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Anthropic Claude Code telemetry: Difference between revisions

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Created new incident article for Anthropic Claude Code telemetry covering HERMES.md billing flaw and source code leak
 
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<!-- Post-audit revision: 2026-05-02. Issues fixed: 12. Claims removed: 6. -->
#REDIRECT [[Anthropic Claude Code HERMES.md billing flaw]]
<!-- MODIFIED SECTIONS: Intro, HERMES.md billing switch, Source code leak & malware, Supply chain risk designation -->
{{IncidentCargo
|Company=Anthropic
|Product=Claude Code
|Date=2026-04-25
|Description=Anthropic's Claude Code triggered a flaw that bypassed subscriptions to charge direct API fees based on git commit history.
}}
'''Anthropic Claude Code telemetry''' triggered a flaw that bypassed flat-rate subscription plans to charge users direct API fees. In April 2026, a technical flaw triggered by the exact string "HERMES.md" in git commit messages routed subscribers directly to pay-as-you-go billing, charging one account over $200.<ref name="github_hermes">{{Cite web |url=https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/53262 |title=HERMES.md in git commit messages causes requests to route to extra usage billing instead of plan quota #53262 |author=sasha-id |website=GitHub |date=2026-04-25 |access-date=2026-04-26}}</ref>
 
== HERMES.md billing switch ==
On April 25, 2026, a user reported that the exact string "HERMES.md" in their local git commit history caused Claude Code to route queries outside of their fixed-rate subscription plan.<ref name="github_hermes" /> The system bypassed the $200 per month Max plan and charged the user direct, pay-as-you-go API rates.<ref name="github_hermes" /> The user lost over $200 in extra charges while 86 percent of their prepaid plan capacity remained available.<ref name="github_hermes" />
 
=== Anthropic's response ===
When the affected user contacted Anthropic support, the company refused to issue a refund for the $200 lost to the glitch, categorizing the overcharge as an un-refundable technical error.<ref name="reddit_psa">{{Cite web |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/ClaudeAI/comments/1svdm1w/psa_the_string_hermesmd_in_your_git_commit/ |title=PSA: The string 'HERMES.md' in your git commit history silently... |website=Reddit |date=2026-04-26 |access-date=2026-04-26}}</ref>
 
== Source code leak & malware ==
On March 31, 2026, Anthropic exposed 512,000 lines of proprietary TypeScript source code for Claude Code.<ref name="9to5">{{Cite web |url=https://9to5google.com/2026/04/01/claude-source-code-leak/ |title=Claude's source code leak was an internal error, not an attack |author=Andrew Romero |website=9to5Google |date=2026-04-01 |access-date=2026-04-26}}</ref> The leak occurred because a JavaScript source map was bundled into an npm package update.<ref name="9to5" /> Hackers subsequently distributed fake versions of Claude Code containing Vidar and GhostSocks malware to developers.<ref name="pcmag_malware">{{Cite web |url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/hackers-are-using-claude-code-leak-as-bait-to-spread-malware |title=Hackers Are Using Claude Code Leak As Bait to Spread Malware |author=Michael Kan |website=PCMag |date=2026-04-03 |access-date=2026-04-26}}</ref>
 
== Supply chain risk designation ==
On March 2, 2026, United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth designated Anthropic a "Supply-Chain Risk to National Security."<ref name="justsec">{{Cite web |url=https://www.justsecurity.org/anthropic-supply-chain-risk |title=What Hegseth’s “Supply Chain Risk” Designation of Anthropic Does and Doesn’t Mean |author=Tess Bridgeman |website=Just Security |date=2026-03-02 |access-date=2026-04-26}}</ref>
 
== See also ==
* [[Digital Millennium Copyright Act]]
* [[Data collection and privacy]]
* [[Right to repair]]
 
== References ==
{{reflist}}
 
[[Category:Anthropic]]
[[Category:Incident]]
[[Category:Data collection and privacy]]
[[Category:Copyright issues]]

Latest revision as of 20:44, 27 April 2026