diff --git a/hermes_cli/main.py b/hermes_cli/main.py
index 1ba5d7082a6..a4578b16d1a 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/main.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/main.py
@@ -7000,8 +7000,13 @@ def _update_via_zip(args):
         urlretrieve(zip_url, zip_path)
 
         print("→ Extracting...")
+        import stat as _stat
         with zipfile.ZipFile(zip_path, "r") as zf:
-            # Validate paths to prevent zip-slip (path traversal)
+            # Validate paths to prevent zip-slip (path traversal) AND reject
+            # symlink members. A GitHub source ZIP for hermes-agent itself
+            # should never contain symlinks — they'd point outside the
+            # extracted tree and let an attacker who can compromise the
+            # update mirror plant arbitrary files via the update path.
             tmp_dir_real = os.path.realpath(tmp_dir)
             for member in zf.infolist():
                 member_path = os.path.realpath(os.path.join(tmp_dir, member.filename))
@@ -7012,6 +7017,13 @@ def _update_via_zip(args):
                     raise ValueError(
                         f"Zip-slip detected: {member.filename} escapes extraction directory"
                     )
+                # Unix mode lives in the upper 16 bits of external_attr;
+                # mask to the file-type bits.
+                mode = (member.external_attr >> 16) & 0o170000
+                if _stat.S_ISLNK(mode):
+                    raise ValueError(
+                        f"ZIP contains unsupported symlink member: {member.filename}"
+                    )
             zf.extractall(tmp_dir)
 
         # GitHub ZIPs extract to hermes-agent-<branch>/
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_update_zip_symlink_reject.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_update_zip_symlink_reject.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..cf07e879103
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_update_zip_symlink_reject.py
@@ -0,0 +1,116 @@
+"""Regression: _update_via_zip must reject ZIP members with symlink mode.
+
+A symlink member in a downloaded update ZIP would let an attacker who can
+serve / MITM the update mirror plant a symlink that extractall() then
+follows, writing arbitrary file content outside the staging directory.
+The Linux mode bits live in the upper 16 bits of ``ZipInfo.external_attr``;
+we explicitly reject any member whose type bits are S_IFLNK.
+"""
+
+import io
+import os
+import stat
+import tempfile
+import zipfile
+from unittest.mock import patch
+
+import pytest
+
+
+def _build_zip_with_symlink_member(zip_path: str, link_name: str, target: str) -> None:
+    """Write a ZIP containing a single member with S_IFLNK mode bits set."""
+    with zipfile.ZipFile(zip_path, "w") as zf:
+        info = zipfile.ZipInfo(link_name)
+        # Upper 16 bits = Unix mode; mark as symlink (0o120000) + 0o777 perms.
+        info.external_attr = (stat.S_IFLNK | 0o777) << 16
+        # The "data" of a symlink ZIP member is the link target string.
+        zf.writestr(info, target)
+
+
+def _build_normal_zip(zip_path: str) -> None:
+    """Write a regular ZIP with a normal file member (no symlink)."""
+    with zipfile.ZipFile(zip_path, "w") as zf:
+        zf.writestr("hermes-agent-main/README.md", "ok\n")
+
+
+def test_update_via_zip_rejects_symlink_member(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    """A symlink member in the update ZIP must raise before extractall."""
+    zip_path = tmp_path / "evil.zip"
+    _build_zip_with_symlink_member(
+        str(zip_path),
+        link_name="hermes-agent-main/evil-link",
+        target="/etc/passwd",
+    )
+
+    from hermes_cli.main import _update_via_zip
+
+    args = type("Args", (), {})()
+
+    # Patch urlretrieve to "download" our pre-built malicious ZIP into the
+    # _update_via_zip tempdir. Capture the tempdir so we can prove no
+    # extraction happened.
+    captured = {}
+    original_mkdtemp = tempfile.mkdtemp
+
+    def capturing_mkdtemp(*args, **kwargs):
+        d = original_mkdtemp(*args, **kwargs)
+        captured["tmp_dir"] = d
+        return d
+
+    def fake_urlretrieve(url, dest):
+        # Copy our malicious zip into the destination dest path.
+        with open(zip_path, "rb") as src, open(dest, "wb") as dst:
+            dst.write(src.read())
+        return dest, None
+
+    with patch("tempfile.mkdtemp", side_effect=capturing_mkdtemp), \
+         patch("urllib.request.urlretrieve", side_effect=fake_urlretrieve):
+        # _update_via_zip catches ValueError, prints the message, and exits 1.
+        # That's the contract: a malicious ZIP must fail the update, not
+        # silently materialize a symlink.
+        with pytest.raises(SystemExit) as exc_info:
+            _update_via_zip(args)
+        assert exc_info.value.code == 1
+
+    # Belt: confirm extractall never produced the link.
+    tmp_dir = captured.get("tmp_dir")
+    if tmp_dir:
+        evil_path = os.path.join(tmp_dir, "hermes-agent-main", "evil-link")
+        assert not os.path.lexists(evil_path), (
+            "symlink member should never be materialized"
+        )
+
+
+def test_update_via_zip_accepts_normal_member(tmp_path, monkeypatch, capsys):
+    """A ZIP with only regular file members must extract without raising.
+
+    Sanity check that the symlink reject didn't break the happy path.
+    Wraps just enough of _update_via_zip's I/O to verify extraction
+    proceeds past the symlink check. We let the rest of the function
+    fail naturally (no real git checkout to update); the assertion is
+    just that we got past the ZIP validation.
+    """
+    zip_path = tmp_path / "normal.zip"
+    _build_normal_zip(str(zip_path))
+
+    from hermes_cli.main import _update_via_zip
+
+    args = type("Args", (), {})()
+
+    def fake_urlretrieve(url, dest):
+        with open(zip_path, "rb") as src, open(dest, "wb") as dst:
+            dst.write(src.read())
+        return dest, None
+
+    with patch("urllib.request.urlretrieve", side_effect=fake_urlretrieve):
+        # The function will fail later (no real install dir to update into),
+        # but it must get past the ZIP validation without raising
+        # ValueError("symlink member").
+        try:
+            _update_via_zip(args)
+        except SystemExit:
+            pass
+
+    captured = capsys.readouterr()
+    assert "symlink member" not in captured.out
+    assert "symlink member" not in captured.err