Identification of Security Vulnerabilities in Anthropic's Claude Code by Chinese Regulatory Authorities

中國監管機構在 Anthropic 的 Claude Code 中發現安全漏洞


Introduction

The Chinese government has issued a formal warning regarding security risks associated with the AI coding tool Claude Code, developed by the U.S.-based firm Anthropic.

中國政府已就美國公司 Anthropic 開發的 AI 程式碼工具 Claude Code 的安全風險發出正式警告。

Main Body

The National Vulnerability Database (NVDB), an entity affiliated with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, reported the detection of a security backdoor within specific iterations of Claude Code. According to the NVDB, versions 2.1.91 through 2.1.196—released between April 2 and June 29—possess a mechanism capable of transmitting user identity and geolocation data to remote servers without explicit consent. The regulator characterized this functionality as a severe threat, subsequently advising institutions to implement rigorous network traffic monitoring and to either uninstall the software or migrate to version 2.1.204.

國家漏洞資料庫(NVDB)是工業和信息化部下屬的一個機構,該機構報告在 Claude Code 的特定版本中偵測到安全後門。根據 NVDB 的說法,在 4 月 2 日至 6 月 29 日之間發佈的 2.1.91 至 2.1.196 版本,擁有一套能在未經明確同意的情況下,將使用者身分與地理位置數據傳送至遠端伺服器的機制。監管機構將此功能定性為嚴重威脅,隨後建議各機構實施嚴格的網路流量監控,並採取解除安裝軟體或遷移至 2.1.204 版本的措施。

This development occurs within a context of systemic friction regarding intellectual property and national security. Anthropic has maintained restrictions on users in China and other designated adversarial jurisdictions; however, access has persisted via third-party proxies and virtual private networks. Furthermore, Anthropic has previously alleged that Chinese entities, specifically Alibaba, engaged in 'distillation'—the process of reverse-engineering AI models to replicate their capabilities. In response to these findings, an Anthropic engineer, Thariq Shihipar, stated that the disputed code was an experimental measure initiated in March to mitigate account abuse by unauthorized resellers and to prevent the aforementioned distillation. Shihipar indicated that the functionality was slated for removal in a subsequent release.

此發展發生在關於知識產權與國家安全存在系統性摩擦的背景之下。Anthropic 一直對中國及其他指定對手司法管轄區的使用者維持限制;然而,使用者仍透過第三方代理與虛擬私人網路(VPN)持續存取。此外,Anthropic 先前指控中國實體,特別是阿里巴巴,從事「蒸餾」——即透過反向工程 AI 模型以複製其能力的過程。針對這些發現,Anthropic 工程師 Thariq Shihipar 表示,引起爭議的程式碼是 3 月開始的一項實驗性措施,旨在減輕未經授權轉售商對帳號的濫用,並防止上述的蒸餾行為。Shihipar 指出,該功能原定在隨後的版本中移除。

Institutional responses within China have been immediate. Reports indicate that Alibaba instructed its personnel to cease the professional utilization of Claude Code effective July 10, citing security imperatives.

中國國內機構的反應迅速。報告指出,阿里巴巴已指示其員工自 7 月 10 日起停止將 Claude Code 用於專業用途,理由是出於安全必要性。

Conclusion

Chinese regulators have urged the immediate remediation of Claude Code installations following the discovery of unauthorized data transmission capabilities.

中國監管機構在發現未經授權的數據傳輸功能後,促請立即修復安裝了 Claude Code 的系統。

Vocabulary Learning

The Architecture of 'Institutional Neutrality' & Nominalization

To transcend B2/C1 fluency and enter the C2 stratum, a learner must master the depersonalization of agency. The provided text is a masterclass in Nominalization—the process of turning verbs (actions) into nouns (concepts). This shifts the focus from who is doing something to what is occurring, creating an aura of objective, institutional authority.

◈ The Linguistic Pivot: From Action to State

Observe how the text avoids simple active constructions (e.g., "The government warned about...") in favor of complex nominal clusters:

  • "Identification of Security Vulnerabilities" \rightarrow Instead of "Identifying vulnerabilities."
  • "Systemic friction regarding intellectual property" \rightarrow Instead of "Systems are clashing over IP."
  • "Immediate remediation of Claude Code installations" \rightarrow Instead of "Fixing the installations immediately."

C2 Insight: By utilizing nouns like remediation, identification, and friction, the writer removes the emotional volatility of the conflict. This is the hallmark of high-level diplomatic and technical discourse.

◈ Lexical Precision: The 'Hedge' and the 'Hammer'

C2 mastery requires the ability to calibrate the intensity of a claim. Note the interplay between precise technical jargon and calculated descriptors:

"...an experimental measure initiated in March to mitigate account abuse..."

  1. Mitigate (C2): Far more precise than reduce or stop. It implies making a problem less severe without necessarily eliminating it.
  2. Slated for removal (C2 Idiomatic): A professional collocation meaning 'scheduled.' It suggests an organized, bureaucratic timeline rather than a random decision.

◈ Syntactic Sophistication: The Appositive Expansion

Look at the phrase: "...the National Vulnerability Database (NVDB), an entity affiliated with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology..."

This structure—[Noun] + [Appositive Phrase]—allows the author to embed critical context without breaking the sentence's momentum. A B2 student would likely use a separate sentence ("The NVDB is an entity..."). A C2 writer integrates the identity into the flow, maintaining a high density of information per clause.

Vocabulary Learning

iterations (n.)
Specific versions or repetitions of a process, particularly in software development, where a product is refined over time.
Example:The software underwent several iterations before the developers were satisfied with its stability.
explicit (adj.)
Stated clearly and in detail, leaving no room for confusion or doubt.
Example:The company provided explicit instructions on how to handle the sensitive data.
systemic (adj.)
Relating to a system as a whole rather than a particular part; ingrained within an entire organization or structure.
Example:The economist argued that the financial crisis was the result of systemic failures in the banking sector.
adversarial (adj.)
Characterized by conflict, opposition, or hostility.
Example:The two nations have maintained an adversarial relationship for decades, leading to frequent diplomatic tensions.
distillation (n.)
In the context of AI, the process of transferring knowledge from a large, complex model to a smaller, more efficient one through reverse-engineering.
Example:The startup was accused of model distillation after releasing a lightweight AI that mirrored the performance of the industry leader.
mitigate (v.)
To make something less severe, serious, or painful.
Example:The government implemented new zoning laws to mitigate the effects of urban sprawl.
imperatives (n.)
Factors or requirements that are crucially important or urgent.
Example:Security imperatives dictated that the network be completely shut down during the breach.
remediation (n.)
The action of remedying something, specifically the process of correcting a fault or vulnerability in a system.
Example:The IT department prioritized the remediation of the server vulnerabilities to prevent further data leaks.
Practice C2 words in a crossword