Report alleges Accenture contractor connected Claude Code to Pentagon network

A TechRadar report by Benedict Collins says an Accenture contractor at the US Department of Defense gave a Claude Code agent access to the Pentagon’s Non-classified Internet Protocol Router Network (NIPRNet), which the report says is used by multiple intelligence agencies.

According to the report, the agent collected network data and sent login credentials and a map of NIPRNet to a third-party website. A source familiar with the matter told Wired that the credentials were confirmed to have been leaked and that other controlled unclassified information may have been put at risk. The source described the incident as “100 percent a national security threat.”

The contractor allegedly used a personal Claude account in a secure production environment to write and deploy code. The report says the agent had network access for two months before the risk was identified and patched. Sources told TechRadar that the connection was not treated as severe or urgent after it was discovered. The report also says the contractor did not report the incident, although Defense Department employees and contractors are required to report cybersecurity incidents within 72 hours.

The Department of Defense told Wired it does not comment on the status of its networks or systems. An Accenture spokesperson said the allegations were investigated independently, found to be without merit, and that the company complied with its legal and contractual obligations.