chmod 047 Permission Explained
Summary: chmod 047 gives the owner no access, the group read, and everyone else read/write/execute.
| Class | Read (4) | Write (2) | Execute (1) | Octal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owner (u) | 0 | |||
| Group (g) | 4 | |||
| Others (o) | 7 |
chmod 047 filename
chmod 047 Breakdown
| Class | Digit | Symbolic | On a file | On a directory |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owner (u) | 0 |
--- |
No access | Cannot list, enter, or modify |
| Group (g) | 4 |
r-- |
Read only | Can list names, but not enter |
| Others (o) | 7 |
rwx |
Full access | Full access: list, enter, create, delete |
Is chmod 047 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
047 is uncommon in standard Linux setups. The closest widely used permission is chmod 444.
chmod 047 Command Examples
# Apply using octal mode
chmod 047 filename
# Apply using equivalent symbolic mode
chmod u=,g=r,o=rwx filename
# Recursive command warning:
chmod -R 047 /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 047 {} +
# Verify permissions
stat -c '%a %A %n' filename # Linux
stat -f '%Lp %Sp %N' filename # macOS
# Example ls -l output:
----r--rwx 1 alice staff 1024 Jan 15 10:00 example.txtumask Relationship
A umask of 730 makes new directories 047. Test umask values with our interactive Umask Calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does chmod 047 mean?
chmod 047 gives the owner no access, the group read, and everyone else read/write/execute. In octal notation, the owner receives 0 (no access), the group receives 4 (read), and others receive 7 (read/write/execute).
Is chmod 047 safe?
chmod 047 is classified as Critical Risk. Anyone on the system can modify or replace this file.
What is chmod 047 in symbolic notation?
In symbolic notation, chmod 047 is represented as ---r--rwx. You can apply this permission using the equivalent symbolic command "chmod u=,g=r,o=rwx filename".
Related Permissions
Change one bit: