Cursor breaking changes, updated weekly

Every verified Cursor trap in Footgun: changes and behaviors that break code or give wrong results, newest first. Each one has the error you see, the fix, and the date it was last checked. The list updates when the weekly check adds or retires a trap. For the full cause and sources, open the trap, or see all Cursor traps.

1. fg-0576· added 2026-10-30· last checked 2026-10-30

   Cursor iOS app cannot see or reply to local agents for an Enterprise organization

   Symptom

   Computer does not show remote control access in the Cursor iOS app

   Fix

   Have an Enterprise admin enable Remote Control in org settings, then sign in to the iOS app and approve the pairing request in the desktop app.

2. fg-0582· added 2026-10-30· last checked 2026-10-30

   Cursor Remote Control stops working when the laptop sleeps

   Symptom

   Local agents disappear from the iOS app after the computer goes idle

   Fix

   Turn on the keep-awake option in the desktop settings, and keep the machine plugged in with the lid open.

3. fg-0508· added 2026-10-15· last checked 2026-10-15

   Claude Fable 5.1 requests fail in Cursor with Privacy Mode on until data retention is approved

   Symptom

   Requests to Claude Fable 5 or 5.1 fail for an Enterprise team or a Privacy Mode user

   Fix

   Have an admin approve the model on the dashboard restricted models page, which applies to the whole team, or pick another model.

4. fg-0517· added 2026-10-15· last checked 2026-10-15

   .cursorignore does not stop Cursor Agent from reading ignored files through the terminal or MCP tools

   Symptom

   Agent runs cat on a file listed in .cursorignore and sees its contents

   Fix

   Keep real credentials out of the workspace. For the CLI add Read and Shell deny rules; in the editor rely on the sandbox read boundary and Run Mode approvals for shell access.

5. fg-0519· added 2026-10-15· last checked 2026-10-15

   id -u returns 0 inside Cursor's Linux sandbox, so docker --user and chown use root

   Symptom

   Files created by a sandboxed Docker run are owned by root on the host

   Fix

   Read the host IDs from CURSOR_ORIG_UID and CURSOR_ORIG_GID, falling back to id when they are unset.

6. fg-0512· added 2026-10-15· last checked 2026-10-15

   Cursor CLI agent -p finishes but leaves the files unchanged

   Symptom

   The final answer describes edits, but git diff is empty

   Fix

   Add --force for runs that should write, and scope what runs unprompted with permissions allow and deny lists in cli-config.json or .cursor/cli.json.

7. fg-0509· added 2026-10-15· last checked 2026-10-15

   Cursor Agent cannot see CSV, PDF, SVG, or image files in the project

   Symptom

   @-mentioning a .csv or .svg file finds nothing

   Fix

   Re-include the files Agent needs with a ! pattern in .cursorignore.

8. fg-0510· added 2026-10-15· last checked 2026-10-15

   Cursor Agent terminal output is truncated or garbled with Powerlevel10k or another heavy prompt

   Symptom

   Command output looks cut off or misformatted in Agent's terminal

   Fix

   Skip the theme when the CURSOR_AGENT variable is set, so Agent sessions get a simple prompt.

9. fg-0514· added 2026-10-15· last checked 2026-10-15

   Cursor MCP server fails authentication when mcp.json uses ${API_KEY} instead of ${env:API_KEY}

   Symptom

   An MCP server configured with ${API_KEY} in env or headers rejects its credentials

   Fix

   Use ${env:NAME} for environment variables, export them where Cursor can read them, and pass remote server secrets through headers with interpolation instead of envFile.

10. fg-0515· added 2026-10-15· last checked 2026-10-15

    Cursor rule with alwaysApply false and no description or globs is never applied

    Symptom

    The rule is listed but Agent ignores it

    Fix

    Set alwaysApply true for rules that must always load, give agent-selected rules a clear description, and check globs against the paths Agent actually opens.

11. fg-0516· added 2026-10-15· last checked 2026-10-15

    Cursor User Rules have no effect on Inline Edit (Cmd+K) or Tab completions

    Symptom

    Cmd+K edits ignore style preferences that Agent follows

    Fix

    Enforce must-have conventions in tooling that runs on every change, such as a formatter and linter, and restate the preference in the Cmd+K prompt.

12. fg-0518· added 2026-10-15· last checked 2026-10-15

    .cursorignore negation does not re-include a file inside an ignored folder

    Symptom

    !public/assets/style.css has no effect after public/*

    Fix

    Exclude the nested folder's contents explicitly, then negate the file, and test the pattern with git check-ignore -v.

13. fg-0520· added 2026-10-15· last checked 2026-10-15

    VS Code extension is missing or different in Cursor's extension search

    Symptom

    A Microsoft Marketplace extension cannot be found in Cursor

    Fix

    Check the publisher before installing, prefer the Anysphere replacement where one exists, and restrict team installs to approved publishers or IDs.