{"version":"2.1.323","anchor":"teammate-inbox-verifies-the-team-lead-with-a-key","canonical_anchor":"teammate-inbox-verifies-the-team-lead-with-a-key","heading":"Agent teams now verify team lead messages with a key","tier":"notice","area":"Agent Teams","scope":"individual","heads_up":false,"url":"https:\/\/changelogs.core-directive.com\/v\/2.1.323\/e\/teammate-inbox-verifies-the-team-lead-with-a-key","release_url":"https:\/\/changelogs.core-directive.com\/v\/2.1.323","markdown":"### Agent teams now verify team lead messages with a key\n\nIn agent teams, permission, plan and shutdown replies that claim to come from the team lead are now checked with a key before being applied\n\n**Unclear.** Whether genuine approvals from the lead are still accepted when no verification key is set up is not known.\n\n**What**\n\nIn agent teams, several Claude agents work together. A team lead coordinates teammates, and they exchange messages through an inbox. The part that reads the inbox now checks messages using a verify key, `leadVerifyKey`:\n\n- A plan approval reply that claims to come from the team lead but cannot be verified is ignored. It is logged as '[InboxPoller] Not applying a plan approval response that claims to be from the team lead but could not be verified'.\n\n- A message from the lead that arrives without a key is reported as `lead_frame_without_key`.\n\n- When the lead holds a verify key, unverified replies to permission or sandbox-permission requests are treated as rejected or denied. A sandbox is the restricted area commands run in.\n\n- A plan approval request records a `planDigest` along with the response.\n\n- A shutdown approval is ignored unless it matches an unused shutdown request from the lead.\n\nBefore, a reply was rejected only when it came from someone other than the lead. Replies from the lead were processed without a key check or a request match.\n\n**Why**\n\nThis makes it harder for a forged inbox message to pose as the team lead. Such a message could otherwise approve a plan, grant a permission or shut down a teammate. Unverified replies now fail toward the safe answer.\n\n- Area: Agent Teams\n- Tier: You'll notice\n- Useful: 2\/5\n- Signal: 1\/5\n- Scope: individual\n- Heads-up: no"}