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model: haiku 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. allowed-tools: Bash, Read, Write, Edit, Glob, Grep, TodoWrite created: 2026-01-20 modified: 2026-01-20 reviewed: 2026-01-20

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

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

Wildcard Permission Patterns

Syntax

CopyBash(command:*)

• Bash() - Tool identifier
• command - Command prefix to match
• :* - Wildcard suffix matching any arguments

Pattern Examples

Pattern Best Practices

Granular permissions:

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

Tool-specific patterns:

Copy{
  "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:

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

Then allow the script:

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

Common Permission Sets

Read-Only Development

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

Full Git Workflow

Copy{
  "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

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

Testing & Linting

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

Security Scanning

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

Project Setup Guide

1. Create Settings Directory

Copymkdir -p .claude

2. Create Project Settings

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

3. Add to .gitignore (for local settings)

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

4. Create Local Settings (optional)

Copycat > .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:

Copy{
  "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. Avoid broad Bash - Use specific patterns
4. Script compound commands - For && and \| workflows
5. Review periodically - Remove unused permissions