docs: v0.35 release notes and version bump

Co-authored-by: Nathan Esquenazi <nesquena@gmail.com>

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -5,6 +5,28 @@
 
 ---
 
+## [v0.35] Security hardening
+*April 5, 2026 | 433 tests*
+
+### Security fixes
+- **ENV race condition (HIGH):** Two concurrent sessions could interleave `os.environ` writes, clobbering workspace and session keys. Fixed with a global `_ENV_LOCK` in `streaming.py` that serializes the env save/restore block across all sessions. (#108)
+- **Predictable signing key (MEDIUM):** Session cookies were signed with `sha256(STATE_DIR)` -- deterministic and forgeable if the install path is known. Now generates a cryptographically random 32-byte key on first startup, persisted to `STATE_DIR/.signing_key` (chmod 600). (#108)
+- **Upload path traversal (MEDIUM):** Filenames like `..` survived the `[^\w.\-]` sanitization regex because dots are allowed. Fixed by rejecting dot-only filenames and validating the resolved path stays within the workspace sandbox via `safe_resolve_ws()`. (#108)
+- **Weak password hashing (MEDIUM):** Bare SHA-256 with a predictable salt replaced with PBKDF2-SHA256 at 600k iterations (OWASP recommendation) using the random signing key as salt. No new dependencies (stdlib `hashlib.pbkdf2_hmac`). (#108)
+
+**Breaking change:** Existing session cookies and password hashes are invalidated on first restart after upgrade. Users with password auth enabled will need to re-set their password.
+
+---
+
+## [v0.34.3] Light theme final polish
+*April 5, 2026 | 433 tests*
+
+### Bug Fixes
+- **Light theme: sidebar, role labels, chips, and interactive elements all broken.** Session titles were too faint, active session used washed-out gold, pin stars were near-invisible bright yellow, and all hover/border effects used dark-theme white `rgba(255,255,255,.XX)` values invisible on cream. Fixed with 46 scoped `[data-theme="light"]` selector overrides covering session items, role labels, project chips, topbar chips, composer, suggestions, tool cards, cron list, and more. (#105)
+- Active session now uses blue accent (`#2d6fa3`) for strong contrast. Pin stars use deep gold (`#996b15`). Role labels are solid and high contrast.
+
+---
+
 ## [v0.34.2] Theme text colors
 *April 5, 2026 | 433 tests*
 

README.md

@@ -10,7 +10,20 @@ and vanilla JS.
 Layout: three-panel Claude-style. Left sidebar for sessions and tools,
 center for chat, right for workspace file browsing.
 
-<img width="1392" alt="Hermes Web UI — three-panel layout" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/79cd3c0d-3167-42ed-9434-447a742c25c3" />
+<img alt="Hermes Web UI — three-panel layout" width="1417" height="867" alt="image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/51adff98-53ee-4800-8508-78b6c34dd3dc" />
+
+<table>
+  <tr>
+    <td width="50%" align="center">
+      <img alt="Light mode with full profile support" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/9b68142f-d974-4493-a8d1-fd73e622c7fd" />
+      <br /><sub>Workspace file browser with inline preview</sub>
+    </td>
+    <td width="50%" align="center">
+      <img alt="Customize your settings, and configure a password" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/941f3156-21e3-41fd-bcc8-f975d5000cb8" />
+      <br /><sub>Session projects, tags, and tool call cards</sub>
+    </td>
+  </tr>
+</table>
 
 <table>
   <tr>

ROADMAP.md

@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@
 > Goal: Full 1:1 parity with the Hermes CLI experience via a clean dark web UI.
 > Everything you can do from the CLI terminal, you can do from this UI.
 >
-> Last updated: v0.33 (April 5, 2026)
-> Tests: 424 total (424 passing, 0 failures)
+> Last updated: v0.35 (April 5, 2026)
+> Tests: 433 total (433 passing, 0 failures)
 > Source: <repo>/
 
 ---
@@ -42,6 +42,11 @@
 | Sprint 23 | Agentic transparency | Token/cost display, subagent cards, skill picker in cron, skill linked files, workspace tree persistence, timestamp fixes | 424 |
 | v0.32 | Auto-compaction handling | Compression detection, /compact command, real context window indicator | 424 |
 | v0.33 | /insights sync | Opt-in state.db sync so `hermes /insights` includes WebUI sessions | 424 |
+| v0.34 | Sprint 26 — Pluggable themes | Dark, Light, Slate, Solarized, Monokai, Nord; settings unsaved-changes guard; /theme command | 433 |
+| v0.34.1 | Theme variable polish | 30+ hardcoded dark-navy colors replaced with theme-aware CSS variables | 433 |
+| v0.34.2 | Theme text colors | 5 new per-theme typography variables (--strong, --em, --code-text, --code-inline-bg, --pre-text) | 433 |
+| v0.34.3 | Light theme final polish | 46 light-scoped selector overrides for sidebar, roles, chips, interactive elements | 433 |
+| v0.35 | Security hardening | Env race fix, random signing key, upload path traversal, PBKDF2 password hash | 433 |
 
 ---
 
@@ -209,7 +214,7 @@
 - [x] Background task cancel (activity bar Cancel button)
 - [ ] Code execution cell (deferred)
 - [ ] Desktop application (Sprint 25, PLANNED)
-- [ ] Pluggable UI themes -- light, dark, Solarized, Monokai, Nord (Sprint 26, PLANNED)
+- [x] Pluggable UI themes -- Dark, Light, Slate, Solarized, Monokai, Nord (Sprint 26, v0.34)
 - [ ] Extended slash command / skill integration (deferred)
 - [ ] Virtual scroll for large lists (deferred)
 

SPRINTS.md

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Hermes Web UI -- Forward Sprint Plan
 
-> Current state: v0.34 | 433 tests | Daily driver ready
+> Current state: v0.35 | 433 tests | Daily driver ready
 > This document plans the path from here to two targets:
 >
 > Target A: 1:1 feature parity with the Hermes CLI (everything you can do from the
@@ -893,7 +893,7 @@ genuinely differentiating for an open-source project
 
 ---
 
-## Sprint 26 -- Pluggable UI Themes (PLANNED)
+## Sprint 26 -- Pluggable UI Themes (COMPLETED)
 
 **Theme:** Let users choose how the app looks -- light, dark, and custom color
 schemes. One-click switching, persistent preference, zero flicker on load.
@@ -1156,6 +1156,6 @@ New test cases in `tests/test_sprint26.py`:
 ---
 
 *Last updated: April 5, 2026*
-*Current version: v0.34 | 433 tests*
+*Current version: v0.35 | 433 tests*
 *Next sprint: Sprint 24 (Web Polish + Bug Fix Pass)*
-*Horizon sprint: Sprint 26 (Pluggable UI Themes)*
+*Horizon sprint: Sprint 25 (macOS Desktop Application)*

TESTING.md

@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
 # Hermes Web UI: Browser Testing Plan
 
 > This document is for manual browser testing by you or by a Claude browser agent.
-> It covers user-facing features of the UI through Sprint 22 (v0.24).
+> It covers user-facing features of the UI through Sprint 26 (v0.34.3).
 > Each section is written as a step-by-step test procedure with expected outcomes.
 > A browser agent (e.g. Claude with Chrome access) can execute this plan directly.
 >
-> Prerequisites: SSH tunnel is active on port 8787. Open http://localhost:8787 in browser.
-> Server health check: curl http://127.0.0.1:8787/health should return {"status":"ok"}.
+> Prerequisites: SSH tunnel is active on port 8786. Open http://localhost:8786 in browser.
+> Server health check: curl http://127.0.0.1:8786/health should return {"status":"ok"}.
 >
-> Automated tests: 424 total (424 passing, 0 failures)
+> Automated tests: 433 total (433 passing, 0 failures)
 > Run: `pytest tests/ -v --timeout=60`
 
 ---
@@ -1708,8 +1708,8 @@ Each has automated API-level tests in `tests/test_sprint{N}.py`.
 
 ---
 
-*Last updated: Sprint 22 / v0.24, April 3, 2026*
-*Total automated tests: 415 (392 passing, 23 pre-existing failures)*
-*Regression gate: tests/test_regressions.py (23 tests)*
+*Last updated: Sprint 26 / v0.34.3, April 5, 2026*
+*Total automated tests: 433 (433 passing, 0 failures)*
+*Regression gate: tests/test_regressions.py*
 *Run: pytest tests/ -v --timeout=60*
 *Source: <repo>/*

THEMES.md

@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ preview is instant — the UI updates as you click through options.
 | **Solarized Dark** | Ethan Schoonover's classic dark palette. Teal background, warm accents. |
 | **Monokai** | Warm dark theme inspired by the Monokai editor scheme. Green/pink accents. |
 | **Nord** | Arctic blue-gray palette from the Nord color system. Calm and minimal. |
+| **Custom themes** | Any string accepted by `settings.json`, `POST /api/settings`, and `/theme` if added to the picker/command list. Pure CSS variables only. |
 
 ---
 
@@ -53,7 +54,7 @@ Every color in the UI comes from these CSS variables:
   --gold: #c9a84c;         /* Secondary accent (pinned items, gold highlights) */
   --code-bg: #0d1117;      /* Code block background */
 
-  /* Surface and chrome (optional — inherit from core palette if omitted) */
+  /* Surface and chrome (required for full theme polish) */
   --surface: #1a2535;      /* Dropdowns, popups, toast, approval card */
   --topbar-bg: rgba(22,33,62,.98);   /* Topbar background */
   --main-bg: rgba(26,26,46,0.5);    /* Main chat area background */
@@ -61,12 +62,26 @@ Every color in the UI comes from these CSS variables:
   --hover-bg: rgba(255,255,255,.06); /* Hover state backgrounds */
   --focus-ring: rgba(124,185,255,.35); /* Focus border color */
   --focus-glow: rgba(124,185,255,.08); /* Focus box-shadow glow */
+
+  /* Typography (required for readable text across themes) */
+  --strong: #fff;          /* Bold text in messages */
+  --em: #c9c9e8;           /* Italic text in messages */
+  --code-text: #f0c27f;    /* Inline code text color */
+  --code-inline-bg: rgba(0,0,0,.35); /* Inline code background */
+  --pre-text: #e2e8f0;     /* Code block text color */
 }
 ```
 
-The **core palette** (first 10 variables) controls 90% of the UI. The
-**surface/chrome** variables are optional — if omitted, they fall back to
-defaults that work for dark themes. Light themes should override all of them.
+The **core palette** controls the overall mood. The **surface/chrome** and
+**typography** variables are part of the standard theme contract — define all
+of them for a complete theme.
+
+For **light themes**, you also need `:root[data-theme="name"]` overrides
+for elements that use `rgba(255,255,255,.XX)` hover/border effects (these
+are invisible on light backgrounds). See the built-in light theme for the
+full pattern — it overrides ~45 selectors for proper dark-on-light contrast
+on hover states, borders, chips, role labels, session items, and
+interactive elements.
 
 ### Step 2: Add it to the theme picker (optional)
 
@@ -92,8 +107,9 @@ Check these areas:
 
 ### Tips
 
-- **Light themes** need additional scrollbar overrides to avoid dark scrollbars
-  on a light background. See the built-in light theme for the pattern.
+- **Light themes** need scrollbar and selection overrides, plus the full
+  text/code set (`--strong`, `--em`, `--code-text`, `--code-inline-bg`,
+  `--pre-text`) or they will look broken.
 - The **logo gradient** uses `--accent` automatically, so it adapts to your
   theme without extra work.
 - **Prism.js syntax highlighting** uses its own CDN stylesheet (Tomorrow theme).

api/auth.py

@@ -26,14 +26,35 @@ _sessions = {}
 
 
 def _signing_key():
-    """Derive a stable signing key from STATE_DIR."""
-    return hashlib.sha256(str(STATE_DIR).encode()).digest()
+    """Return a random signing key, generating and persisting one on first call."""
+    key_file = STATE_DIR / '.signing_key'
+    if key_file.exists():
+        try:
+            raw = key_file.read_bytes()
+            if len(raw) >= 32:
+                return raw[:32]
+        except Exception:
+            pass
+    # Generate a new random key
+    key = secrets.token_bytes(32)
+    try:
+        STATE_DIR.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+        key_file.write_bytes(key)
+        key_file.chmod(0o600)
+    except Exception:
+        pass  # key works for this process even if persist fails
+    return key
 
 
 def _hash_password(password):
-    """SHA-256 hash with a salt derived from STATE_DIR."""
-    salt = str(STATE_DIR).encode()
-    return hashlib.sha256(salt + password.encode()).hexdigest()
+    """PBKDF2-SHA256 with 600k iterations (OWASP recommendation).
+    Salt is the persisted random signing key, which is secret and unique per
+    installation. This keeps the stored hash format a plain hex string
+    (no format change to settings.json) while replacing the predictable
+    STATE_DIR-derived salt from the original implementation."""
+    salt = _signing_key()
+    dk = hashlib.pbkdf2_hmac('sha256', password.encode(), salt, 600_000)
+    return dk.hex()
 
 
 def get_password_hash():

api/streaming.py

@@ -17,6 +17,12 @@ from api.config import (
     resolve_model_provider,
 )
 
+# Global lock for os.environ writes. Per-session locks (_agent_lock) prevent
+# concurrent runs of the SAME session, but two DIFFERENT sessions can still
+# interleave their os.environ writes. This global lock serializes the env
+# save/restore around the entire agent run.
+_ENV_LOCK = threading.Lock()
+
 # Lazy import to avoid circular deps -- hermes-agent is on sys.path via api/config.py
 try:
     from run_agent import AIAgent
@@ -101,7 +107,7 @@ def _run_agent_streaming(session_id, msg_text, model, workspace, stream_id, atta
             HERMES_HOME=_profile_home,
         )
         # Still set process-level env as fallback for tools that bypass thread-local
-        with _agent_lock:
+        with _ENV_LOCK:
           old_cwd = os.environ.get('TERMINAL_CWD')
           old_exec_ask = os.environ.get('HERMES_EXEC_ASK')
           old_session_key = os.environ.get('HERMES_SESSION_KEY')

api/upload.py

@@ -70,7 +70,11 @@ def handle_upload(handler):
             return j(handler, {'error': 'Session not found'}, status=404)
         workspace = Path(s.workspace)
         safe_name = _re.sub(r'[^\w.\-]', '_', Path(filename).name)[:200]
-        dest = workspace / safe_name
+        # Reject names that are purely dots (path traversal: ".." survives regex)
+        if not safe_name or safe_name.strip('.') == '':
+            return j(handler, {'error': 'Invalid filename'}, status=400)
+        # Verify the resolved path stays within the workspace
+        dest = safe_resolve_ws(workspace, safe_name)
         dest.write_bytes(file_bytes)
         return j(handler, {'filename': safe_name, 'path': str(dest), 'size': dest.stat().st_size})
     except Exception as e:

static/index.html

@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 <body>
 <div class="layout">
   <aside class="sidebar">
-    <div class="sidebar-header"><div class="logo">H</div><div><h1 style="margin:0;font-size:15px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:-.01em">Hermes</h1><div style="font-size:10px;color:var(--muted);opacity:.8;margin-top:1px">v0.34.2</div></div></div>
+    <div class="sidebar-header"><div class="logo">H</div><div><h1 style="margin:0;font-size:15px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:-.01em">Hermes</h1><div style="font-size:10px;color:var(--muted);opacity:.8;margin-top:1px">v0.35</div></div></div>
     <div class="sidebar-nav">
       <button class="nav-tab active" data-panel="chat" data-label="Chat" onclick="switchPanel('chat')" title="Chat">&#128172;</button>
       <button class="nav-tab" data-panel="tasks" data-label="Tasks" onclick="switchPanel('tasks')" title="Tasks">&#128197;</button>

static/style.css

@@ -30,6 +30,52 @@
   :root[data-theme="light"] ::selection{background:rgba(45,111,163,.2);}
   :root[data-theme="light"] *{scrollbar-color:rgba(0,0,0,.15) transparent;}
   :root[data-theme="light"] .settings-overlay{background:rgba(0,0,0,.3);}
+  /* ── Light theme: sidebar, roles, chips, active states ── */
+  :root[data-theme="light"] .session-item{color:#5a544a;}
+  :root[data-theme="light"] .session-item:hover{background:rgba(0,0,0,.06);color:#2c2825;}
+  :root[data-theme="light"] .session-item.active{background:rgba(45,111,163,.1);color:#1a5a8a;border-left-color:#2d6fa3;}
+  :root[data-theme="light"] .session-item.active .session-actions{background:linear-gradient(to right,transparent,rgba(228,224,216,.95) 12px);}
+  :root[data-theme="light"] .session-pin-indicator{color:#996b15;}
+  :root[data-theme="light"] .session-date-header.pinned{color:#996b15;}
+  :root[data-theme="light"] .session-actions .act-pin.pinned{color:#996b15;}
+  :root[data-theme="light"] .msg-role.user{color:#2d6fa3;}
+  :root[data-theme="light"] .msg-role.assistant{color:#8a6520;}
+  :root[data-theme="light"] .role-icon.user{background:rgba(45,111,163,.12);color:#2d6fa3;border-color:rgba(45,111,163,.25);}
+  :root[data-theme="light"] .role-icon.assistant{background:rgba(138,101,32,.12);color:#8a6520;border-color:rgba(138,101,32,.25);}
+  :root[data-theme="light"] .project-chip{border-color:rgba(0,0,0,.12);background:rgba(0,0,0,.04);}
+  :root[data-theme="light"] .project-chip:hover{background:rgba(0,0,0,.08);color:#2c2825;}
+  :root[data-theme="light"] .project-chip.active{background:rgba(45,111,163,.1);color:#1a5a8a;border-color:rgba(45,111,163,.3);}
+  :root[data-theme="light"] .chip{border-color:rgba(0,0,0,.1);background:rgba(0,0,0,.04);}
+  :root[data-theme="light"] .chip.model{color:#2d6fa3;border-color:rgba(45,111,163,.3);background:rgba(45,111,163,.08);}
+  :root[data-theme="light"] .new-chat-btn{border-color:rgba(45,111,163,.25);color:#2d6fa3;}
+  :root[data-theme="light"] .new-chat-btn:hover{background:rgba(45,111,163,.08);}
+  :root[data-theme="light"] .session-search input{border-color:rgba(0,0,0,.1);background:rgba(0,0,0,.03);}
+  :root[data-theme="light"] .session-search input:focus{border-color:rgba(45,111,163,.4);background:rgba(0,0,0,.02);}
+  :root[data-theme="light"] .cron-item{border-color:rgba(0,0,0,.08);background:rgba(0,0,0,.02);}
+  :root[data-theme="light"] .sm-btn{border-color:rgba(0,0,0,.1);}
+  :root[data-theme="light"] .sm-btn:hover{background:rgba(0,0,0,.06);border-color:rgba(0,0,0,.15);}
+  :root[data-theme="light"] select{border-color:rgba(0,0,0,.12);}
+  :root[data-theme="light"] .composer-box{border-color:rgba(0,0,0,.12);}
+  :root[data-theme="light"] .composer-box:focus-within{border-color:rgba(45,111,163,.5);box-shadow:0 0 0 3px rgba(45,111,163,.08);}
+  :root[data-theme="light"] .suggestion{border-color:rgba(0,0,0,.08);}
+  :root[data-theme="light"] .suggestion:hover{background:rgba(45,111,163,.06);border-color:rgba(45,111,163,.2);}
+  :root[data-theme="light"] .tool-card{border-color:rgba(0,0,0,.08);}
+  :root[data-theme="light"] .tool-card:hover{border-color:rgba(0,0,0,.15);}
+  :root[data-theme="light"] .icon-btn:hover{background:rgba(0,0,0,.06);}
+  :root[data-theme="light"] .panel-icon-btn:hover{background:rgba(0,0,0,.06);}
+  :root[data-theme="light"] .file-item:hover{background:rgba(0,0,0,.04);}
+  :root[data-theme="light"] .preview-md th{background:rgba(0,0,0,.04);}
+  :root[data-theme="light"] .preview-md td{border-color:rgba(0,0,0,.08);}
+  :root[data-theme="light"] .preview-badge.code{background:rgba(0,0,0,.05);}
+  :root[data-theme="light"] .ctx-bar-wrap{background:rgba(0,0,0,.08);}
+  :root[data-theme="light"] .ws-opt:hover{background:rgba(0,0,0,.05);}
+  :root[data-theme="light"] .profile-opt:hover{background:rgba(0,0,0,.05);}
+  :root[data-theme="light"] .profile-opt.active{background:rgba(45,111,163,.06);}
+  :root[data-theme="light"] .profile-chip{color:#7a5a90!important;}
+  :root[data-theme="light"] .nav-tab:hover::after{background:var(--surface);border-color:rgba(45,111,163,.25);color:#2d6fa3;}
+  :root[data-theme="light"] .cron-status.disabled{background:rgba(0,0,0,.05);}
+  :root[data-theme="light"] .cron-btn{background:rgba(0,0,0,.04);}
+  :root[data-theme="light"] .cron-btn:hover{background:rgba(0,0,0,.08);}
   /* ── Solarized Dark theme ── */
   :root[data-theme="solarized"]{
     --bg:#002b36;--sidebar:#073642;--border:rgba(255,255,255,0.08);--border2:rgba(255,255,255,0.13);