The Grok* Build tool sent entire user designs to the cloud, including the full history of changes and secrets deleted a few months ago. After the announcement, the developers stopped downloading the data, and Elon Musk promised to erase all the previously collected data.
The problem was discovered by the security specialist of artificial intelligence systems Cereblab. He studied the data exchange between the command line interface of the GROK Build and xAI servers. The audit showed that when the program readed or processed the file, it transmitted its contents without cleaning the Google Cloud store that the company used.
Grok Build was not limited to the files needed to respond to the request. The tool packed the entire repository in the Git archive and sent it to the server along with a complete history of changes. Because of such a scheme, passwords, access keys and other sensitive information that the developers have long removed from the current version of the project could get into the cloud, but left in the history of Git.
Cereblab checked the behavior on a harmless request. The specialist told the program to simply answer “OK” and separately forbade to open any files. Grok Build still downloaded the entire repository along with history. Repeated experience with another project gave the same result.
According to Cereblab, other programming assistants, including Claude Code, Gemini and Codex, usually open and deliver individual files that are needed to perform the task. Grok Build collected a much larger amount of data, even when the request did not require access to the source code.
After the report was published, users began to check everything on their own. One of them сообщилreported that GROK Build opened and sent the contents of the entire home folder. It contained the SSH keys, password manager databases and other sensitive files.
When the report was published, it quickly caught the attention of xAI and Elon Musk employees. The developers changed the server setting discable_codebase_upload, transferring it to a true state. After this change, the Grok Build stopped downloading repositories entirely. Cereblab separately checked the updated behavior and confirmed that the data transmission had ceased.
The company tried to reassure users, stating the zero data storage regime. According to xAI, clients with the ZDR setup included did not leave traces of queries and code on the servers. The owners of other accounts, the company offered to execute the /privacy command to disable storage and delete previously synchronized data.
Cereblab criticized this explanation. According to him, the /privacy team managed data storage as part of the session, but did not stop the mass loading of projects. The transfer has stopped the common server parameter disable_codebase_upload, which operated for all users regardless of their choice. The specialist also pointed out that the developer should not manually refuse to send its own code to other people’s servers every time. A safe default setting should be a complete ban on the transfer of the repository, and not the failure team that you have to run separately.
Elon Musk заявилsaid that xAI will completely delete all user data loaded before the problem was fixed. According to him, no previously collected materials should remain on the servers. So far, no one can independently check whether the company will fulfill this promise. At the same time, Musk asked users to continue to share part of the data, as such materials help to search for errors in the program. Such a proposal was made after it turned out that Glok Build collected much more information than it was required for work.
Later, xAI opened the source code of GROK Build, reset the use and announced additional protection measures. The company said that from July 12, it disabled data storage by default for all users, began to delete previously stored program code and allowed to run the tool locally with its artificial intelligence system.
xAI states that users could always disable the sending of the data through the command-line interface settings, and the zero storage mode has been observed from the moment of launch. However, according to Cereblab, before the server change, GROK Build could send entire repositories regardless of the content of the request.
Now GROK Build no longer loads projects en masse. The main question concerns the data already collected, since no one can confirm that they have been completely removed. The opening of the source code will simplify the independent GROK Build check, but does not negate the fact that the program for some time without explicitly necessary sent code to the cloud, the history of changes and the secrets of users.
The problem was discovered by the security specialist of artificial intelligence systems Cereblab. He studied the data exchange between the command line interface of the GROK Build and xAI servers. The audit showed that when the program readed or processed the file, it transmitted its contents without cleaning the Google Cloud store that the company used.
Grok Build was not limited to the files needed to respond to the request. The tool packed the entire repository in the Git archive and sent it to the server along with a complete history of changes. Because of such a scheme, passwords, access keys and other sensitive information that the developers have long removed from the current version of the project could get into the cloud, but left in the history of Git.
Cereblab checked the behavior on a harmless request. The specialist told the program to simply answer “OK” and separately forbade to open any files. Grok Build still downloaded the entire repository along with history. Repeated experience with another project gave the same result.
According to Cereblab, other programming assistants, including Claude Code, Gemini and Codex, usually open and deliver individual files that are needed to perform the task. Grok Build collected a much larger amount of data, even when the request did not require access to the source code.
After the report was published, users began to check everything on their own. One of them сообщилreported that GROK Build opened and sent the contents of the entire home folder. It contained the SSH keys, password manager databases and other sensitive files.
When the report was published, it quickly caught the attention of xAI and Elon Musk employees. The developers changed the server setting discable_codebase_upload, transferring it to a true state. After this change, the Grok Build stopped downloading repositories entirely. Cereblab separately checked the updated behavior and confirmed that the data transmission had ceased.
The company tried to reassure users, stating the zero data storage regime. According to xAI, clients with the ZDR setup included did not leave traces of queries and code on the servers. The owners of other accounts, the company offered to execute the /privacy command to disable storage and delete previously synchronized data.
Cereblab criticized this explanation. According to him, the /privacy team managed data storage as part of the session, but did not stop the mass loading of projects. The transfer has stopped the common server parameter disable_codebase_upload, which operated for all users regardless of their choice. The specialist also pointed out that the developer should not manually refuse to send its own code to other people’s servers every time. A safe default setting should be a complete ban on the transfer of the repository, and not the failure team that you have to run separately.
Elon Musk заявилsaid that xAI will completely delete all user data loaded before the problem was fixed. According to him, no previously collected materials should remain on the servers. So far, no one can independently check whether the company will fulfill this promise. At the same time, Musk asked users to continue to share part of the data, as such materials help to search for errors in the program. Such a proposal was made after it turned out that Glok Build collected much more information than it was required for work.
Later, xAI opened the source code of GROK Build, reset the use and announced additional protection measures. The company said that from July 12, it disabled data storage by default for all users, began to delete previously stored program code and allowed to run the tool locally with its artificial intelligence system.
xAI states that users could always disable the sending of the data through the command-line interface settings, and the zero storage mode has been observed from the moment of launch. However, according to Cereblab, before the server change, GROK Build could send entire repositories regardless of the content of the request.
Now GROK Build no longer loads projects en masse. The main question concerns the data already collected, since no one can confirm that they have been completely removed. The opening of the source code will simplify the independent GROK Build check, but does not negate the fact that the program for some time without explicitly necessary sent code to the cloud, the history of changes and the secrets of users.
