fix(ai): stop API keys leaking into AI context + remove key CLI flags

[dubscode]

Summary

Closes DUB-85.

API keys could leak verbatim into the AI assistant's context packet (and be sent to the model). Reproduced during local setup: after dub ai env --openai-key sk-proj-…, the assistant itself warned the key was in command history. This PR closes the leak at both layers and removes the root exposure.

1. Redaction gap (fix(ai): redact modern sk-proj-/sk-ant- API keys)

• redactSensitiveText only matched plain-alphanumeric sk- keys, so modern formats containing -/_ (sk-proj-…, sk-ant-api03-…) slipped through into both recentShellHistory (.zsh_history) and recentHistory (history.jsonl). Broadened the pattern to \bsk-[A-Za-z0-9_-]{12,}.
• Added --openai-key (spaced + = forms) to sanitizeCommandArgs REDACTED_ARGS, which previously only listed gemini/anthropic/gateway.

2. Root cause — keys as CLI args (fix(ai)!: stop accepting API keys as CLI flags, BREAKING)

• Passing a secret in argv exposes it in the OS process list and writes it to shell history before dub ever sees it — exposure dub cannot redact. dub ai env now rejects --gemini-key/--anthropic-key/--gateway-key/--openai-key with a helpful error pointing to the masked dub ai setup wizard or a pre-set DUBSTACK_*_API_KEY env var.
• Safe to remove: at runtime dub reads keys only from DUBSTACK_*_API_KEY env vars (ai-provider.ts:104), so the flag was just a convenience for writing the export line. Non-interactive/CI sets the env var directly instead.
• The interactive dub ai setup wizard is unaffected (masked password prompt, never echoed/stored).
• Docs (README, QUICKSTART, apps/docs), skills, and provider/env error hints updated to recommend the wizard / env var.

BREAKING CHANGE

dub ai env no longer accepts --gemini-key, --anthropic-key, --gateway-key, or --openai-key. Use dub ai setup (masked prompt) or export the DUBSTACK_*_API_KEY env var.

Test plan

• pnpm checks (biome) clean
• pnpm typecheck passes
• pnpm test — 1448 tests pass
• New regression tests: modern sk-proj-/sk-ant- redaction, --openai-key arg redaction (both forms), short sk- branch names NOT over-redacted, and assertNoApiKeyFlags (throws + lists offending flags, no-op when absent)
• Manual: dub ai env --openai-key sk-… shows the rejection error; dub ai setup still configures a key

Note for users

Keys already typed as CLI args remain in .zsh_history in cleartext — rotate them.

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Project	Deployment	Actions	Updated (UTC)
dubstack	Ready	Preview, Comment	May 29, 2026 4:51am

[github-actions]

DubStack AI evals

Cheap-model eval status: skipped: DUBSTACK_GEMINI_API_KEY is not configured

Report artifact: workflow run

[Copilot]

Pull request overview

Closes a leak where modern API key formats (sk-proj-…, sk-ant-api03-…) could slip past redactSensitiveText into AI context (shell + dub history) and removes the root cause by rejecting API-key CLI flags on dub ai env. Users are directed to the masked dub ai setup wizard or pre-set DUBSTACK_*_API_KEY env vars.

Changes:

• Broaden the sk- redaction regex to cover key bodies containing -/_, and add --openai-key to the arg redaction set.
• Convert --gemini-key/--anthropic-key/--gateway-key/--openai-key on dub ai env to hidden options that assertNoApiKeyFlags rejects with a helpful DubError; remove key fields from the action's call to configureAiEnv.
• Update README, QUICKSTART, docs, skills, and provider error hints to recommend dub ai setup or direct env-var exports.

Reviewed changes

Copilot reviewed 12 out of 12 changed files in this pull request and generated no comments.

Show a summary per file

File	Description
packages/cli/src/lib/history.ts	Add --openai-key redaction (both forms); broaden sk- regex to [A-Za-z0-9_-]{12,}
packages/cli/src/lib/history.test.ts	Tests for --openai-key arg redaction, modern key formats, and short sk- branch names
packages/cli/src/index.ts	Convert key flags to hidden Options; call assertNoApiKeyFlags and stop forwarding keys to configureAiEnv
packages/cli/src/commands/ai-env.ts	New assertNoApiKeyFlags helper + updated "provide at least one" hint
packages/cli/src/commands/ai-env.test.ts	Tests for assertNoApiKeyFlags (single, multiple, none)
packages/cli/src/lib/ai-provider.ts	Update no-provider / missing-key recovery hints to recommend dub ai setup or env vars
README.md / QUICKSTART.md / apps/docs/**/index.mdx / ai-assistant.mdx	Replace key-flag examples with dub ai setup / env-var guidance
skills/dubstack/SKILL.md, .agents/skills/dubstack/SKILL.md	Same skill guidance update for the assistant

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[github-actions]

🎉 This PR is included in version 2.0.0 🎉

The release is available on:

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