fix: hermes auth remove now clears env-seeded credentials permanently (#5285)

Removing an env-seeded credential (e.g. from OPENROUTER_API_KEY) via
'hermes auth' previously had no lasting effect -- the entry was deleted
from auth.json but load_pool() re-created it on the next call because
the env var was still set.

Now auth_remove_command detects env-sourced entries (source starts with
'env:') and calls the new remove_env_value() to strip the var from both
.env and os.environ, preventing re-seeding.

Changes:
- hermes_cli/config.py: add remove_env_value() -- atomically removes a
  line from .env and pops from os.environ
- hermes_cli/auth_commands.py: auth_remove_command clears env var when
  removing an env-seeded pool entry
- 8 new tests covering remove_env_value and the full zombie-credential
  lifecycle (remove -> reload -> stays gone)

hermes_cli/auth_commands.py

@@ -295,6 +295,16 @@ def auth_remove_command(args) -> None:
         raise SystemExit(f'No credential matching "{target}" for provider {provider}.')
     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.
+    if removed.source.startswith("env:"):
+        env_var = removed.source[len("env:"):]
+        if env_var:
+            from hermes_cli.config import remove_env_value
+            cleared = remove_env_value(env_var)
+            if cleared:
+                print(f"Cleared {env_var} from .env")
+
 
 def auth_reset_command(args) -> None:
     provider = _normalize_provider(getattr(args, "provider", ""))

hermes_cli/config.py

@@ -1900,6 +1900,51 @@ def save_env_value(key: str, value: str):
             pass
 
 
+def remove_env_value(key: str) -> bool:
+    """Remove a key from ~/.hermes/.env and os.environ.
+
+    Returns True if the key was found and removed, False otherwise.
+    """
+    if is_managed():
+        managed_error(f"remove {key}")
+        return False
+    if not _ENV_VAR_NAME_RE.match(key):
+        raise ValueError(f"Invalid environment variable name: {key!r}")
+    env_path = get_env_path()
+    if not env_path.exists():
+        os.environ.pop(key, None)
+        return False
+
+    read_kw = {"encoding": "utf-8", "errors": "replace"} if _IS_WINDOWS else {}
+    write_kw = {"encoding": "utf-8"} if _IS_WINDOWS else {}
+
+    with open(env_path, **read_kw) as f:
+        lines = f.readlines()
+    lines = _sanitize_env_lines(lines)
+
+    new_lines = [line for line in lines if not line.strip().startswith(f"{key}=")]
+    found = len(new_lines) < len(lines)
+
+    if found:
+        fd, tmp_path = tempfile.mkstemp(dir=str(env_path.parent), suffix='.tmp', prefix='.env_')
+        try:
+            with os.fdopen(fd, 'w', **write_kw) as f:
+                f.writelines(new_lines)
+                f.flush()
+                os.fsync(f.fileno())
+            os.replace(tmp_path, env_path)
+        except BaseException:
+            try:
+                os.unlink(tmp_path)
+            except OSError:
+                pass
+            raise
+        _secure_file(env_path)
+
+    os.environ.pop(key, None)
+    return found
+
+
 def save_anthropic_oauth_token(value: str, save_fn=None):
     """Persist an Anthropic OAuth/setup token and clear the API-key slot."""
     writer = save_fn or save_env_value

tests/hermes_cli/test_config.py

@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ from hermes_cli.config import (
     load_config,
     load_env,
     migrate_config,
+    remove_env_value,
     save_config,
     save_env_value,
     save_env_value_secure,
@@ -149,6 +150,49 @@ class TestSaveEnvValueSecure:
             assert env_mode == 0o600
 
 
+class TestRemoveEnvValue:
+    def test_removes_key_from_env_file(self, tmp_path):
+        env_path = tmp_path / ".env"
+        env_path.write_text("KEY_A=value_a\nKEY_B=value_b\nKEY_C=value_c\n")
+        with patch.dict(os.environ, {"HERMES_HOME": str(tmp_path), "KEY_B": "value_b"}):
+            result = remove_env_value("KEY_B")
+            assert result is True
+            content = env_path.read_text()
+            assert "KEY_B" not in content
+            assert "KEY_A=value_a" in content
+            assert "KEY_C=value_c" in content
+
+    def test_clears_os_environ(self, tmp_path):
+        env_path = tmp_path / ".env"
+        env_path.write_text("MY_KEY=my_value\n")
+        with patch.dict(os.environ, {"HERMES_HOME": str(tmp_path), "MY_KEY": "my_value"}):
+            remove_env_value("MY_KEY")
+            assert "MY_KEY" not in os.environ
+
+    def test_returns_false_when_key_not_found(self, tmp_path):
+        env_path = tmp_path / ".env"
+        env_path.write_text("OTHER_KEY=value\n")
+        with patch.dict(os.environ, {"HERMES_HOME": str(tmp_path)}):
+            result = remove_env_value("MISSING_KEY")
+            assert result is False
+            # File should be untouched
+            assert env_path.read_text() == "OTHER_KEY=value\n"
+
+    def test_handles_missing_env_file(self, tmp_path):
+        with patch.dict(os.environ, {"HERMES_HOME": str(tmp_path), "GHOST_KEY": "ghost"}):
+            result = remove_env_value("GHOST_KEY")
+            assert result is False
+            # os.environ should still be cleared
+            assert "GHOST_KEY" not in os.environ
+
+    def test_clears_os_environ_even_when_not_in_file(self, tmp_path):
+        env_path = tmp_path / ".env"
+        env_path.write_text("OTHER=stuff\n")
+        with patch.dict(os.environ, {"HERMES_HOME": str(tmp_path), "ORPHAN_KEY": "orphan"}):
+            remove_env_value("ORPHAN_KEY")
+            assert "ORPHAN_KEY" not in os.environ
+
+
 class TestSaveConfigAtomicity:
     """Verify save_config uses atomic writes (tempfile + os.replace)."""
 

tests/test_auth_commands.py

@@ -521,3 +521,139 @@ def test_auth_list_prefers_explicit_reset_time(monkeypatch, capsys):
     out = capsys.readouterr().out
     assert "device_code_exhausted" in out
     assert "7d 0h left" in out
+
+
+def test_auth_remove_env_seeded_clears_env_var(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    """Removing an env-seeded credential should also clear the env var from .env
+    so the entry doesn't get re-seeded on the next load_pool() call."""
+    hermes_home = tmp_path / "hermes"
+    hermes_home.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_HOME", str(hermes_home))
+
+    # Write a .env with an OpenRouter key
+    env_path = hermes_home / ".env"
+    env_path.write_text("OPENROUTER_API_KEY=sk-or-test-key-12345\nOTHER_KEY=keep-me\n")
+    monkeypatch.setenv("OPENROUTER_API_KEY", "sk-or-test-key-12345")
+
+    # Seed the pool with the env entry
+    _write_auth_store(
+        tmp_path,
+        {
+            "version": 1,
+            "credential_pool": {
+                "openrouter": [
+                    {
+                        "id": "env-1",
+                        "label": "OPENROUTER_API_KEY",
+                        "auth_type": "api_key",
+                        "priority": 0,
+                        "source": "env:OPENROUTER_API_KEY",
+                        "access_token": "sk-or-test-key-12345",
+                    }
+                ]
+            },
+        },
+    )
+
+    from hermes_cli.auth_commands import auth_remove_command
+
+    class _Args:
+        provider = "openrouter"
+        target = "1"
+
+    auth_remove_command(_Args())
+
+    # Env var should be cleared from os.environ
+    import os
+    assert os.environ.get("OPENROUTER_API_KEY") is None
+
+    # Env var should be removed from .env file
+    env_content = env_path.read_text()
+    assert "OPENROUTER_API_KEY" not in env_content
+    # Other keys should still be there
+    assert "OTHER_KEY=keep-me" in env_content
+
+
+def test_auth_remove_env_seeded_does_not_resurrect(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    """After removing an env-seeded credential, load_pool should NOT re-create it."""
+    hermes_home = tmp_path / "hermes"
+    hermes_home.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_HOME", str(hermes_home))
+
+    # Write .env with an OpenRouter key
+    env_path = hermes_home / ".env"
+    env_path.write_text("OPENROUTER_API_KEY=sk-or-test-key-12345\n")
+    monkeypatch.setenv("OPENROUTER_API_KEY", "sk-or-test-key-12345")
+
+    _write_auth_store(
+        tmp_path,
+        {
+            "version": 1,
+            "credential_pool": {
+                "openrouter": [
+                    {
+                        "id": "env-1",
+                        "label": "OPENROUTER_API_KEY",
+                        "auth_type": "api_key",
+                        "priority": 0,
+                        "source": "env:OPENROUTER_API_KEY",
+                        "access_token": "sk-or-test-key-12345",
+                    }
+                ]
+            },
+        },
+    )
+
+    from hermes_cli.auth_commands import auth_remove_command
+
+    class _Args:
+        provider = "openrouter"
+        target = "1"
+
+    auth_remove_command(_Args())
+
+    # Now reload the pool — the entry should NOT come back
+    from agent.credential_pool import load_pool
+    pool = load_pool("openrouter")
+    assert not pool.has_credentials()
+
+
+def test_auth_remove_manual_entry_does_not_touch_env(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    """Removing a manually-added credential should NOT touch .env."""
+    hermes_home = tmp_path / "hermes"
+    hermes_home.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_HOME", str(hermes_home))
+    monkeypatch.delenv("OPENROUTER_API_KEY", raising=False)
+
+    env_path = hermes_home / ".env"
+    env_path.write_text("SOME_KEY=some-value\n")
+
+    _write_auth_store(
+        tmp_path,
+        {
+            "version": 1,
+            "credential_pool": {
+                "openrouter": [
+                    {
+                        "id": "manual-1",
+                        "label": "my-key",
+                        "auth_type": "api_key",
+                        "priority": 0,
+                        "source": "manual",
+                        "access_token": "sk-or-manual-key",
+                    }
+                ]
+            },
+        },
+    )
+
+    from hermes_cli.auth_commands import auth_remove_command
+
+    class _Args:
+        provider = "openrouter"
+        target = "1"
+
+    auth_remove_command(_Args())
+
+    # .env should be untouched
+    assert env_path.read_text() == "SOME_KEY=some-value\n"