chmod 017 Permission Explained
Summary: chmod 017 gives the owner no access, the group execute, and everyone else read/write/execute.
| Class | Read (4) | Write (2) | Execute (1) | Octal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owner (u) | 0 | |||
| Group (g) | 1 | |||
| Others (o) | 7 |
chmod 017 filename
chmod 017 Breakdown
| Class | Digit | Symbolic | On a file | On a directory |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owner (u) | 0 |
--- |
No access | Cannot list, enter, or modify |
| Group (g) | 1 |
--x |
Execute only | Can enter (cd) but not list contents |
| Others (o) | 7 |
rwx |
Full access | Full access: list, enter, create, delete |
Is chmod 017 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
017 is uncommon in standard Linux setups. The closest widely used permission is chmod 555.
chmod 017 Command Examples
# Apply using octal mode
chmod 017 filename
# Apply using equivalent symbolic mode
chmod u=,g=x,o=rwx filename
# Recursive command warning:
chmod -R 017 /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 017 {} +
# Verify permissions
stat -c '%a %A %n' filename # Linux
stat -f '%Lp %Sp %N' filename # macOS
# Example ls -l output:
------xrwx 1 alice staff 1024 Jan 15 10:00 example.txtumask Relationship
A umask of 760 makes new directories 017. Test umask values with our interactive Umask Calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does chmod 017 mean?
chmod 017 gives the owner no access, the group execute, and everyone else read/write/execute. In octal notation, the owner receives 0 (no access), the group receives 1 (execute), and others receive 7 (read/write/execute).
Is chmod 017 safe?
chmod 017 is classified as Critical Risk. Anyone on the system can modify or replace this file.
What is chmod 017 in symbolic notation?
In symbolic notation, chmod 017 is represented as -----xrwx. You can apply this permission using the equivalent symbolic command "chmod u=,g=x,o=rwx filename".
Related Permissions
Change one bit: