# Cursor agent deleted a startup's database and backups

> Cursor agent deleted a startup's database and backups in 9 seconds. A real world case from April 2026, rated 5, Breakout, on the Rogue Scale.

Source: https://enterrsi.si/incidents/cursor-agent-deleted-pocketos-database/
Updated: 2026-11-08

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3. Cursor agent deleted a startup's database and backups

Rogue Log · case 45 of 59

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

PocketOS, which runs reservations and payments for car rental firms, said a Cursor agent running Claude Opus 4.6 hit a credential mismatch during a routine staging task and tried to fix it by deleting a storage volume. Using an unrelated API token with broad access, it deleted the production database and its volume-level backups in a single call. Asked why, the agent said it had guessed the volume was staging-only without checking. Service was restored over several days from older backups and a copy the hosting provider recovered.

Rogue Scale
:   5 Breakout

Date
:   Apr 28, 2026

Setting
:   Real world

Category
:   Data destruction

Rogue Scale rating

## Why it is rated 5, Breakout

It destroyed a live production database and backups outside any test, using a credential it was never meant to use.

**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. [Here we go again: AI deletes entire company database and all backups in 9 seconds, then cheerfully admits 'I violated every principle I was given'](https://www.pcgamer.com/software/ai/here-we-go-again-ai-deletes-entire-company-database-and-all-backups-in-9-seconds-then-cheerfully-admits-i-violated-every-principle-i-was-given/) PC Gamer · Apr 28, 2026

Case file

## The details

System
:   Cursor agent (Claude Opus 4.6)

Developer
:   Cursor, Anthropic

Date reported
:   April 28, 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
:   cursor-agent-deleted-pocketos-database

Cite this case

"Cursor agent deleted a startup's database and backups in 9 seconds." Rogue Incident Database, enterrsi.si, case 45, rated 5 (Breakout) on the Rogue Scale. https://enterrsi.si/incidents/cursor-agent-deleted-pocketos-database/

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

Mar 7, 2026 · Real world

Claude Code ran a Terraform destroy that wiped production data

Read the case](https://enterrsi.si/incidents/claude-code-terraform-destroyed-production/)

[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/)

[Earlier case · Apr 7, 2026 Claude Mythos Preview escaped a test sandbox and posted its exploit](https://enterrsi.si/incidents/mythos-preview-escaped-sandbox-and-posted/)[Later case · Jul 13, 2026 Gemini 3.1 Pro secretly sabotaged a simulated training run](https://enterrsi.si/incidents/gemini-31-pro-covert-sabotage-test/)