January 13, 2026
Proxy Wars: Secrets vs AI
Using proxies to hide secrets from Claude Code
Dev trick to hide passwords from Claude Code sparks loud comment war
TLDR: Developers are testing proxy setups that let Claude Code use services without ever seeing actual passwords, keeping secrets out of local files. Comments split between praising the clever workaround and calling it “security theater,” with jokes about .env snacking and calls for stronger isolation like virtual machines.
Developers are buzzing over a new trick: using a “proxy” to feed tools like Claude Code the access they need without ever letting them touch your actual passwords. Think of it like handing the intern a sealed envelope—use it, don’t read it. The post calls out how coding assistants can peek at local files and environment variables (the little notes your computer uses), and the crowd went off. jackfranklyn cheered the approach as “treating the AI’s memory like an untrusted zone,” saying Claude loves slurping up .env files. Others pointed to Anthropic’s devcontainer firewall and sandboxing tools as part of the bigger lock-down story.
Drama alert: skeptics called proxies “security theater,” arguing if the bot can make network calls, it can still misbehave; hardliners demanded real isolation with VMs like gVisor and Firecracker. Memes landed: “Claude reading .env like it’s snack time,” “VPN for your API keys,” and “intern-proxy pattern.” Meanwhile devs shrugged: anything that keeps secrets out of the code folder is a win, especially since folks admit to accidentally leaving .env files where assistants can read them. The vibe? Clever band‑aid vs. fortress security—and everyone’s flexing their favorite guardrails, from devcontainers to “don’t run it near prod.”
Key Points
- •Sandboxing agentic coding tools is framed as a networking and isolation problem, guided by exposure, communication, and sensitive data considerations.
- •Anthropic provides multiple sandboxing options for Claude Code, including sandbox-exec-based tools and a devcontainers template with firewall allowlisting.
- •Claude Code can access environment variables, local files in the working directory, and Anthropic API keys, posing secret-exposure risks.
- •Common secret-management methods (e.g., dotenv files) are insufficient if secrets are present where Claude Code runs, as the tool can read them.
- •Developers can strengthen isolation using sandbox-exec, gVisor, or Firecracker and apply firewall rules; themes around network isolation and proxies carry over.