Claude
Claude is an AI assistant for answering questions, writing, analysing documents, coding and carrying out computer tasks. It’s made by Anthropic, based in the United States.
Criminals have used its name in fake downloads or scams, so get it only from claude.com.
What it is
Claude is Anthropic’s official AI app. People use it to explain things, draft writing, analyse documents and write code. Some paid features can work with files and carry out tasks in other apps.
Claude processes conversations through Anthropic’s services. It can use files you share, capture screenshots and, with permission, interact with other apps. Computer use can expose private information visible on screen. Consumer accounts have a privacy setting controlling whether conversations help improve its models.
Anthropic requires users to be at least 18. It warns that Claude can give incorrect or misleading answers. Check important information and review its access before enabling file or computer controls.
Who makes it
Anthropic is an AI research company founded in 2021, based in San Francisco and organised as a public benefit corporation. Its legal name is Anthropic, PBC. Its website is anthropic.com.
Is it the real one?
Every Mac app carries a signature from the developer who made it. Apple checks who the developer is before handing out the certificate, and macOS refuses to open an app whose signature has been tampered with.
The real Claude is signed by Anthropic PBC, Apple team ID Q6L2SF6YDW. A copy signed by anyone else isn’t from Anthropic. HARD’s Mac app checks this for you; to check by hand, open Terminal and run codesign -dv "/Applications/Claude.app", and look for that TeamIdentifier.
Its bundle ID, the name macOS knows it by, is com.anthropic.claudefordesktop. Download it only from claude.com, not from an ad or a link someone sends you.
Fakes. In May 2026, researchers reported sponsored search results leading Mac users to fake installation instructions in shared Claude chats. In October 2026, Gen documented fake download pages in Claude chats and Artifacts that instructed users to run Terminal commands installing Atomic macOS Stealer.
What it connects to
In normal use, Claude talks to these places on the internet. A firewall that asks before apps connect, like the one in HARD’s Mac app, will show them.
| Address | Why |
|---|---|
claude.ai | Claude account and conversations. |
api.anthropic.com | AI processing and API requests. |
assets.claude.ai | Application files. |
downloads.claude.ai | Software downloads and updates. |
assets-proxy.anthropic.com | Application files and content. |
*.claudeusercontent.com | Generated content and artifacts. |
*.claudemcpcontent.com | Interactive results from connected tools. |
What it can see
macOS asks you before an app can use these. You can change them any time in System Settings → Privacy & Security.
| Permission | What it’s for |
|---|---|
| Screen Recording | Captures screenshots and application windows to share with Claude. |
| Accessibility | Enables the Mac quick entry feature. |
| Speech Recognition | Turns spoken prompts into text for voice dictation. |
Security record
Problems with Claude or Anthropic in the last three years, newest first. Keeping the app up to date covers the ones that were fixed.
| When | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Opening a malicious Cowork file could run commands on a Mac; version 1.15962.0 includes fixes for this and a related kernel flaw. | ↗ | |
| Anthropic disclosed and fixed a Cowork flaw where hidden instructions in a file could upload other workspace files to an attacker’s Anthropic account. | ↗ | |
| Claude Desktop could accept an impostor server during remote development connections; version 1.4304.0 fixed the server identity checks. | ↗ | |
| Oasis reported linked Claude website flaws that could steal conversation history; hidden prompt handling was fixed, with other fixes pending when reported. | ↗ | |
| LayerX showed that malicious calendar content could trigger local commands through desktop extensions and said Anthropic had declined a fix at publication. | ↗ |
References
- Enterprise configuration for Claude Desktop support.claude.com
- Anthropic company anthropic.com
- Anthropic Public Benefit Report anthropic.com
- Anthropic Transparency Hub anthropic.com
- Anthropic Startup Program Official Terms anthropic.com
- Get started with Claude support.claude.com
- Use Claude Cowork on web, desktop, and mobile support.claude.com
- Let Claude use your computer in Cowork support.claude.com
- Claude is providing incorrect or misleading responses support.claude.com
- Download Claude claude.com
- Claude Desktop installation and setup claude.com
- Claude release notes support.claude.com
- Desktop application network access requirements code.claude.com
- Enterprise network configuration code.claude.com
- Use quick entry with Claude Desktop on Mac support.claude.com
- Fake Claude search results lure Mac users into ClickFix attack malwarebytes.com
- How Criminals Abuse Claude’s Own Website to Spread Malware gendigital.com
- Claude Desktop macOS malicious Cowork file advisory github.com
- How we contain Claude across products anthropic.com
- SSH host key verification bypass advisory github.com
- Claudy Day: Chaining Prompt Injection and Data Exfiltration in Claude.ai oasis.security
- Claude Desktop Extensions remote code execution research akamai.com
- The signature on a real installed copy, read by HARD with
codesign.