github / github/copilot-cli

Unrecoverable timeouts when WAITFOR DELAY occurs anywhere. Poison pill

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#3,747 1 comment 1 reaction 0 assignees View on GitHub
area:models area:networking
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Description

### Describe the bug

Copilot will enter into a faulted state anytime the text 'WAITFOR DELAY' is encountered, either within the prompt or when copilot reads a file. With ANY model.

To test, Try with this prompt:
`Explain what WAITFOR DELAY does in MSSQL.`

```
Result:
● Request failed due to a transient API error. Retrying...

● Request failed due to a transient API error. Retrying...

● Request failed due to a transient API error. Retrying...

● Request failed due to a transient API error. Retrying...

● Request failed due to a transient API error. Retrying...

✗ Execution failed: Error: Failed to get response from the AI model; retried 5 times (total retry wait time: 6.00 seconds) Last error: CAPIError: Connection error.
```

The context becomes unrecoverable and the only fix is `/new. `

Also try putting that text inside a file. I tested with a C# file and added that text as a comment and asked copilot to explain the file.

Here is the file:
using System;

```
class Program
{
-- Main function WAITFOR DELAY
static void Main()
{
Console.WriteLine("Hello, World!");
}
}
```

```
Explain @Test.Api\Program.cs

◐ I need to look at the Program.cs file from the Test.Api project to understand what it does.

● Read Program.cs
│ Test.Api\Program.cs
└ 11 lines read

● Request failed due to a transient API error. Retrying...

● Request failed due to a transient API error. Retrying...

● Request failed due to a transient API error. Retrying...

● Request failed due to a transient API error. Retrying...

● Request failed due to a transient API error. Retrying...

✗ Execution failed: Error: Failed to get response from the AI model; retried 5 times (total retry wait time: 6.00 seconds) Last error: CAPIError: Connection error.
```

If I remove the comment, the correct hello world explanation is returned.

To me this is a critical bug because this poison pill could be injected into any file effectively crippling copilot as it ingests files to build its context.

### Affected version

1.0.61

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

Research direction

Reproduce the failure with the prompt containing `WAITFOR DELAY`, then with the same text in the shown C# file, and compare it with the file after removing the comment. Trace the behavior around the five retries and the resulting faulted context; done means the text no longer causes an unrecoverable failure and the file can still be explained without requiring `/new`.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
shell
Domain
ai, cli
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Quiet
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
45/100

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