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Claude Code AI finds a cryptominer on a Mac; says it didn’t put it there

A Redditor used Claude Code AI to build a Mac temperature monitor app and found that the machine was running much hotter than expected. Claude reported that it found a crypto miner using more than 1,000% of the CPU cycles – then added an unprompted comment denying having installed it.

Some Redditors were understandably suspicious of Claude’s spontaneous comment that it wasn’t responsible for installing the rogue app …

Redditor UntilHEX shared the Claude report on the reason for the overheating (via Macworld).

“Most important: your Mac is running a cryptominer that I didn’t put there. While checking sensor accuracy | saw xmrig using about 1175% CPU, roughly 12 cores. That is why your temperatures are so high, with the CPU peaking at 112°C.”

About all that seemed to be missing from Claude’s comment was the word “totally.”

Redditors had split views on the suspicious-sounding comment, but it seems more likely to be a training artifact than an AI gone rogue.

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Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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