Cursor 3.24.18 Agent can't read a normal project file: `Error: Permission denied` and `Path '...' is filtered out by .cursorignore` (a `.cursorignore` in a parent folder)

Context

Source(s): https://forum.cursor.com/t/cursor-3-24-18-linux-agent-file-reader-permission-denied-incorrect-cursorignore-filtering/175043 Signal: 69 views in 2 days; the original poster verified the workaround on two Linux machines and marked it as the solution; staff confirmed the cause (October 2026). Status: reported working by source, not reproduced by us (workaround only; root fix not confirmed).

Problem

The Agent's file-reading tool returns Error: Permission denied for an existing, readable, Git-tracked file, and workspace search says the same file is filtered out by .cursorignore. The editor opens the file normally, and the Agent terminal reads it with /usr/bin/cat (exit code 0). The project's own .cursorignore has no pattern that matches the file, and git check-ignore does not ignore it.

Error (redacted / normalized)

Error: Permission denied
Error running tool: Path '...' is filtered out by .cursorignore

Applies when

Cursor 3.24.18 on Linux (Ubuntu 24.04 VM, AppImage, and an NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano, ARM64), single-root workspace nested inside a larger repository folder.

Confirm it is this problem

1. From the project root, list every .cursorignore above it (staff command): d="$PWD"; while [ "$d" != "/" ]; do d=$(dirname "$d"); [ -f "$d/.cursorignore" ] && echo "$d/.cursorignore"; done → expect: one or more files are printed.
2. Open each file it prints. → expect: a line that matches the project folder or one of its parents, such as a folder name or a broad pattern like * or */ (in the thread both parent files contained only *, meant to discourage opening those parent folders as workspaces).

Not this when / boundary

The command finds no parent .cursorignore and the project's own rules don't match the file; then the cause is different (our inference). The separate "Local tools are turned off" error raised later in the thread is a different Grok Bot issue (staff).

Root cause

Per Cursor staff: the Agent's Read and workspace search tools apply .cursorignore files from every parent folder up to /, even when Hierarchical Cursor Ignore is turned off. The editor respects that setting, which is why the file opens there but the Agent says it is filtered out. Staff called this a bug being tracked; no fix yet.

Fix

1. In each parent .cursorignore that the command found, remove, comment out or narrow the line that matches your project (staff). The original poster renamed both parent files to .cursorignore.disabled. Leave the project's own .cursorignore as it is.
2. Fully quit Cursor and reopen the project. → expect: the original poster said the Read tool then succeeded on both machines, and workspace search succeeded on the VM (not retested on the Jetson).
3. Start a new chat and ask the Agent to read the same file again.

How to verify

The Agent's Read tool returns the file's contents and workspace search finds it, without falling back to the terminal.

What did not work

none reported. The project's own .cursorignore patterns were not the cause (staff).

Risks

Removing or renaming a parent .cursorignore also removes whatever it was protecting in those parent folders, for example if you later open a parent as a workspace (our inference). If a parent rule exists to keep secrets away from AI tools, narrow it instead of deleting it (our inference). Staff advised leaving the renamed files as they are until the bug is fixed.

Verified scope

Cursor 3.24.18 on Linux, October 2026 (staff described the parent-folder behaviour as a general Agent tool bug, so other platforms may be affected too; our inference).

Becomes obsolete when

Cursor's Agent tools honour the Hierarchical Cursor Ignore setting.