chmod 700 Permission Explained: Private to the Owner
Summary: Only the owner has any access.
| Class | Read (4) | Write (2) | Execute (1) | Octal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owner (u) | 7 | |||
| Group (g) | 0 | |||
| Others (o) | 0 |
chmod 700 filename
chmod 700 Breakdown
| Class | Digit | Symbolic | On a file | On a directory |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owner (u) | 7 |
rwx |
Full access | Full access: list, enter, create, delete |
| Group (g) | 0 |
--- |
No access | Cannot list, enter, or modify |
| Others (o) | 0 |
--- |
No access | Cannot list, enter, or modify |
Is chmod 700 Safe?
Restrictive
This permission configuration follows standard Linux access control principles with no elevated risk indicators.
When not to use it
- Any directory that must be served or shared with web servers or background daemons
Common Use Cases
- The ~/.ssh directory storing keys and host credentials
- Private personal script folders and backup directories
chmod 700 Command Examples
# Apply using octal mode
chmod 700 filename
# Apply using equivalent symbolic mode
chmod u=rwx,g=,o= filename
# Recursive command warning:
chmod -R 700 /path/to/dir
# Note: -R applies the same mode to files and directories. Use find to treat them separately:
find /path/to/dir -type d -exec chmod 700 {} +
# 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 077 makes new directories 700. Test umask values with our interactive Umask Calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does chmod 700 mean?
Only the owner has any access. In octal notation, the owner receives 7 (read/write/execute), the group receives 0 (no access), and others receive 0 (no access).
Is chmod 700 safe?
chmod 700 is classified as Restrictive. It follows standard Linux access patterns.
What is chmod 700 in symbolic notation?
In symbolic notation, chmod 700 is represented as rwx------. You can apply this permission using the equivalent symbolic command "chmod u=rwx,g=,o= filename".
Why must ~/.ssh be 700?
OpenSSH strictly verifies file permissions to defend against unauthorized key extraction. If other users on the system have read or write access to ~/.ssh, an attacker could steal private keys or inject authorized keys to hijack your account. SSH refuses to establish connections when permissions on ~/.ssh are looser than 700.
Related Permissions
Change one bit:
Often compared: chmod 700 vs 755