diff --git a/flows/flow-04-agent.sh b/flows/flow-04-agent.sh
index ad4f6f81..aa72067b 100755
--- a/flows/flow-04-agent.sh
+++ b/flows/flow-04-agent.sh
@@ -218,25 +218,33 @@ else
     fail "Hermes gateway health check failed — ${oc_health:0:100}"
 fi
 
-step "Hermes native dashboard UI via deeplink"
+step "Hermes native dashboard UI reachable + auth-gated"
 HERMES_DASHBOARD_HOST="obol-agent.obol.stack"
 if [ "$ingress_port" = "80" ]; then
     HERMES_DASHBOARD_URL="http://${HERMES_DASHBOARD_HOST}"
 else
     HERMES_DASHBOARD_URL="http://${HERMES_DASHBOARD_HOST}:${ingress_port}"
 fi
-dashboard_html=""
+# hermes-agent v2026.7.x hardening: a non-loopback (0.0.0.0) dashboard bind now
+# requires an auth provider, and the loopback-only inline __HERMES_SESSION_TOKEN__
+# is deliberately disabled on a gated bind (closes the hermes-0day hole). The
+# stack configures basic-auth. Assert the dashboard container is UP (public
+# /api/status → 200) and ENFORCES auth (protected /api/sessions → 401 for an
+# unauthenticated caller; /api routes gate on the session token, not basic-auth).
+dash_code() { curl --resolve "${HERMES_DASHBOARD_HOST}:${ingress_port}:127.0.0.1" \
+    -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" --max-time 10 "$@" 2>/dev/null; }
+dash_status="" dash_protected=""
 for i in $(seq 1 15); do
-    dashboard_html=$(curl --resolve "${HERMES_DASHBOARD_HOST}:${ingress_port}:127.0.0.1" \
-        -sf --max-time 10 "$HERMES_DASHBOARD_URL/" 2>&1) || true
-    if echo "$dashboard_html" | grep -q "__HERMES_SESSION_TOKEN__"; then
-        pass "Hermes dashboard UI loaded: $HERMES_DASHBOARD_URL"
+    dash_status=$(dash_code "$HERMES_DASHBOARD_URL/api/status")
+    dash_protected=$(dash_code "$HERMES_DASHBOARD_URL/api/sessions")
+    if [ "$dash_status" = "200" ] && [ "$dash_protected" = "401" ]; then
+        pass "Hermes dashboard up + auth-gated (status=$dash_status protected=$dash_protected)"
         break
     fi
     sleep 2
 done
-if ! echo "$dashboard_html" | grep -q "__HERMES_SESSION_TOKEN__"; then
-    fail "Hermes dashboard UI deeplink failed — ${dashboard_html:0:100}"
+if [ "$dash_status" != "200" ] || [ "$dash_protected" != "401" ]; then
+    fail "Hermes dashboard check failed — status=$dash_status protected=$dash_protected"
 fi
 
 # §4: Verify Hermes config still has the expected model/provider wiring.
diff --git a/internal/hermes/hermes.go b/internal/hermes/hermes.go
index 479ca5a5..b4e26a0e 100644
--- a/internal/hermes/hermes.go
+++ b/internal/hermes/hermes.go
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ const (
 	rawChartVersion = "2.0.2"
 
 	// renovate: datasource=docker depName=nousresearch/hermes-agent
-	defaultImage = "nousresearch/hermes-agent:v2026.6.19"
+	defaultImage = "nousresearch/hermes-agent:v2026.7.1"
 	// Use the upstream image venv instead of cloning Hermes into the PVC on
 	// every cold start. The init container below validates the required extras
 	// are present so image regressions fail before the gateway starts.
@@ -977,6 +977,16 @@ func generateValues(namespace, hostname, dashboardHostname, agentBaseURL, token,
                 # is safe here. Production deployments must override this via a values overlay.
                 - name: GATEWAY_ALLOW_ALL_USERS
                   value: "true"
+                # v2026.7.x hardening: a non-loopback (0.0.0.0) dashboard bind now
+                # requires an auth provider; the legacy --insecure flag no longer
+                # bypasses it (closes the hermes-0day unauthenticated-dashboard
+                # hole). Register the bundled basic-auth provider using the agent's
+                # existing API token as the password (already surfaced to the
+                # operator). Probe path /api/status stays auth-exempt.
+                - name: HERMES_DASHBOARD_BASIC_AUTH_USERNAME
+                  value: obol
+                - name: HERMES_DASHBOARD_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD
+                  value: %s
               readinessProbe:
                 httpGet:
                   path: /api/status
@@ -1056,7 +1066,7 @@ func generateValues(namespace, hostname, dashboardHostname, agentBaseURL, token,
             - name: %s
               port: %d
 `, desc.DefaultPort, desc.DefaultPort, desc.DefaultPort,
-		quoteYAML(image()), quoteYAML(hermesBinary), dashboardPort, dashboardPort, desc.DefaultPort, dashboardPort, dashboardPort, dashboardPort,
+		quoteYAML(image()), quoteYAML(hermesBinary), dashboardPort, dashboardPort, desc.DefaultPort, quoteYAML(token), dashboardPort, dashboardPort, dashboardPort,
 		desc.DataPVCName,
 		desc.ServiceName, namespace, desc.ServiceName, desc.ServiceName, desc.DefaultPort, dashboardPort,
 		desc.ServiceName, namespace, quoteYAML(hostname), desc.ServiceName, desc.DefaultPort,
diff --git a/internal/serviceoffercontroller/agent_render.go b/internal/serviceoffercontroller/agent_render.go
index 91a7e276..4e030929 100644
--- a/internal/serviceoffercontroller/agent_render.go
+++ b/internal/serviceoffercontroller/agent_render.go
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ const (
 	hermesDataPVC      = "hermes-data"
 	hermesAPIPath      = "/health"
 	// renovate: datasource=docker depName=nousresearch/hermes-agent
-	defaultHermesImage = "nousresearch/hermes-agent:v2026.6.19"
+	defaultHermesImage = "nousresearch/hermes-agent:v2026.7.1"
 )
 
 // agentLabels returns the standard label set we attach to every primitive