name: claude-security-settings description: | Configure Claude Code security settings including permission wildcards, shell operator protections, and project-level access controls. Use when setting up project permissions, configuring allowed tools, or securing Claude Code workflows. user-invocable: false allowed-tools: Bash, Read, Write, Edit, Glob, Grep, TodoWrite created: 2026-01-20 modified: 2026-03-02 reviewed: 2026-03-02

Claude Code Security Settings

Expert knowledge for configuring Claude Code security and permissions.

Core Concepts

Claude Code provides multiple layers of security:

1. Permission wildcards - Granular tool access control
2. Shell operator protections - Prevents command injection
3. Project-level settings - Scoped configurations

Permission Configuration

Settings File Locations

Permission Structure

{
  "permissions": {
    "allow": [
      "Bash(git status *)",
      "Bash(npm run *)"
    ],
    "deny": [
      "Bash(rm -rf *)",
      "Bash(sudo *)"
    ]
  }
}

Wildcard Permission Patterns

Syntax

Bash(command *)

• Bash() - Tool identifier
• command - Command prefix to match
• * - Wildcard suffix matching any arguments
• :ask suffix - Always prompt for user confirmation (e.g., Bash(git push *):ask)

Permission Tiers

Pattern Examples

Pattern Best Practices

Granular permissions:

{
  "permissions": {
    "allow": [
      "Bash(git status *)",
      "Bash(git diff *)",
      "Bash(git log *)",
      "Bash(git add *)",
      "Bash(git commit *)"
    ]
  }
}

Tool-specific patterns:

{
  "permissions": {
    "allow": [
      "Bash(bun test *)",
      "Bash(bun run *)",
      "Bash(biome check *)",
      "Bash(prettier *)"
    ]
  }
}

Shell Operator Protections

Claude Code 2.1.7+ includes built-in protections against dangerous shell operators.

Protected Operators

Security Behavior

When a command contains shell operators:

1. Permission wildcards won't match
2. User sees explicit approval prompt
3. Warning explains the blocked operator

Safe Compound Commands

For legitimate compound commands, use scripts:

#!/bin/bash
# scripts/deploy.sh
npm test && npm run build && npm run deploy

Then allow the script:

{
  "permissions": {
    "allow": ["Bash(./scripts/deploy.sh *)"]
  }
}

Common Permission Sets

Read-Only Development

{
  "permissions": {
    "allow": [
      "Bash(git status *)",
      "Bash(git diff *)",
      "Bash(git log *)",
      "Bash(git branch *)",
      "Bash(npm list *)",
      "Bash(bun pm ls *)"
    ]
  }
}

Full Git Workflow

{
  "permissions": {
    "allow": [
      "Bash(git status *)",
      "Bash(git diff *)",
      "Bash(git log *)",
      "Bash(git branch *)",
      "Bash(git add *)",
      "Bash(git commit *)",
      "Bash(git push *)",
      "Bash(git pull *)",
      "Bash(git fetch *)",
      "Bash(git checkout *)",
      "Bash(git merge *)",
      "Bash(git rebase *)"
    ]
  }
}

CI/CD Operations

{
  "permissions": {
    "allow": [
      "Bash(gh pr *)",
      "Bash(gh run *)",
      "Bash(gh issue *)",
      "Bash(gh workflow *)"
    ]
  }
}

Testing & Linting

{
  "permissions": {
    "allow": [
      "Bash(bun test *)",
      "Bash(npm test *)",
      "Bash(vitest *)",
      "Bash(jest *)",
      "Bash(biome *)",
      "Bash(eslint *)",
      "Bash(prettier *)"
    ]
  }
}

Security Scanning

{
  "permissions": {
    "allow": [
      "Bash(pre-commit *)",
      "Bash(gitleaks *)",
      "Bash(trivy *)"
    ]
  }
}

Project Setup Guide

1. Create Settings Directory

mkdir -p .claude

2. Create Project Settings

cat > .claude/settings.json << 'EOF'
{
  "permissions": {
    "allow": [
      "Bash(git status *)",
      "Bash(git diff *)",
      "Bash(npm run *)"
    ]
  }
}
EOF

3. Add to .gitignore (for local settings)

echo ".claude/settings.local.json" >> .gitignore

4. Create Local Settings (optional)

cat > .claude/settings.local.json << 'EOF'
{
  "permissions": {
    "allow": [
      "Bash(docker *)"
    ]
  }
}
EOF

Agentic Optimizations

Quick Reference

Permission Priority

Settings merge with this priority (highest wins):

1. .claude/settings.local.json (local)
2. .claude/settings.json (project)
3. ~/.claude/settings.json (user)

Wildcard Syntax

Deny Patterns

Block specific commands:

{
  "permissions": {
    "deny": [
      "Bash(rm -rf *)",
      "Bash(sudo *)",
      "Bash(chmod 777 *)"
    ]
  }
}

Error Handling

Best Practices

1. Start restrictive - Add permissions as needed
2. Use project settings - Keep team aligned
3. Use specific Bash patterns - Bash(git status *) over Bash
4. Script compound commands - For && and \| workflows
5. Review periodically - Remove unused permissions