Understanding the file type variable expansion change in GitLab 15.7

This post details the removal of automatic expansion of file type variables in GitLab CI/CD starting from version 15.7. Previously, file type variables would expand their contents when referenced within other variables. This behavior was deemed a security risk as it could expose sensitive data. The change deprecates this feature and removes it, requiring users to update their CI jobs to explicitly handle file contents rather than relying on implicit expansion. The post provides an example of the output difference before and after the change and advises users to check their CI jobs for affected references before upgrading.