China warns users against Anthropic’s Claude Code AI tool

A Chinese industry regulator has warned users about an alleged “security backdoor” in Claude Code, an AI coding tool developed by the U.S. artificial intelligence company Anthropic.

According to China’s National Vulnerability Database (NVDB), the alleged backdoor could allow the software to transmit users sensitive information including location data and identity-related information to Anthropic’s servers without authorization.

Claude Code is an AI coding assistant that can generate computer code, fix software bugs and review code based on user instructions. The report noted that Anthropic has restricted access to its products in China and several other countries it considers competitors.

However, users in those regions can still access the tools through VPNs or third-party proxy services. The NVDB which operates under China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said on its website that it had recently identified what it described as “security backdoor risks” in the tool calling them a serious security concern.

According to international news agencies, Anthropic has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the allegations. The NVDB has advised organizations and individual users to immediately conduct a thorough security review and either uninstall the software or update it to the latest secure version, if available, in which the alleged backdoor has been removed.

Meanwhile, Chinese technology company Alibaba has also decided to ban its employees from using Claude Code starting July 10 citing security concerns. It is worth noting that Anthropic had previously accused Alibaba of copying its AI models.