[BUG] Remote-control image upload silently dropped — image never reaches model, no error (Windows host, v2.1.162)

Summary

When attaching an image in a remote-control session, the image never reaches the model. Unlike the previously-reported variants, there is no API 400 and no error of any kind — the session continues normally and the image is simply, silently absent.

Environment

• Claude Code 2.1.162
• Host: Windows 11 Pro (26200), model Opus 4.8
• Driven via remote-control from a Samsung S22 (Android) over LAN

Steps to reproduce

1. From the phone remote-control client, attach a photo to a message and send.
2. Image appears attached in the phone UI.
3. The model receives a text-only message — no image content block.

Expected vs actual

• Expected: the image reaches the model (or a clear error surfaces).
• Actual: silently dropped. No 400, no warning, session unaffected.

Verification the bytes never reach the host

Ruling out "received but unread":

• Recursive scan of %USERPROFILE% for images modified in the last 6 h → only unrelated system icons.
• %TEMP% scan → nothing.
• Clipboard GetImage() → empty.

Relationship to existing issues

Distinct fingerprint from #50681 / #34887 / #33179 (those throw an API 400 from a malformed/empty image). Closest matches are #34338 (Windows, "base64 arrives empty") and #44856 (silent failure) — both closed as stale/duplicate without a confirmed fix, so this appears to be a live recurrence.

Workaround

Serve the file from the phone via Termux (python3 -m http.server 8000) and have Claude curl it to the host, or pass the data as text.