# X_SECRETS_FILE_INVALID

## Means

the encrypted secrets file is not a readable envelope

## Typical cause

a merge conflict marker, a truncated write, an unknown `v` or `alg`, or a header field that is not base64. Nothing reached authentication, so this is not tampering

## Fix

`git checkout -- secrets.enc.json` — the file is written only by `x secrets`, never by hand

[Encrypted secrets](/error-codes#encrypted-secrets)