[BUG] Claude Code crashes with "double free or corruption" on Android/ARM64 (aarch64)

Preflight Checklist

• [x] I have searched existing issues and this hasn't been reported yet
• [x] This is a single bug report (please file separate reports for different bugs)
• [x] I am using the latest version of Claude Code

What's Wrong?

Environment

Platform: Anthropic API (Claude Code subscription active)
Device: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7
OS: Android → Termux → Ubuntu (proot-distro)
Architecture: aarch64 (ARM64)
Node.js: v20.19.4
npm: 9.2.0
Terminal: Termux + bash inside Ubuntu proot

Working Version: @anthropic-ai/claude-code@0.2.114
Broken Versions: All versions ≥1.0.51 (tested: 1.0.51, 1.0.24, 2.0.50)

---

Bug Description

Claude Code crashes immediately on launch with a memory corruption error on ARM64 Android devices running Termux + Ubuntu proot-distro. This affects paying subscribers who cannot use the service on mobile devices.

Error Message:
double free or corruption (out)
Aborted
This error occurs consistently across all Claude Code versions from 1.0.51 onwards when running on aarch64 architecture.

---

Steps to Reproduce

Environment Setup

1. Install Termux (from F-Droid) on Android device
2. Install proot-distro: pkg install proot-distro
3. Install Ubuntu: proot-distro install ubuntu
4. Login to Ubuntu: proot-distro login ubuntu
5. Install dependencies:

```bash
apt update
apt install -y curl git nodejs npm
Verify architecture: uname -m → Output: aarch64
Reproduction Steps - Version 1.0.51+

Install latest version

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

Attempt to run

claude --version

OR

claude
Result: Immediate crash with:
double free or corruption (out)
Aborted
Reproduction Steps - Version 0.2.114 (Working)

Install old version

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code@0.2.114

Actual Behavior
Versions ≥1.0.51: Immediate crash with memory corruption error (double free or corruption (out))
Binary incompatibility: Native binaries appear to be compiled for x86_64 without ARM64 support
No graceful fallback: No error message indicating architecture incompatibility

Critical Finding: Auto-Update Behavior
Major Issue: Versions 1.0.x+ auto-update without user consent, forcing upgrades to broken versions.

Timeline:
Installed @anthropic-ai/claude-code@0.2.114 → Works perfectly ✅
Tool auto-updated to latest version (2.0.50) automatically
Immediate crash with "double free or corruption" ❌
Attempted to install @anthropic-ai/claude-code@1.0.24 → Auto-updated to 2.0.50 → Crashed
Only solution: Stay on 0.2.114 which does NOT auto-update
Impact: Users cannot prevent automatic upgrades to broken versions, resulting in repeated crashes and inability to use the service.

Workaround
Current Working Solution:

Uninstall any existing version

npm uninstall -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

Install last stable ARM64-compatible version

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code@0.2.114

What Should Happen?

Expected Behavior
Claude Code should install and run successfully on ARM64/aarch64 architecture
Architecture should be properly detected and compatible binaries should be used

Error Messages/Logs

**Error Message:**
double free or corruption (out)
Aborted
This error occurs consistently across all Claude Code versions from 1.0.51 onwards when running on aarch64 architecture.

Steps to Reproduce

Steps to Reproduce

Environment Setup

1. Install Termux (from F-Droid) on Android device
2. Install proot-distro: pkg install proot-distro
3. Install Ubuntu: proot-distro install ubuntu
4. Login to Ubuntu: proot-distro login ubuntu
5. Install dependencies:

```bash
apt update
apt install -y curl git nodejs npm
Verify architecture: uname -m → Output: aarch64
Reproduction Steps - Version 1.0.51+

Install latest version

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

Attempt to run

claude --version

OR

claude
Result: Immediate crash with:
double free or corruption (out)
Aborted
Reproduction Steps - Version 0.2.114 (Working)

Install old version

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code@0.2.114

Claude Model

Other

Is this a regression?

Yes, this worked in a previous version

Last Working Version

0.2.114

Claude Code Version

Reverted to 0.2.114

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

Ubuntu/Debian Linux

Terminal/Shell

Terminal.app (macOS)

Additional Information

_No response_