Claude Code · Agentic AI · Anthropic · Claude · China · The Register
China tells devs to ditch Claude Code over 'backdoor code' fears
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National vulnerability database claims monitoring mechanism can forward Chinese users' data to remote servers.
Key facts
- It said the alert only applies to Claude Code versions 2.1.91 (April 2) to 2.1.196 (June 29)
- China's National Vulnerability Database (CNVDB) is urging developers to uninstall recent Claude Code versions over the fear that they can scoop up sensitive user data without consent
- Claude Code engineer Thariq Shihipar stated publicly that Anthropic launched an experiment in March to protect against model distillation, a process by which AI companies try to improve their models
- According to a letter to two US senators seen by Reuters, it was the largest attack on Anthropic's AI that the company had ever seen
Summary
China's National Vulnerability Database (CNVDB) is urging developers to uninstall recent Claude Code versions over the fear that they can scoop up sensitive user data without consent. Referring to it as "backdoor code," the state-run body claimed over WeChat and in an online statement that a "built-in monitoring mechanism" can gather details such as a user's location and identity, and forward them to remote servers. It said the alert only applies to Claude Code versions 2.1.91 (April 2) to 2.1.196 (June 29). "For development terminals with the above-mentioned affected versions installed, immediately uninstall or upgrade to the latest secure version with the relevant backdoor code removed; strengthen the control of external access permissions and traffic monitoring of development tools within core business network segments to prevent the unauthorized transmission of sensitive data.