[BUG] Bash tool execution consistently fails with temporary script file error on macOS

Unfortunately, Claude Code doesn't work will with certain zshrc/bashrc. (I encountered this same issue when I onboarded.) Handling all possible failure modes of zshrc processing is difficult, so I would recommend seeing what you can take out of zshrc to avoid the snapshot errors.

I've switched completely to bash, set up .bash_profile just for Claude Code to include just a few tools I need, and still, it didn't work.

Related to https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/2139.

Additional Data Point: macOS 15.7.1 - Commands Work But Show Permission Errors

Environment

• Claude Code Version: 2.0.47 (native installation)
• macOS Version: 15.7.1 (24G231)
• Darwin Version: 24.6.0
• Shell: zsh (with fish as default terminal)
• Installation Method: native
• Installation Path: /Users/anon/.local/share/claude/versions/2.0.47
• Auto-updates: enabled (default)

Observed Behavior

Every bash command execution shows permission denied error for temp files, but commands execute successfully:

zsh:1: permission denied: /var/folders/zz/zyxvpxvq6csfxvn_n0000000000000/T/claude-XXXX-cwd
[actual command output appears correctly]

The temp file ID changes on each command (e.g., claude-f5b1-cwd, claude-1ab8-cwd, claude-ad78-cwd, claude-b756-cwd).

Key Difference from Other Reports

Unlike some reports where bash commands fail completely, in this case:

• ✅ Commands execute and return correct results
• ❌ Permission error appears in stderr before output
• ❌ New temp file created each time with same permission issue
• ✅ All other Claude Code tools work normally
• ✅ claude doctor shows no issues

Shell Configuration

Minimal .zshrc and .bashrc (only PATH exports for pipx/local bin), so not related to complex shell configs.

Attempted Fixes

• Deleted temp files with sudo find /var/folders/.../T/ -name "claude-*-cwd" -delete
• Files are recreated immediately with same permissions issue
• Error persists across new temp file IDs
• Restarting Claude Code doesn't help

Impact

Cosmetic but annoying - creates visual clutter in all bash command outputs making it harder to read actual results. Additionally, the repeated "permission denied" errors give the impression that Claude Code is broken or malfunctioning, which is confusing for users when the commands are actually executing successfully.

Update: Upgrading to macOS 15.7.2 fixed this issue

I was experiencing the permission denied error on macOS 15.7.1 (BuildVersion: 24G231):

zsh:1: permission denied: /var/folders/zz/zyxvpxvq6csfxvn_n0000000000000/T/claude-XXXX-cwd

After upgrading to macOS 15.7.2 (BuildVersion: 24G325), the permission errors are gone and bash commands work without issues.

Important note: Just restarting on 15.7.1 did NOT fix it - the actual OS update to 15.7.2 was required.

The underlying /var/folders/zz/ directory still has incorrect permissions (owned by root:wheel), but applications are no longer trying to use it, so the practical issue is resolved.

• OS: macOS Darwin 24.6.0
• Claude Code version: 2.0.55
• Shell: zsh

-Every Bash command shows:

zsh:1: permission denied: /var/folders/zz/zyxvpxvq6csfxvn_n0000000000000/T/claude-xxxx-cwd

[actual command output here]

The xxxx portion changes with each command (appears to be a unique identifier per command execution).

Example Output

$ curl -s http://localhost:5001/api/health

# Actual output received:
zsh:1: permission denied: /var/folders/zz/zyxvpxvq6csfxvn_n0000000000000/T/claude-f7aa-cwd

{
  "message": "RhythmRally Engine Online",
  "status": "ok"
}

Hypothesis

Claude Code appears to use temp files (claude-xxxx-cwd) to track shell working directory state. The macOS sandbox may be restricting write access to /var/folders/zz/ (the system temp folder for sandboxed/restricted apps).

The path /var/folders/zz/zyxvpxvq6csfxvn_n0000000000000/ suggests this is hitting the "nobody" user's temp folder, which has restricted permissions.

Impact

• Severity: Low (cosmetic)
• Functional impact: None - commands execute successfully
• User experience impact: High - error messages are confusing and appear on every single command

Workaround

None available from within the session. The error cannot be suppressed by the user.

Additional Context

The error occurs consistently across:

• Simple commands (ls, pwd)
• Complex commands (curl, python3)
• Piped commands
• Background commands

This suggests the issue is in the shell wrapper/executor, not in specific command types.

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