Windsurf
security
Windsurf Committed API Keys and Secrets to Git Repository
Windsurf's Cascade assistant hardcoded API keys, database credentials, JWT secrets, or other sensitive values directly into your source code, and those files were committed to your Git repository. Even if you delete the secrets now, they remain in your Git history and may already be compromised.
This is one of the most common and dangerous security issues with AI-generated code. Cascade focuses on making things work, so when it needs an API key or connection string, it may place the value directly in the code rather than referencing environment variables.
GitHub, GitLab, and other platforms actively scan for leaked credentials, and automated bots scrape public repos for secrets within minutes of them being pushed. If your repo is public, assume any committed secrets have been compromised.
Error Messages You Might See
GitHub push protection blocked: API key detected
GitGuardian alert: Secret detected in commit
[gitleaks] Detected hardcoded secret
WARNING: Potential secret found in src/config/database.ts
Common Causes
- Hardcoded connection strings — Cascade wrote database URLs with username and password directly in config files
- API keys in source files — Third-party API keys (Stripe, SendGrid, OpenAI) placed directly in service files instead of environment variables
- JWT secret in auth code — The JWT signing secret was hardcoded in the authentication middleware
- Missing .gitignore entries — Cascade created .env files but didn't add them to .gitignore, or placed secrets in files that aren't typically ignored
- Config files with real values — Configuration files contain production credentials instead of placeholder values
How to Fix It
- Rotate ALL exposed secrets immediately — Generate new API keys, change passwords, and create new tokens for every credential that was committed. The old ones must be considered compromised
- Move secrets to environment variables — Replace every hardcoded value with process.env.VARIABLE_NAME or the equivalent for your framework
- Create proper .env and .gitignore — Add a .env file for local development and ensure .env* is in .gitignore. Create a .env.example with placeholder values
- Clean Git history — Use git-filter-repo or BFG Repo Cleaner to remove secrets from past commits if the repo is private. For public repos, assume the secrets are already compromised
- Install pre-commit hooks — Add tools like git-secrets, detect-secrets, or gitleaks as pre-commit hooks to prevent future credential commits
- Enable GitHub secret scanning — Turn on GitHub's secret scanning alerts in your repository settings to get notified of exposed credentials
Real developers can help you.
David Olverson
Solo dev shipping production apps with AI-assisted development. I specialize in rescuing broken Lovable/Bolt/Cursor builds and taking them to production. 10+ apps shipped including SaaS CRMs, gaming platforms, real estate tools, and Discord bots. Stack: Next.js 16, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, FastAPI, PostgreSQL, Prisma. I use Claude Code with 50+ custom skills for rapid delivery. Average turnaround: 2-4 weeks from broken prototype to production.
Omar Faruk
As a Product Engineer at Klasio, I contributed to end-to-end product development, focusing on scalability, performance, and user experience.
My work spanned building and refining core features, developing dynamic website templates, integrating secure and reliable payment gateways, and optimizing the overall system architecture.
I played a key role in creating a scalable and maintainable platform to support educators and learners globally.
I'm enthusiastic about embracing new challenges and making meaningful contributions.
zipking
I am a technologist and product builder dedicated to creating high-impact solutions at the intersection of AI and specialized markets. Currently, I am focused on PropScan (EstateGuard), an AI-driven SaaS platform tailored for the Japanese real estate industry, and exploring the potential of Archify.
As an INFJ-T, I approach development with a "systems-thinking" mindset—balancing technical precision with a deep understanding of user needs. I particularly enjoy the challenge of architecting Vertical AI SaaS and optimizing Small Language Models (SLMs) to solve specific, real-world business problems. Whether I'm in a CTO-level leadership role or hands-on with the code, I thrive on building tools that turn complex data into actionable value.
Caio Rodrigues
I'm a full-stack developer focused on building practical and scalable web applications. My main experience is with **React, TypeScript, and modern frontend architectures**, where I prioritize clean code, component reusability, and maintainable project structures.
I have strong experience working with **dynamic forms, state management (Redux / React Hook Form), and complex data-driven interfaces**. I enjoy solving real-world problems by turning ideas into reliable software that companies can actually use in their daily operations.
Beyond coding, I care about **software quality and architecture**, following best practices for componentization, code organization, and performance optimization.
I'm also comfortable working across the stack when needed, integrating APIs, handling business logic, and helping transform prototypes into production-ready systems.
My goal is always to deliver solutions that are **simple, efficient, and genuinely useful for the people using them.**
Taufan
I’m a product-focused engineer and tech leader who builds scalable systems and turns ideas into production-ready platforms.
Over the past years, I’ve worked across startups and fast-moving teams, leading backend architecture, improving system reliability, and shipping products used by thousands of users. My strength is not just writing code — but connecting product vision, technical execution, and business impact.
Matthew Jordan
I've been working at a large software company named Kainos for 2 years, and mainly specialise in Platform Engineering. I regularly enjoy working on software products outside of work, and I'm a huge fan of game development using Unity. I personally enjoy Python & C# in my spare time, but I also specialise in multiple different platform-related technologies from my day job.
Vlad Temian
15+ years shipping production infrastructure for startups. Former CTO at qed.builders (acquired by The Sandbox).
Cursor ambassador and agentic tooling builder.
I've scaled systems, automated deployments, and built observability tools for AI coding workflows. I specialize in taking vibe-coded apps from broken prototype to production-ready: fixing Supabase auth/RLS, Stripe integrations, deployment pipelines, and cleaning up AI-generated spaghetti.
I build tools in this space (agentprobe, claudebin, micode) and understand both sides: how AI generates code and why it breaks.
https://blog.vtemian.com/
Kingsley Omage
Fullstack software engineer passionate about AI Agents, blockchain, LLMs.
Jacek Rozanski
Senior PHP/Symfony developer and DevOps engineer with 20+ years of professional experience, running opcode.pl (web development agency, est. 2004).
Day job: I'm the sole backend developer at merketing company where I own and maintain 11 PHP/Symfony microservices on AWS (ECS Fargate, RDS, S3, CloudFront), handle the full CI/CD pipeline (Bitbucket Pipelines, Docker), and manage monitoring with Sentry and CloudWatch. These services handle high request volumes in production every month.
What I bring to AI-built apps:
- I audit and fix security issues (OWASP methodology), performance bottlenecks, and architectural problems in codebases generated by Cursor, Claude Code, Lovable, Bolt, and v0
- I refactor AI-generated prototypes into production-grade applications with proper error handling, testing, and clean architecture (SOLID, DDD, hexagonal architecture)
- I set up the infrastructure AI tools don't touch: AWS hosting, CI/CD pipelines, automated deployments, database optimization, monitoring, and alerting
- I integrate external services: payment providers, email systems, partner APIs, SSO/auth
Tech stack: PHP 8.x, Symfony, React, Next.js, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Docker, AWS (ECS, RDS, S3, SQS/SNS, CloudFront), Terraform, Supabase. I also use AI tools daily (Claude Code, Cursor) in my own workflow, so I understand both the strengths and the gaps in AI-generated code.
Based in Poland (CET timezone). Available for async work and calls during EU/US business hours.
Costea Adrian
Embedded Engineer specilizing in perception systems. Latest project was a adas camera calibration system.
You don't need to be technical. Just describe what's wrong and a verified developer will handle the rest.
Get HelpFrequently Asked Questions
Can I just delete the file with secrets and push again?
No. Deleting the file only removes it from the latest commit. The secrets remain in your Git history. Anyone with access to the repo can find them in previous commits. You must rotate the credentials and optionally rewrite Git history.
How do I prevent Cascade from hardcoding secrets in the future?
Include instructions in your Cascade prompts to use environment variables. Create a .env.example file early in the project, and add a pre-commit hook like gitleaks that blocks commits containing credential patterns.