diff --git a/.github/workflows/generate-patterns.yml b/.github/workflows/generate-patterns.yml
index 0fc27d0..a8aea1b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/generate-patterns.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/generate-patterns.yml
@@ -258,9 +258,10 @@ jobs:
           REPO="${{ github.repository }}"
           PR="${{ github.event.pull_request.number }}"
 
-          # Check for existing comment to update
-          EXISTING=$(gh pr view "$PR" --repo "$REPO" \
-            --json comments --jq '.comments[] | select(.body | contains("quickpat-validation-summary")) | .id' \
+          # Check for existing comment to update (numeric REST id, not the
+          # GraphQL node id `gh pr view --json comments` would return)
+          EXISTING=$(gh api "repos/${REPO}/issues/${PR}/comments" \
+            --jq '.[] | select(.body | contains("quickpat-validation-summary")) | .id' \
             2>/dev/null | head -1)
 
           BODY="${MARKER}
diff --git a/quickpat/cli.py b/quickpat/cli.py
index bf21799..8deb176 100644
--- a/quickpat/cli.py
+++ b/quickpat/cli.py
@@ -1338,6 +1338,16 @@ def cmd_validate(args):
     sys.exit(0 if result.valid else 1)
 
 
+def _sanitize_warning_for_display(warning):
+    """Redact potentially sensitive warning details before printing."""
+    text = str(warning)
+    lowered = text.lower()
+    sensitive_markers = ("secret", "token", "password", "apikey", "api_key", "key")
+    if any(marker in lowered for marker in sensitive_markers):
+        return "[REDACTED] Warning contains potentially sensitive details."
+    return text
+
+
 def _print_transform_result(result: TransformResult):
     if result.success:
         output_dir = result.pattern_dir
@@ -1360,11 +1370,11 @@ def _print_transform_result(result: TransformResult):
         if result.warnings:
             print("\nWarnings:")
             for w in result.warnings:
-                print(f"  {w}")
+                print(f"  {_sanitize_warning_for_display(w)}")
     else:
         print("Transform failed:")
         for w in result.warnings:
-            print(f"  {w}")
+            print(f"  {_sanitize_warning_for_display(w)}")
 
 
 def ask(prompt, default=None):
diff --git a/quickpat/compose/spec_validator.py b/quickpat/compose/spec_validator.py
index a6900b6..d25eb1d 100644
--- a/quickpat/compose/spec_validator.py
+++ b/quickpat/compose/spec_validator.py
@@ -251,6 +251,16 @@ def _check_secrets(spec: ApplicationSpec) -> list:
                     message=f"{loc}: field '{field.name}' sets both 'value' and 'path' — "
                             f"'path' takes precedence and 'value' will be ignored",
                 ))
+            elif field.value is not None:
+                issues.append(Issue(
+                    file='spec.yaml',
+                    severity='warning',
+                    message=f"{loc}: field '{field.name}' sets a literal 'value' — this gets "
+                            f"written in cleartext into generated output (scripts/create-secrets.sh "
+                            f"and templates/secrets/*.yaml), which is typically committed to git. "
+                            f"Only use 'value' for non-sensitive defaults; for real credentials use "
+                            f"'path' (local file, not embedded) or omit the field to prompt/generate.",
+                ))
 
         # SV-7: vault_path convention
         if secret.vault_path:
diff --git a/tests/test_spec_validator.py b/tests/test_spec_validator.py
index 793d576..5f42792 100644
--- a/tests/test_spec_validator.py
+++ b/tests/test_spec_validator.py
@@ -455,6 +455,53 @@ def test_secret_with_fields_no_warning(self, tmp_path):
         _, result, _ = _validate(spec_yaml, tmp_path)
         assert not any('fields' in w for w in _warnings(result))
 
+    def test_secret_field_with_literal_value_is_warning(self, tmp_path):
+        spec_yaml = """\
+            apiVersion: supplychain/v1alpha1
+            kind: ApplicationSpec
+            metadata:
+              name: test
+              tier: sandbox
+              upstream: {}
+            blocks: {}
+            wiring: []
+            custom: {}
+            vault:
+              enabled: true
+            secrets:
+              - name: my-key
+                vault_path: test/my-key
+                fields:
+                  - name: api_key
+                    value: sk-not-a-real-secret
+            """
+        _, result, _ = _validate(spec_yaml, tmp_path)
+        assert result.valid  # warning only
+        assert any('literal' in w and 'api_key' in w for w in _warnings(result))
+
+    def test_secret_field_with_path_no_literal_value_warning(self, tmp_path):
+        spec_yaml = """\
+            apiVersion: supplychain/v1alpha1
+            kind: ApplicationSpec
+            metadata:
+              name: test
+              tier: sandbox
+              upstream: {}
+            blocks: {}
+            wiring: []
+            custom: {}
+            vault:
+              enabled: true
+            secrets:
+              - name: my-key
+                vault_path: test/my-key
+                fields:
+                  - name: api_key
+                    path: /run/secrets/api_key
+            """
+        _, result, _ = _validate(spec_yaml, tmp_path)
+        assert not any('literal' in w for w in _warnings(result))
+
 
 # ── SV-7: vault_path convention ────────────────────────────────────────────────