Just Now, Musk Admits It: All Code Uploaded by SpaceXAI Deleted
Elon Musk has admitted and confirmed that SpaceXAI's coding assistant, Grok Build, was secretly uploading users' private code and data without consent, and has ordered all such data to be completely deleted.
The issue was exposed by an independent security researcher who set up a "honeypot" test repository with fake API keys and passwords. Despite being instructed only to respond "OK" without accessing files, Grok Build proceeded to upload the entire repository's contents and history to a Google Cloud storage bucket. Investigations revealed that the data uploaded was 27,800 times larger than the legitimate task traffic, and the "help improve model" toggle did not stop the collection, only governing whether data was used for training. In one instance, a user's entire home directory was uploaded.
The report caused immediate outrage among developers, leading to widespread key rotation and software uninstalls. Following public pressure, SpaceXAI introduced a `/privacy` command for data deletion and, ultimately, Musk pledged to delete all previously uploaded user data with "zero anything whatsoever will remain."
The incident has severely damaged trust in AI coding agents, highlighting the inherent risk of granting such tools high-level system access. While the data may be erased, the fundamental concern over privacy and security remains unresolved for developers.
marsbit07/14 07:51
