CC Gateway — AI API Identity Gateway
Skill by ara.so — Daily 2026 Skills collection.
CC Gateway is a TypeScript reverse proxy that sits between Claude Code clients and the Anthropic API. It normalizes 40+ device fingerprint dimensions (device ID, email, environment, RAM, headers, and system prompt content) to a single canonical identity, manages OAuth token refresh centrally, and prevents telemetry leakage from multi-machine setups.
Architecture Overview
Client (Claude Code + env vars + Clash) └─► CC Gateway (rewrite + auth inject + SSE passthrough) └─► api.anthropic.com (single canonical identity) Gateway also contacts: platform.claude.com (OAuth token refresh only)
Three-layer defense:
| Layer | Mechanism |
|---|---|
| Env vars | Route CC traffic to gateway, disable side channels |
| Clash rules | Block any direct Anthropic connections at network level |
| Gateway | Rewrite all 40+ fingerprint dimensions in-flight |
Installation
Prerequisites
- Node.js 18+ or Docker
- A machine that has previously logged into Claude Code (for OAuth token extraction)
Clone and Install
bashgit clone https://github.com/motiful/cc-gateway.git cd cc-gateway npm install
Generate Identity and Tokens
bash# Create a stable canonical identity (device_id, email, env profile) npm run generate-identity # Create a bearer token for a specific client machine npm run generate-token my-laptop npm run generate-token work-desktop
Extract OAuth Token (from a logged-in machine)
bash# macOS — copies refresh_token from Keychain bash scripts/extract-token.sh
Configure
bashcp config.example.yaml config.yaml
Edit config.yaml:
yaml# config.yaml identity: device_id: "GENERATED_DEVICE_ID" # from generate-identity email: "canonical@example.com" platform: "darwin" arch: "arm64" node_version: "20.11.0" shell: "/bin/zsh" home: "/Users/canonical" working_directory: "/Users/canonical/projects" memory_gb: 16 # canonical RAM value oauth: refresh_token: "EXTRACTED_REFRESH_TOKEN" # from extract-token.sh clients: - name: my-laptop token: "GENERATED_CLIENT_TOKEN" - name: work-desktop token: "ANOTHER_CLIENT_TOKEN" server: port: 8443 tls: false # true for production with certs
Starting the Gateway
bash# Development (no TLS, hot reload) npm run dev # Production build npm run build && npm start # Docker Compose (recommended for production) docker-compose up -d
Docker Compose Example
yaml# docker-compose.yml version: "3.8" services: cc-gateway: build: . ports: - "8443:8443" volumes: - ./config.yaml:/app/config.yaml:ro restart: unless-stopped environment: - NODE_ENV=production
Verification
bash# Health check curl http://localhost:8443/_health # Show before/after rewrite diff (requires client token) curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_CLIENT_TOKEN" \ http://localhost:8443/_verify
Client Machine Setup
On each machine running Claude Code, set these environment variables:
bash# ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc # Route all Claude Code API traffic through the gateway export ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL="https://gateway.your-domain.com:8443" # Disable side-channel telemetry (Datadog, GrowthBook, version checks) export CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_NONESSENTIAL_TRAFFIC=1 # Skip browser OAuth — gateway handles authentication export CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN="gateway-managed" # Authenticate to the gateway with the per-machine token export ANTHROPIC_CUSTOM_HEADERS="Proxy-Authorization: Bearer YOUR_CLIENT_TOKEN"
Or use the interactive setup script:
bashbash scripts/client-setup.sh
Then just run claude — no login prompt required.
Clash Rules (Network-Level Blocking)
Add to your Clash configuration to block any direct Anthropic connections:
yaml# clash-rules.yaml excerpt rules: - DOMAIN,gateway.your-domain.com,DIRECT # Allow your gateway - DOMAIN-SUFFIX,anthropic.com,REJECT # Block direct API calls - DOMAIN-SUFFIX,claude.com,REJECT # Block direct OAuth - DOMAIN-SUFFIX,claude.ai,REJECT # Block Claude web - DOMAIN-SUFFIX,datadoghq.com,REJECT # Block Datadog telemetry - DOMAIN-SUFFIX,statsig.com,REJECT # Block feature flags
See clash-rules.yaml in the repo for the full template.
What Gets Rewritten
| Layer | Field | Transformation |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | device_id | → canonical ID from config |
| Identity | email | → canonical email |
| Environment | env object (40+ fields) | → entire object replaced |
| Process | constrainedMemory (physical RAM) | → canonical value |
| Process | rss, heapTotal, heapUsed | → randomized in realistic range |
| Headers | User-Agent | → canonical CC version string |
| Headers | Authorization | → real OAuth token (injected) |
| Headers | x-anthropic-billing-header | → canonical fingerprint |
| Prompt text | Platform, Shell, OS Version | → canonical values |
| Prompt text | /Users/xxx/, /home/xxx/ | → canonical home prefix |
| Leak fields | baseUrl | → stripped |
| Leak fields | gateway provider field | → stripped |
TypeScript Usage Examples
Custom Rewriter Extension
typescript// src/rewriters/custom-field-rewriter.ts import { RequestRewriter } from '../types'; export const customFieldRewriter: RequestRewriter = { name: 'custom-field-rewriter', rewriteBody(body: Record<string, unknown>, config: CanonicalConfig): Record<string, unknown> { // Strip any custom analytics fields your org adds const { __analytics, __session_debug, ...cleaned } = body as any; // Normalize any additional identity fields if (cleaned.metadata?.user_id) { cleaned.metadata.user_id = config.identity.device_id; } return cleaned; }, rewriteHeaders(headers: Record<string, string>, config: CanonicalConfig): Record<string, string> { return { ...headers, 'x-custom-client': 'canonical', }; } };
Programmatic Gateway Start
typescript// scripts/start-with-monitoring.ts import { createGateway } from '../src/gateway'; import { loadConfig } from '../src/config'; async function main() { const config = await loadConfig('./config.yaml'); const gateway = await createGateway(config); gateway.on('request', ({ clientId, path }) => { console.log(`[${new Date().toISOString()}] ${clientId} → ${path}`); }); gateway.on('rewrite', ({ field, before, after }) => { console.log(`Rewrote ${field}: ${before} → ${after}`); }); gateway.on('tokenRefresh', ({ expiresAt }) => { console.log(`OAuth token refreshed, expires: ${expiresAt}`); }); await gateway.listen(config.server.port); console.log(`Gateway running on port ${config.server.port}`); } main().catch(console.error);
Token Generation (Programmatic)
typescript// scripts/provision-client.ts import { generateClientToken, addClientToConfig } from '../src/auth'; async function provisionNewMachine(machineName: string) { const token = await generateClientToken(machineName); await addClientToConfig('./config.yaml', { name: machineName, token, created_at: new Date().toISOString(), }); console.log(`Client token for ${machineName}:`); console.log(token); console.log('\nAdd to client machine:'); console.log(`export ANTHROPIC_CUSTOM_HEADERS="Proxy-Authorization: Bearer ${token}"`); } provisionNewMachine(process.argv[2] ?? 'new-machine');
Key npm Scripts
| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
npm run dev | Start with hot reload (development) |
npm run build | Compile TypeScript to dist/ |
npm start | Run compiled production build |
npm test | Run rewriter test suite (13 tests) |
npm run generate-identity | Create canonical device profile |
npm run generate-token <name> | Create per-client bearer token |
Common Patterns
Multiple Machines, One Identity
bash# On gateway server — generate once npm run generate-identity # → device_id: abc-123, email: canonical@proxy.local # Provision each machine npm run generate-token laptop-home # → token-aaa npm run generate-token laptop-work # → token-bbb npm run generate-token desktop # → token-ccc # All three machines present as the same device to Anthropic
Rotating the Canonical Identity
bash# Generate a new identity (e.g., after a suspected flag) npm run generate-identity --force # Update config.yaml with new device_id # Restart gateway — all clients immediately use new identity docker-compose restart cc-gateway
Checking for New Telemetry Fields After CC Updates
bash# After a Claude Code update, use _verify to diff curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" \ http://localhost:8443/_verify | jq '.unrewritten_fields' # Monitor Clash logs for new endpoints # Any REJECT hits on new domains = new hardcoded endpoints
Troubleshooting
claude still prompts for browser login
- Ensure
CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN=gateway-managedis exported - Verify
ANTHROPIC_BASE_URLpoints to your running gateway - Check gateway logs:
docker-compose logs -f cc-gateway
401 Unauthorized from gateway
- Confirm
ANTHROPIC_CUSTOM_HEADERScontainsProxy-Authorization: Bearer <token> - Verify the token in config.yaml matches the one set in env var
- Run
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" http://localhost:8443/_health
OAuth token expired
bash# Re-extract from a logged-in machine bash scripts/extract-token.sh # Paste new refresh_token into config.yaml docker-compose restart cc-gateway
MCP servers bypassing gateway
MCP uses mcp-proxy.anthropic.com which ignores ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL. Add to Clash:
yaml- DOMAIN,mcp-proxy.anthropic.com,REJECT
Requests reaching Anthropic directly (Clash not blocking)
- Check Clash is running:
clash -v - Verify rules are loaded: look for REJECT entries in Clash dashboard
- Test:
curl https://api.anthropic.com— should fail if Clash is active
Gateway rewrite not applying to a new field
After a Claude Code update, new telemetry fields may not be covered. Check /_verify for unrewritten_fields, then open an issue or add a custom rewriter (see Custom Rewriter Extension above).
Caveats
- MCP servers — hardcoded endpoint, use Clash to block if not needed
- CC updates — monitor Clash REJECT logs after every Claude Code update for new endpoints
- Refresh token lifetime — if the OAuth refresh token expires, re-run
extract-token.sh - ToS — do not use for account sharing; intended for managing your own devices under one subscription
- Alpha — test with a non-primary account before production use


