Claude Code 2.1.233: todo tools off by default, an NTLM leak closed

Claude Code 2.1.233 shipped on August 14. Three things worth knowing: task-tracking tools are now off by default on the newest models, an NTLM credential leak on Windows is closed, and 2.1.232 partially reverses its own Bash permission changes. Here's what matters.

Todo tools are off by default on Opus 4.8, Sonnet 5, and Fable 5

Starting with this release, task-tracking tools (the to-do list Claude shows and updates while it works through a session) are disabled by default on Opus 4.8, Sonnet 5, and Fable 5. If you relied on that list to track progress on a long task, it won't show up anymore the next time you run one of these models.

The official changelog also lists Mythos 5 here, but you can ignore it: that model has been switched off since June 12, 2026 and nobody has access to it.

Setting CLAUDE_CODE_ENABLE_TODO_TOOLS=1 brings back the previous behavior. The changelog doesn't explain the reasoning, but the effect is immediate, and easy to miss until you notice the list just isn't there.

An NTLM leak closed on Windows

A file path prefixed with an NT device name (the kind of low-level path Windows exposes alongside regular UNC paths) could bypass UNC path validation. In practice, a path built that way could leak NTLM credentials. That's fixed in 2.1.233.

2.1.232 walks back: Cygwin symlinks and redirections restored

We covered this yesterday: 2.1.232 put Cygwin-style symlinks and Bash input redirections (< file) under explicit permission checks. In 2.1.233, that specific change is reverted for Windows. The changelog ties this reversal to another fix in the same release: Windows auto mode kept stopping repeatedly for manual approval on perfectly ordinary Bash commands, a regression introduced by 2.1.232 itself.

If you'd already adjusted a hook or automation to 2.1.232's new permission prompt, check that it still behaves the way you expect now that part of it has been pulled back.

The rest, worth a skim

• --worktree: now accepts a GitLab merge request URL, same as it already did for GitHub PRs. Also visible in the claude agents view.
• Apps gateway: new opt-in forward_user_identity setting for user attribution, and 400/413 errors now come back with more detail.
• Linux sandbox: opt-in memory cgroup support for commands run through the Bash tool.
• CLAUDE_CODE_WEBFETCH_CACHE_TTL_MS: new environment variable to tune the WebFetch cache duration.
• Notification hooks: fire correctly again for permission prompts.
• Cloud sessions: no longer wrongly marked as lost during environment shutdown.
• MCP v2: connections no longer endlessly reopen their subscription/listen streams.
• Idle Linux sessions: no longer pin one CPU core at 100% in the background.
• Bundled skills: skill aliases no longer report "Unknown command" in certain modes, and skill/command argument substitution no longer blocks re-expansion.
• Self-hosted runner: faster session start time.
• claude plugin validate: improved for .claude/skills directories.
• Screen reader mode: better handling of the /effort selector and dialog text.
• GitHub app: the setup tip no longer shows up in repos that aren't on GitHub.

Should you update

Yes, especially for the NTLM fix if you're on Windows. But watch your step going up: on Opus 4.8, Sonnet 5, or Fable 5, the to-do list vanishes without warning unless you set CLAUDE_CODE_ENABLE_TODO_TOOLS=1. And if you'd already adapted a Windows workflow to 2.1.232, re-check it: part of that change was just pulled back.

Source: official Claude Code changelog.