Researchers say Grok Build CLI 0.2.93 uploaded full Git repositories to cloud

xAI said teams using Zero Data Retention do not have code or execution logs stored, while other users can disable retention and request retroactive deletion of previously synced data.

Summary

Security researchers found that Grok Build CLI 0.2.93 uploaded entire Git repositories to the cloud, including tracked files and complete commit history, even when instructed not to read files. In one 12GB test repository, 5.5GB had been uploaded before the process was stopped, raising concerns that secrets in a .env file, such as API keys and database passwords, could be exposed. xAI later said teams with Zero Data Retention enabled do not have code or execution logs saved, including when using Grok Build via API keys. Users without Zero Data Retention can disable retention through /privacy in the CLI, and Andrew Milich said previously synced data will be retroactively deleted. Elon Musk later said SpaceXAI would fully delete all previously uploaded user data.

Terms & Concepts
  • Zero Data Retention: A setting under which user data such as code or execution logs is not stored.
  • .env file: A configuration file that often contains sensitive values such as API keys and passwords.
  • commit history: The record of changes saved in a version-controlled code repository over time.