- Hackers exploit Claude Code leak with fake GitHub repositories
- Malicious files deploy Vidar infostealer and GhostSocks proxy malware
- Anthropic Faces Increasing Scrutiny Amid Recent Vulnerabilities and Rapid Product Releases
Hackers have taken advantage of recent news about a major leak of Claude Code source code to trick people into infecting their computers with information-stealing malware.
A few days ago, an Anthropic employee accidentally leaked Claude Code’s source code in what the company confirmed was not an act of a malicious insider or third party, but rather a mishap.
People quickly took notice and supported the leak on a GitHub repository that, so far, has been forked tens of thousands of times and is now being exploited by cybercriminals.
Article continues below.
Delivering Vidar and GhostSocks
Zscaler security researchers said they observed malicious GitHub repositories, published by a user with the name ‘dbzoomh’, claiming to be Claude Code source code with “unlocked enterprise features” and no usage restrictions.
The hacker even optimized the repository for search engines, apparently achieving what most marketing agencies dream of: reaching the first page of Google for “Leaked Claude Code” and similar search queries.
Zscaler said that the repository contains a 7-Zip archive containing an executable called ClaudeCode_x64.exe. It was built in Rust and, when released, implements Vidar and GhostSocks.
Vidar is a known extremely powerful information stealer, capable of capturing browser data (cookies, stored passwords, and more), saved passwords, cryptocurrency wallet data, and other vital files. GhostSocks, on the other hand, is a proxy malware that turns infected machines into residential proxies. Criminals use these proxies to route malicious traffic and often sell it as a service.
Speed or safety?
According to Zscaler, the malicious file is constantly updated, suggesting that the payloads could change in the future. They also said they saw a different GitHub repository with identical code. This one, however, shows a missing “Download ZIP” button, leading researchers to conclude that the attackers played with different implementation mechanisms.
The account pushing the malicious update has since been removed from the platform and the GitHub page displays a 404 error message.
Anthropic has been shipping new products at high speed, apparently at the expense of safety. In recent weeks, we have had multiple stories about Claude being vulnerable to immediate injections and similar attacks.
On March 27, 2026, security researchers Koi Security found a major flaw in the Claude Code Google Chrome extension that allowed zero-click attacks. The vulnerability, called ShadowPrompt, could have allowed malicious actors to leak sensitive data.
A few days earlier, on March 19, Oasis security researchers reported finding three vulnerabilities in Claude that, when used together, form a complete attack chain, from targeted delivery to the victim to exfiltration of sensitive data. The researchers called it Cloudy Day and responsibly revealed it to Anthropic, which quickly addressed it.
Still, the platform’s popularity is skyrocketing. The same day ShadowPrompt was discovered, Anthropic was forced to ramp up its tools during peak hours to cope with increasing demand. “To manage the increasing demand for Claude, we are adjusting our 5-hour session limits for free/Pro/Max subscribers during peak hours. Their weekly limits remain unchanged,” said Thariq Shihipar, an engineer working at Claude Code, in a post on X.
Through beepcomputer
The best antivirus for all budgets
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to receive news, reviews and opinions from our experts in your feeds. Be sure to click the Follow button!
And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form and receive regular updates from us on WhatsApp also.
