chmod 007 Permission Explained
Summary: chmod 007 gives the owner no access, the group no access, and everyone else read/write/execute.
| Class | Read (4) | Write (2) | Execute (1) | Octal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owner (u) | 0 | |||
| Group (g) | 0 | |||
| Others (o) | 7 |
chmod 007 filename
chmod 007 Breakdown
| Class | Digit | Symbolic | On a file | On a directory |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owner (u) | 0 |
--- |
No access | Cannot list, enter, or modify |
| Group (g) | 0 |
--- |
No access | Cannot list, enter, or modify |
| Others (o) | 7 |
rwx |
Full access | Full access: list, enter, create, delete |
Is chmod 007 Safe?
Critical Risk
- Anyone on the system can modify or replace this file.
- Any user can read this file — never use it for secrets such as keys or .env files.
- Even the owner cannot modify this file without changing permissions first.
- Unusual: a lower class has permissions the class above it lacks.
Common Use Cases
007 is uncommon in standard Linux setups. The closest widely used permission is chmod 000.
chmod 007 Command Examples
# Apply using octal mode
chmod 007 filename
# Apply using equivalent symbolic mode
chmod u=,g=,o=rwx filename
# Recursive command warning:
chmod -R 007 /path/to/dir
# Note: -R applies the same mode to files and directories. Use find to treat them separately:
find /path/to/dir -type f -exec chmod 007 {} +
# Verify permissions
stat -c '%a %A %n' filename # Linux
stat -f '%Lp %Sp %N' filename # macOS
# Example ls -l output:
-------rwx 1 alice staff 1024 Jan 15 10:00 example.txtumask Relationship
A umask of 770 makes new directories 007. Test umask values with our interactive Umask Calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does chmod 007 mean?
chmod 007 gives the owner no access, the group no access, and everyone else read/write/execute. In octal notation, the owner receives 0 (no access), the group receives 0 (no access), and others receive 7 (read/write/execute).
Is chmod 007 safe?
chmod 007 is classified as Critical Risk. Anyone on the system can modify or replace this file.
What is chmod 007 in symbolic notation?
In symbolic notation, chmod 007 is represented as ------rwx. You can apply this permission using the equivalent symbolic command "chmod u=,g=,o=rwx filename".
Related Permissions
Change one bit: