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A63/100

Incident · high

Claude Code's “Don't Ask Again” File Exposes Passwords and Keys in 1,122 Public Copies on GitHub

Tier A · Patch today – Before you go home

Who’s exposed: Developers whose Claude Code approval files were committed to public GitHub repositories

Tier A because: Core infrastructure or popular tool AND secrets exposed

Reach

Attack

Damage

Fix

Popular tool · Secrets exposed

What to do

  1. Search your public and private repositories for the "don't ask again" file and remove any secrets from it
  2. Rotate any passwords or API keys that were typed into approved Claude Code commands
  3. Avoid typing secrets directly into commands approved with "don't ask again"

The Brief

  • Passwords and API keys typed into commands approved in Claude Code are stored in a "Don't Ask Again" file when users select "Yes, and don't ask again".
  • The saved commands are word-for-word, so secrets included in them can be stored in plain form.
  • Researchers found 1,122 public copies of such secrets on GitHub, where anyone can read them.

Why it matters

Developers who used the "don't ask again" option may have committed credentials to public repositories, where they can be harvested and abused.

The checklist behind the tier

Checklist · 3 of 10 yes
YesHits tech teamsClaude Code is an AI coding assistant that developers run directly in their workflows.
NoCore infrastructureClaude Code is a single vendor's AI coding tool, not software nearly every team runs like OpenSSH or GitHub.
YesPopular toolClaude Code is a mainstream developer tool used by many teams, so it counts as widely used.
NoExploited in the wildThe Hacker News reports exposed secrets in public repos but does not report observed attacks using this flaw.
NoPublic exploitThe Hacker News describes the exposure but does not say exploit code or a step-by-step PoC is published.
NoRemote, no loginThe Hacker News says the data is readable by anyone on public GitHub, but does not describe an unauthenticated attack path.
NoFull takeoverThe Hacker News reports exposed passwords and keys, not code execution, root rights or account takeover.
YesSecrets exposedThe Hacker News reports passwords and API keys typed into approved commands are sitting in 1,122 public GitHub copies.
NoSupply chainThe Hacker News reports leaked secrets in saved commands, not malicious code shipped through a trusted channel.
NoNo fix yetThe Hacker News excerpt does not state whether Anthropic has shipped a fix, so no source says none exists.

Timeline

  1. The Hacker News reports that passwords and API keys from approved Claude Code commands are exposed in 1,122 public GitHub copies

  2. The Hacker News

    Claude Code's “Don't Ask Again” File Exposes Passwords and Keys in 1,122 Public Copies on GitHub

Source

Claude Code's “Don't Ask Again” File Exposes Passwords and Keys in 1,122 Public Copies on GitHub ↗ The Hacker News · 8h ago

First seen · 1 source · Full story page · How tiers are decided