Defense-in-depth protection system for Claude Code. Uses PreToolUse hooks to intercept and validate tool calls before execution, blocking dangerous commands and protecting sensitive files.
| Level | Read | Write | Edit | Delete | Use Case |
|-------|------|-------|------|--------|----------|
| **zeroAccessPaths** | No | No | No | No | Secrets, credentials, .env files |
| **readOnlyPaths** | Yes | No | No | No | System configs, lock files, build artifacts |
| **noDeletePaths** | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Important project files, .git/, LICENSE |
PreToolUse hooks intercept tool calls at three points:
- Bash Hook - Evaluates commands against regex patterns and path restrictions
- Edit Hook - Validates file paths before modifications
- Write Hook - Checks paths before file creation
Exit codes:
0 = Allow operation
0 + JSON = Ask for confirmation (triggers dialog)
2 = Block operation (stderr fed back to Claude)
Ask patterns: Some operations trigger confirmation dialogs instead of blocking:
git checkout -- . (discards changes)
git stash drop (deletes stash)
DELETE FROM table WHERE id=X (SQL with specific ID)
**Interactive installation:**
```
/damage-control install
```
Or ask Claude:
"Install damage control security hooks"
"Set up protection for my project"
What would you like to do?
- Install - Set up damage control hooks (global, project, or personal)
- Modify - Add/remove protected paths or blocked commands
- Test - Validate hooks are working correctly
- List - View all active protections across all levels
Wait for response before proceeding.
| Response | Workflow |
|----------|----------|
| 1, "install", "setup", "deploy" | [workflows/install.md](workflows/install.md) |
| 2, "modify", "add", "remove", "change" | [workflows/modify.md](workflows/modify.md) |
| 3, "test", "verify", "check" | [workflows/test.md](workflows/test.md) |
| 4, "list", "view", "show" | [workflows/list.md](workflows/list.md) |
Direct command routing (skip menu):
- "add ~/.credentials to zero access" → Execute directly, then restart reminder
- "block npm publish command" → Execute directly, then restart reminder
- "protect /secrets folder" → Execute directly, then restart reminder
After reading the workflow, follow it exactly.
**Destructive file operations:**
- `rm -rf`, `rm --recursive`, `sudo rm`
- `chmod 777`, `chown -R root`
Git destructive:
git reset --hard, git push --force (not --force-with-lease)
git clean -fd, git stash clear, git filter-branch
Cloud destructive:
- AWS:
terminate-instances, delete-db-instance, delete-stack
- GCP:
projects delete, instances delete, clusters delete
- Docker:
system prune -a, volume rm
- Kubernetes:
delete namespace, delete all --all
Database destructive:
DELETE FROM table; (no WHERE clause)
DROP TABLE, DROP DATABASE, TRUNCATE TABLE
redis-cli FLUSHALL, dropdb
See scripts/patterns.yaml for complete list.
| Level | Settings Path | Hooks Path | Scope |
|-------|--------------|------------|-------|
| Global | `~/.claude/settings.json` | `~/.claude/hooks/damage-control/` | All projects |
| Project | `.claude/settings.json` | `.claude/hooks/damage-control/` | Team-shared |
| Personal | `.claude/settings.local.json` | `.claude/hooks/damage-control/` | Just you |
**Python with UV (Recommended):**
```bash
# macOS/Linux
curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh
Windows
powershell -ExecutionPolicy ByPass -c "irm https://astral.sh/uv/install.ps1 | iex"
**TypeScript with Bun (Alternative):**
```bash
# macOS/Linux
curl -fsSL https://bun.sh/install | bash && bun add yaml
# Windows
powershell -c "irm bun.sh/install.ps1 | iex" && bun add yaml
**IMPORTANT:** After any installation or modification:
Restart your agent for changes to take effect.
Hooks are only loaded at agent startup. Run /hooks after restart to verify.
| Workflow | Purpose |
|----------|---------|
| [workflows/install.md](workflows/install.md) | Interactive installation at any settings level |
| [workflows/modify.md](workflows/modify.md) | Add/remove protected paths and blocked commands |
| [workflows/test.md](workflows/test.md) | Validate all hooks are working correctly |
| [workflows/list.md](workflows/list.md) | View all active protections |
A working damage-control installation has:
- Hooks installed at chosen level (global/project/personal)
patterns.yaml copied alongside hook scripts
settings.json updated with PreToolUse hook configuration
- UV (or Bun) runtime installed
- Agent restarted to load hooks
- Verified with
/hooks command showing damage-control hooks
- Tested with
rm -rf /tmp/test (should be blocked)