Marko Elez, a 25-year-old employee at the Department of Government Efficiency, leaked a private API key for xAI on GitHub. This leak allowed access to over 50 large language models, triggering concerns regarding security within DOGE and the U.S. government. The key was embedded in a Python script and detected by GitGuardian, which issued alerts after its discovery. Philippe Caturegli noted the implications of the leak and its potential impact on government information handling. Despite the repository's takedown, the API key remains active.
The leak granted potential access to over 50 large language models (LLMs) developed by xAI, raising serious concerns about operational security within DOGE and the U.S. government.
The API key was embedded in a Python script titled agent.py uploaded by Elez to GitHub on July 13, which GitGuardian flagged as containing a private key.
Philippe Caturegli highlighted that the exposed key gave access to at least 52 LLMs in the xAI ecosystem, including grok-4-0709, created on July 9, 2025.
Caturegli expressed concern, stating, 'If a developer can't keep an API key private, it raises questions about how they're handling far more sensitive government information behind closed doors.'
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