chmod 407 Permission Explained
Summary: chmod 407 gives the owner read, the group no access, and everyone else read/write/execute.
| Class | Read (4) | Write (2) | Execute (1) | Octal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owner (u) | 4 | |||
| Group (g) | 0 | |||
| Others (o) | 7 |
chmod 407 filename
chmod 407 Breakdown
| Class | Digit | Symbolic | On a file | On a directory |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owner (u) | 4 |
r-- |
Read only | Can list names, but not enter |
| Group (g) | 0 |
--- |
No access | Cannot list, enter, or modify |
| Others (o) | 7 |
rwx |
Full access | Full access: list, enter, create, delete |
Is chmod 407 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
407 is uncommon in standard Linux setups. The closest widely used permission is chmod 400.
chmod 407 Command Examples
# Apply using octal mode
chmod 407 filename
# Apply using equivalent symbolic mode
chmod u=r,g=,o=rwx filename
# Recursive command warning:
chmod -R 407 /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 407 {} +
# 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 370 makes new directories 407. Test umask values with our interactive Umask Calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does chmod 407 mean?
chmod 407 gives the owner read, the group no access, and everyone else read/write/execute. In octal notation, the owner receives 4 (read), the group receives 0 (no access), and others receive 7 (read/write/execute).
Is chmod 407 safe?
chmod 407 is classified as Critical Risk. Anyone on the system can modify or replace this file.
What is chmod 407 in symbolic notation?
In symbolic notation, chmod 407 is represented as r-----rwx. You can apply this permission using the equivalent symbolic command "chmod u=r,g=,o=rwx filename".
Related Permissions
Change one bit: