Feature Request
Repository-specific private key authentication for secure AI access to private GitHub repositories.
Problem Statement
Currently, AI tools like Perplexity AI can only access private GitHub repositories using account-wide SSH keys or Personal Access Tokens, which expose broad permissions and security risks. This limits flexibility and may violate security or compliance policies.
Proposed Solution
Implement a feature allowing AI tools to authenticate per repository with private keys. This would grant minimal, targeted access to individual private repositories without exposing other repositories in the account, following the principle of least privilege. Similar approaches like GitHub deploy keys and fine-grained tokens demonstrate the feasibility and security benefits of this method. Use cases include team collaboration, freelancers managing multiple clients, and organizations enforcing strict access controls.
API Impact
This primarily affects authentication mechanisms for repository access in API components interacting with GitHub repositories (e.g., retrieval, code access). It may require new parameters specifying repository-specific private keys or scoped credentials.
Alternatives Considered
I want to keep my repositories (my thoughts and work) private and not publicly accessible. I am not comfortable making them available openly, regardless of the current authentication mechanisms. This privacy concern limits my willingness to share repository access without fine-grained, repository-specific control that prevents exposing other repositories or data unintentionally.
Additional Context
GitHub’s existing deploy keys and fine-grained Personal Access Tokens serve as foundational models. Secure, encrypted storage and user-friendly configuration should be part of the implementation.
Thank you for considering this feature request. I look forward to your feedback and hope this can improve the security and flexibility of Perplexity AI for developers.
Best regards,
PhaseV80