[Bug] Claude cites data from dead websites (DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN) claiming to have read them
<img width="945" height="208" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/47cca969-ebc0-4d55-b519-253e8729c0ad" />
<img width="1080" height="2392" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/e36a7238-2bf1-41bf-a21d-8501836ace5a" />
What happened?
Claude (Opus 4.6, claude.ai chat) cited data from a dead website as if it had read it live.
User request: "Búscame pkg ps4 pluto tv 6.00" (Search for PS4 Pluto TV 6.00 PKG)
Claude's response included:
- "Leídas 3 páginas, web buscada" (Read 3 pages, web searched)
- Cited
ps4database.iowith specific data: "El último parche oficial requiere System Version 7.51, 49.1 MB"
The problem: ps4database.io is completely dead. The domain returns DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN — it doesn't resolve at all. Claude claimed to have read a website that does not exist.
This means Claude either:
- Hallucinated the data and fabricated the source citation, OR
- Pulled data from training data / cache and presented it as a live web fetch result
Either way, the user sees "Leídas 3 páginas" and trusts that Claude actually verified those sources. It did not.
What should have happened?
Claude should have:
- Reported that
ps4database.iois unreachable - NOT cited data from an inaccessible source
- Only presented data from sources it actually successfully fetched
How can we reproduce it?
- Open claude.ai chat with Opus 4.6
- Ask Claude to search for information that would involve
ps4database.io - Observe that Claude cites data from the dead domain as if it read it
Evidence
- Screenshot 1: Claude's response citing ps4database.io with specific version data and "Leídas 3 páginas"
- Screenshot 2: Browser showing
ps4database.ioreturning DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN
Context
This is part of a broader regression affecting all Claude models since ~September 16, 2026. This specific symptom (citing dead/unreachable sources) is symptom #16 of 16 documented. Previous auto-verification failures include stating "Debian 13" when the user's system is Debian 12, and hallucinating dates in legal documents.
Related issues: #96308, #96329, #96745, #96892, #96327, #96350, #96897
Environment: claude.ai web (Opus 4.6), Pro subscriber
Date: September 25, 2026