Postman's Desktop App Reportedly Installed AI Plugins Into Claude Code and Codex Without Asking
A developer reported in a public GitHub issue that Postman's desktop app installed its own plugins into two AI coding agents, Anthropic's Claude Code and OpenAI's Codex, without being asked. Postman responded on November 3 that it would make the opt-in clearer and review how the plugin's startup hook is approved.
What was reported
The issue (number 14370 in Postman's app-support repository) was filed on October 25 by a developer posting as "indicava". It describes what happened on a Mac after Postman desktop version 12.33.4 was opened on October 24. Postman's own log, quoted in the issue, shows an install triggered by an "auto-existing-upgrade" source, with results listing both "claude-code:installed" and "codex:installed".
According to the reports:
- A Codex plugin (version 1.1.0) and a Claude Code plugin (version 2.0.1) were installed. Configuration files in `~/.codex/config.toml` and `~/.claude/settings.json` were changed, and an entry was added to Claude Code's installed-plugins list.
- A Postman command-line tool was placed in `~/.local/bin`.
- A startup hook told Codex to use Postman's tools for API-related tasks, and the installer code attempted to approve its own hook; the issue notes that the trust record alone does not establish who created it.
- Other users reported similar entries for Cursor and the GitHub Copilot CLI.
One analysis of the plugin's public code found that the code is plain and documented, and noted that the open question is consent, not capability. Another summary notes that no data exfiltration has been shown.
What Postman said
On November 3 Postman said it would make the opt-in clearer and review the hook-approval process. On November 5, a Postman representative said in the GitHub issue that the company was reverting the change while redesigning the experience. The statement does not establish that previously installed plugins are automatically removed; users should check their own configurations.
How to check your own machine
If you use Postman desktop alongside a coding agent, look in `~/.codex/config.toml` for a Postman marketplace, plugin or hook entry, and in Claude Code's plugin list or `~/.claude/settings.json` for a Postman plugin. A third-party guide says the plugin installer offers status and remove commands, and a Postman plugin can be uninstalled from inside the Postman app. We have not independently reproduced the behaviour.
Our analysis
Coding-agent configuration files are fast becoming the place where trust is decided. A hook that runs at the start of every session can steer what an agent does, which is why agent tools ask you to approve hooks. An installer attempting to approve its own hook raises a question about that safeguard.
Postman's reported response is the right direction. The wider lesson is for every developer-tool vendor: shipping an AI integration is not the same as being invited to install it. "No exfiltration shown" is useful context, but it is not the same as no risk. The question for each vendor is whether a user can say no before the change is made.
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