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Correct answer: A. The write is outside the boundary, so it needs explicit permission
Explanation
The principle — where you launched the session is where the write boundary is drawn.
Why the key is correct — Anthropic states that Claude Code can only write to the folder where it was started and its subfolders, and cannot modify files in parent directories without explicit permission. A parent directory is outside that boundary by definition, so the request is not refused and not silently performed; it needs permission you have not yet given.
Why the others are wrong — the boundary is narrower than your user account's reach, which is the whole point of having one. Approvals granted inside the project authorise those actions rather than enlarging the area. And this is not an absolute refusal, because explicit permission is exactly the route the documentation names.
Remember this — if you routinely need to edit a level up, start the session a level up, and know that you have widened the boundary by doing so.
Sources — Anthropic's Claude Code security page.
Sources
“Claude Code can only write to the folder where it was started and its subfolders, and cannot modify files in parent directories without explicit permission.”
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