Anthropic's Claude chained flaws to attack Pixel 9, Chrome and Linux in tests

Anthropic's research team has described experiments in which an internal research version of the Claude model independently chained separate vulnerabilities into full attack chains. The Polish tech site Antyweb reported on the work on 1 November 2026, citing Anthropic's publication.

What the model achieved

On a locked Google Pixel 9, the model combined three flaws: a bypass of the USB data-transfer restriction, authorisation of a second device and verification of file reads. This gave it access to photos and private data without knowing the screen lock code. According to Antyweb, it took a dozen or so minutes.

On Linux, the model needed 53 minutes in total. After breaking the Multipath TCP service's protections, it gained administrator (root) privileges on a server.

In Google Chrome, it chained four bugs. It escaped the sandbox and launched a calculator after opening a malicious page, which is a typical proof of arbitrary code execution. In Apple Safari, it found bugs that allow cookies and browsing history to be stolen. In Windows, it identified a network flaw that lets attackers remotely crash servers handling HTTP/3 connections.

Why it matters

According to Antyweb, building such multi-stage attacks used to take teams of specialists weeks. The model did it on its own in a few dozen minutes. Anthropic reportedly reported all the flaws to the vendors: Google, Apple, Microsoft and the Linux community. Fixes have been prepared and rolled out.

The Antyweb author stresses that failing to install a patch still leaves the door open to serious privacy breaches.

What this means for you

The conclusions apply to anyone using a phone or computer, in the UK as much as in Poland:

• It is worth installing system and browser updates as soon as they become available.
• When buying a phone or laptop, the manufacturer's support period, especially for security patches, deserves as much weight as the processor or battery.
• Antyweb points out that in the Android world only a few companies offer exemplary support. Many cheaper models and devices from lesser-known brands get patches months late, or stop receiving them as little as a year after launch.

The sources do not give version numbers or identifiers of specific patches, so it is not clear which updates contain the fixes. The simplest practical rule is to keep your software up to date.