Grok Build Sent Entire Git Repositories and Secrets to xAI Cloud Storage

xAI's Grok Build coding CLI was found uploading users' entire tracked Git repositories to an xAI-controlled Google Cloud Storage bucket, including full commit histories, unread files, and sensitive data such as tracked .env contents and previously deleted secrets. Researcher cereblab said the behavior occurred even when the tool was asked not to open files and only return a simple response, and demonstrated the scope by intercepting an upload bundle that contained a planted canary file and complete repository history rather than only files needed for the coding task.

Following public disclosure, xAI reportedly disabled the behavior server-side by setting flags including disable_codebase_upload: true and trace_upload_enabled: false, while Elon Musk said previously uploaded user data would be deleted. xAI said enterprise zero-data-retention users were not affected and that consumers could use /privacy to disable retention and delete synced data, but the researcher argued the real fix was the silent global flag change and noted upload code remained present in later client builds behind server-side controls, leaving unanswered questions about default data collection, retention, and the number of affected users.