VAR> source as suppressed so it
+    # won't be re-seeded from the user's shell environment or ~/.hermes/.env.
+    # Without this gate the removal is silently undone on the next
+    # load_pool() call whenever the var is still exported by the shell.
+    try:
+        from hermes_cli.auth import is_source_suppressed as _is_source_suppressed
+    except ImportError:
+        def _is_source_suppressed(_p, _s):  # type: ignore[misc]
+            return False
     if provider == "openrouter":
         token = os.getenv("OPENROUTER_API_KEY", "").strip()
         if token:
             source = "env:OPENROUTER_API_KEY"
+            if _is_source_suppressed(provider, source):
+                return changed, active_sources
             active_sources.add(source)
             changed |= _upsert_entry(
                 entries,
@@ -1198,6 +1210,8 @@ def _seed_from_env(provider: str, entries: List[PooledCredential]) -> Tuple[bool
         if not token:
             continue
         source = f"env:{env_var}"
+        if _is_source_suppressed(provider, source):
+            continue
         active_sources.add(source)
         auth_type = AUTH_TYPE_OAUTH if provider == "anthropic" and not token.startswith("sk-ant-api") else AUTH_TYPE_API_KEY
         base_url = env_url or pconfig.inference_base_url

hermes_cli/auth_commands.py

@@ -152,6 +152,22 @@ def auth_add_command(args) -> None:
 
     pool = load_pool(provider)
 
+    # Clear any env:<VAR> suppressions for this provider — re-adding a
+    # credential is a strong signal the user wants auth for this provider
+    # re-enabled.  Matches the Codex device_code re-link pattern below.
+    if not provider.startswith(CUSTOM_POOL_PREFIX):
+        try:
+            from hermes_cli.auth import (
+                _load_auth_store,
+                unsuppress_credential_source,
+            )
+            suppressed = _load_auth_store().get("suppressed_sources", {})
+            for src in list(suppressed.get(provider, []) or []):
+                if src.startswith("env:"):
+                    unsuppress_credential_source(provider, src)
+        except Exception:
+            pass
+
     if requested_type == AUTH_TYPE_API_KEY:
         token = (getattr(args, "api_key", None) or "").strip()
         if not token:
@@ -339,14 +355,56 @@ def auth_remove_command(args) -> None:
     print(f"Removed {provider} credential #{index} ({removed.label})")
 
     # If this was an env-seeded credential, also clear the env var from .env
-    # so it doesn't get re-seeded on the next load_pool() call.
+    # so it doesn't get re-seeded on the next load_pool() call.  If the env
+    # var is also (or only) exported by the user's shell/systemd, .env
+    # cleanup alone is not enough — the next process to call load_pool()
+    # will re-read os.environ and resurrect the entry.  Suppress the
+    # env:<VAR> source so _seed_from_env() skips it, and tell the user
+    # where the shell-level copy is still living so they can remove it.
     if removed.source.startswith("env:"):
+        import os as _os
         env_var = removed.source[len("env:"):]
         if env_var:
-            from hermes_cli.config import remove_env_value
+            from hermes_cli.config import get_env_path, remove_env_value
+            from hermes_cli.auth import suppress_credential_source
+
+            # Detect whether the var lives in .env, the shell env, or both,
+            # BEFORE remove_env_value() mutates os.environ.
+            env_in_process = bool(_os.getenv(env_var))
+            env_in_dotenv = False
+            try:
+                env_path = get_env_path()
+                if env_path.exists():
+                    env_in_dotenv = any(
+                        line.strip().startswith(f"{env_var}=")
+                        for line in env_path.read_text(errors="replace").splitlines()
+                    )
+            except OSError:
+                pass
+            shell_exported = env_in_process and not env_in_dotenv
+
             cleared = remove_env_value(env_var)
             if cleared:
                 print(f"Cleared {env_var} from .env")
+            suppress_credential_source(provider, removed.source)
+            if shell_exported:
+                print(
+                    f"Note: {env_var} is still set in your shell environment "
+                    f"(not in ~/.hermes/.env)."
+                )
+                print(
+                    "  Unset it there (shell profile, systemd EnvironmentFile, "
+                    "launchd plist, etc.) or it will keep being visible to Hermes."
+                )
+                print(
+                    f"  The pool entry is now suppressed — Hermes will ignore "
+                    f"{env_var} until you run `hermes auth add {provider}`."
+                )
+            else:
+                print(
+                    f"Suppressed env:{env_var} — it will not be re-seeded even "
+                    f"if the variable is re-exported later."
+                )
 
     # If this was a singleton-seeded credential (OAuth device_code, hermes_pkce),
     # clear the underlying auth store / credential file so it doesn't get

tests/hermes_cli/test_auth_commands.py

@@ -1011,3 +1011,177 @@ def test_seed_from_singletons_respects_codex_suppression(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
     # Verify the auth store was NOT modified (no auto-import happened)
     after = json.loads((hermes_home / "auth.json").read_text())
     assert "openai-codex" not in after.get("providers", {})
+
+
+def test_auth_remove_env_seeded_suppresses_shell_exported_var(tmp_path, monkeypatch, capsys):
+    """`hermes auth remove xai 1` must stick even when the env var is exported
+    by the shell (not written into ~/.hermes/.env).  Before PR for #13371 the
+    removal silently restored on next load_pool() because _seed_from_env()
+    re-read os.environ.  Now env:<VAR> is suppressed in auth.json.
+    """
+    hermes_home = tmp_path / "hermes"
+    hermes_home.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_HOME", str(hermes_home))
+
+    # Simulate shell export (NOT written to .env)
+    monkeypatch.setenv("XAI_API_KEY", "sk-xai-shell-export")
+    (hermes_home / ".env").write_text("")
+
+    _write_auth_store(
+        tmp_path,
+        {
+            "version": 1,
+            "credential_pool": {
+                "xai": [{
+                    "id": "env-1",
+                    "label": "XAI_API_KEY",
+                    "auth_type": "api_key",
+                    "priority": 0,
+                    "source": "env:XAI_API_KEY",
+                    "access_token": "sk-xai-shell-export",
+                    "base_url": "https://api.x.ai/v1",
+                }]
+            },
+        },
+    )
+
+    from types import SimpleNamespace
+    from hermes_cli.auth_commands import auth_remove_command
+    auth_remove_command(SimpleNamespace(provider="xai", target="1"))
+
+    # Suppression marker written
+    after = json.loads((hermes_home / "auth.json").read_text())
+    assert "env:XAI_API_KEY" in after.get("suppressed_sources", {}).get("xai", [])
+
+    # Diagnostic printed pointing at the shell
+    out = capsys.readouterr().out
+    assert "still set in your shell environment" in out
+    assert "Cleared XAI_API_KEY from .env" not in out  # wasn't in .env
+
+    # Fresh simulation: shell re-exports, reload pool
+    monkeypatch.setenv("XAI_API_KEY", "sk-xai-shell-export")
+    from agent.credential_pool import load_pool
+    pool = load_pool("xai")
+    assert not pool.has_credentials(), "pool must stay empty — env:XAI_API_KEY suppressed"
+
+
+def test_auth_remove_env_seeded_dotenv_only_no_shell_hint(tmp_path, monkeypatch, capsys):
+    """When the env var lives only in ~/.hermes/.env (not the shell), the
+    shell-hint should NOT be printed — avoid scaring the user about a
+    non-existent shell export.
+    """
+    hermes_home = tmp_path / "hermes"
+    hermes_home.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_HOME", str(hermes_home))
+
+    # Key ONLY in .env, shell must not have it
+    monkeypatch.delenv("DEEPSEEK_API_KEY", raising=False)
+    (hermes_home / ".env").write_text("DEEPSEEK_API_KEY=sk-ds-only\n")
+    # Mimic load_env() populating os.environ
+    monkeypatch.setenv("DEEPSEEK_API_KEY", "sk-ds-only")
+
+    _write_auth_store(
+        tmp_path,
+        {
+            "version": 1,
+            "credential_pool": {
+                "deepseek": [{
+                    "id": "env-1",
+                    "label": "DEEPSEEK_API_KEY",
+                    "auth_type": "api_key",
+                    "priority": 0,
+                    "source": "env:DEEPSEEK_API_KEY",
+                    "access_token": "sk-ds-only",
+                }]
+            },
+        },
+    )
+
+    from types import SimpleNamespace
+    from hermes_cli.auth_commands import auth_remove_command
+    auth_remove_command(SimpleNamespace(provider="deepseek", target="1"))
+
+    out = capsys.readouterr().out
+    assert "Cleared DEEPSEEK_API_KEY from .env" in out
+    assert "still set in your shell environment" not in out
+    assert (hermes_home / ".env").read_text().strip() == ""
+
+
+def test_auth_add_clears_env_suppression_for_provider(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    """Re-adding a credential via `hermes auth add <provider>` clears any
+    env:<VAR> suppression marker — strong signal the user wants auth back.
+    Matches the Codex device_code re-link behaviour.
+    """
+    hermes_home = tmp_path / "hermes"
+    hermes_home.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_HOME", str(hermes_home))
+    monkeypatch.delenv("XAI_API_KEY", raising=False)
+
+    _write_auth_store(
+        tmp_path,
+        {
+            "version": 1,
+            "providers": {},
+            "suppressed_sources": {"xai": ["env:XAI_API_KEY"]},
+        },
+    )
+
+    from types import SimpleNamespace
+    from hermes_cli.auth import is_source_suppressed
+    from hermes_cli.auth_commands import auth_add_command
+
+    assert is_source_suppressed("xai", "env:XAI_API_KEY") is True
+    auth_add_command(SimpleNamespace(
+        provider="xai", auth_type="api_key",
+        api_key="sk-xai-manual", label="manual",
+    ))
+    assert is_source_suppressed("xai", "env:XAI_API_KEY") is False
+
+
+def test_seed_from_env_respects_env_suppression(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    """_seed_from_env() must skip env:<VAR> sources that the user suppressed
+    via `hermes auth remove`.  This is the gate that prevents shell-exported
+    keys from resurrecting removed credentials.
+    """
+    hermes_home = tmp_path / "hermes"
+    hermes_home.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_HOME", str(hermes_home))
+    monkeypatch.setenv("XAI_API_KEY", "sk-xai-shell-export")
+
+    (hermes_home / "auth.json").write_text(json.dumps({
+        "version": 1,
+        "providers": {},
+        "suppressed_sources": {"xai": ["env:XAI_API_KEY"]},
+    }))
+
+    from agent.credential_pool import _seed_from_env
+
+    entries = []
+    changed, active = _seed_from_env("xai", entries)
+    assert changed is False
+    assert entries == []
+    assert active == set()
+
+
+def test_seed_from_env_respects_openrouter_suppression(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    """OpenRouter is the special-case branch in _seed_from_env; verify it
+    honours suppression too.
+    """
+    hermes_home = tmp_path / "hermes"
+    hermes_home.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_HOME", str(hermes_home))
+    monkeypatch.setenv("OPENROUTER_API_KEY", "sk-or-shell-export")
+
+    (hermes_home / "auth.json").write_text(json.dumps({
+        "version": 1,
+        "providers": {},
+        "suppressed_sources": {"openrouter": ["env:OPENROUTER_API_KEY"]},
+    }))
+
+    from agent.credential_pool import _seed_from_env
+
+    entries = []
+    changed, active = _seed_from_env("openrouter", entries)
+    assert changed is False
+    assert entries == []
+    assert active == set()