What happened
Apiiro security researchers found thousands of secrets, including database passwords, API tokens and administrator credentials, inside Claude Code configuration files uploaded to public GitHub repositories. The cause is a partial oversight in how command approvals are saved.
Why it matters
When a person picks “Yes, and don’t ask again” to allow a terminal command, that decision is saved as a rule in the local .claude/settings.local.json file. Sometimes the rule is a pattern, but often the command is written as is, with any sensitive data embedded in it. If the file stays on the computer, the risk is low.
The number
Apiiro found more than 100,000 cases of that file uploaded to public GitHub; only about 1,100, from 63 organizations, contained secrets.
Context
Anthropic’s documentation says that file is added to the developer’s global .gitignore list, which usually prevents it from being shared. But that rule is not reflected at the repository level, so the file can be uploaded by accident if the repository is cloned to another machine or if a folder later becomes a repository. In many cases, Claude Code itself commits changes to the file without the person asking, according to Apiiro. Even if the file is deleted, secrets can persist in forks of the project. On related topics, Mamífero published Anthropic publishes a checker for Claude-made files; Hundreds of Artex AI hacking tools left exposed; Claude formally verifies 123 code libraries and Florida activates first stretch of quantum-safe network.
What’s next
For those who use the tool, the concrete step is to check repositories for that file, rotate any key left exposed and add the path to the project’s .gitignore. It remains to be seen whether Anthropic changes how approved commands are saved.
Bottom line
A local file that looks harmless becomes a problem when it reaches a public repository.
Sources
- Ars Technica, report on Apiiro’s finding (accessed November 9, 2026).
- Cover image: Wikideas1, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Edited by Rodrigo Cornejo. How we select and verify: who writes these notes.
