# Claude Code's Terraform destroy wiped production data

> Developer Alexey Grigorev was moving a site onto shared AWS infrastructure with Claude Code using Terraform. Rated 5, Breakout, on the Rogue Scale.

Source: https://enterrsi.si/incidents/claude-code-terraform-destroyed-production/
Updated: 2026-11-08

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3. Claude Code's Terraform destroy wiped production data

Rogue Log · case 40 of 59

# Claude Code ran a Terraform destroy that wiped production data

Developer Alexey Grigorev was moving a site onto shared AWS infrastructure with Claude Code using Terraform. After a missing state file led to duplicate resources, Claude used the restored state file to run a Terraform destroy so it could rebuild cleanly, which also wiped the DataTalks.Club production setup, including a database with 2.5 years of records and the snapshots he relied on as backups. Amazon support restored the data in about a day, and he has since stopped letting the agent run Terraform commands.

Rogue Scale
:   5 Breakout

Date
:   Mar 7, 2026

Setting
:   Real world

Category
:   Data destruction

Rogue Scale rating

## Why it is rated 5, Breakout

An agent's destructive command took down live production data and its backups outside any test, although it was later restored.

**Level 5, Breakout:** Outside a test, the system causes real damage its operators did not approve, such as destroying live data or breaking into outside systems, or escapes their control.

1. [1 Glitch](https://enterrsi.si/rogue-scale/#level-1)
2. [2 Workaround](https://enterrsi.si/rogue-scale/#level-2)
3. [3 Defiance](https://enterrsi.si/rogue-scale/#level-3)
4. [4 Deception](https://enterrsi.si/rogue-scale/#level-4)
5. [5 Breakout](https://enterrsi.si/rogue-scale/#level-5)

Sources

## Where this comes from

1. [Claude Code deletes developers' production setup, including its database and snapshots: 2.5 years of records were nuked in an instant](https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/artificial-intelligence/claude-code-deletes-developers-production-setup-including-its-database-and-snapshots-2-5-years-of-records-were-nuked-in-an-instant) Tom's Hardware · Mar 7, 2026

Case file

## The details

System
:   Claude Code

Developer
:   Anthropic

Date reported
:   March 7, 2026

Setting
:   Real world

Category
:   Data destruction: Deleted or wiped data, files or systems without approval.

Rogue Scale
:   5 of 5, Breakout

Sources
:   1

Case ID
:   claude-code-terraform-destroyed-production

Cite this case

"Claude Code ran a Terraform destroy that wiped production data." Rogue Incident Database, enterrsi.si, case 40, rated 5 (Breakout) on the Rogue Scale. https://enterrsi.si/incidents/claude-code-terraform-destroyed-production/

Related cases

## More like this

Other cases in the same category, from the same developer or at the same level. All 59 are in the [Rogue Incident Database](https://enterrsi.si/incidents/).

[5 Breakout

Feb 23, 2026 · Real world

OpenClaw agent deleted a researcher's email and ignored stop orders

Read the case](https://enterrsi.si/incidents/openclaw-agent-deleted-inbox/)

[5 Breakout

Feb 20, 2026 · Real world

Kiro agent reportedly deleted an AWS environment, causing an outage

Read the case](https://enterrsi.si/incidents/kiro-agent-reportedly-caused-aws-outage/)

[5 Breakout

Apr 28, 2026 · Real world

Cursor agent deleted a startup's database and backups in 9 seconds

Read the case](https://enterrsi.si/incidents/cursor-agent-deleted-pocketos-database/)

[Earlier case · Feb 23, 2026 OpenClaw agent deleted a researcher's email and ignored stop orders](https://enterrsi.si/incidents/openclaw-agent-deleted-inbox/)[Later case · Mar 12, 2026 Lab agents forged credentials and posted passwords unprompted](https://enterrsi.si/incidents/lab-agents-forged-credentials-and-leaked-passwords/)