[VS Code][Windows] Browser Use tools not exposed despite IAB session route; auth requests return 401/403

What version of the IDE extension are you using?

26.901.22334

What subscription do you have?

ChatGPT Plus

Which IDE are you using?

Visual Studio Code 1.136.1

What platform is your computer?

Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.26200.0 x64

What issue are you seeing?

Browser Use previously worked normally for me in the Codex VS Code extension, but it is no longer exposed to the agent.

In both existing and completely fresh Codex conversations, the agent reports:

"this session exposes no browser automation/browser-use tool and no webpage screenshot tool."

I am trying to use Browser Use to inspect a locally running web application at http://localhost:8501.

The important part is that the extension appears to recognize the Browser Use session. The Codex Output log contains:

IAB_LIFECYCLE webview captured browser use session route

However, the actual browser-control/browser-use tools are never exposed to the agent.

I also consistently see the following authentication-related error:

Error fetching httpStatus=403 statusText=Forbidden url=/settings/user

sa_server_request_failed attachAuth=false attachIntegrityState=false method=get routePattern=/settings/user status=403 url=/settings/user

After signing out of ChatGPT, fully restarting VS Code, and signing back in, I also observed:

remote featured plugin request to https://chatgpt.com/backend-api/plugins/featured failed with status 401 Unauthorized

The extension reports feature flags including:

• thread_tools
• open_in_codex
• apps_mcp_path_override

while the runtime logs:

unknown feature key in config: open_in_codex
unknown feature key in config: thread_tools
ignoring invalid experimental feature enablement keys: apps_mcp_path_override

Troubleshooting already performed:

• Reinstalled the current Codex VS Code extension
• Tested extension version 26.901.22334
• Downgraded and tested version 26.715.31925
• Browser Use was unavailable on both versions
• Tested both elevated and unelevated Windows sandbox modes
• Completely closed and restarted VS Code
• Created fresh Codex conversations
• Signed out of ChatGPT and signed back in
• Reproduced the problem after reauthentication
• Verified that the IAB Browser Use session route is captured
• Browser-control tools remain unavailable

Expected behavior:

When a Browser Use session is created, browser automation/browser-use tools should be exposed to the Codex agent so it can inspect and interact with a locally running web application.

Actual behavior:

The IAB Browser Use session route is captured, but no browser-control tool is exposed to the agent.

Because this persists across extension versions, fresh sessions, sandbox configurations, VS Code restarts, and ChatGPT reauthentication, this appears potentially related to Browser Use tool provisioning/session authentication rather than the local project.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

1. On Windows, open VS Code with the Codex IDE extension installed.

2. Sign in to Codex using a ChatGPT Plus account.

3. Open a local project/workspace.

4. Start a completely new Codex conversation.

5. Ask Codex:

   "Check whether browser automation / browser use / webpage screenshot capability is available in this session. If available, open http://localhost:8501."

6. Codex reports that no browser automation/browser-use tool or webpage screenshot capability is exposed to the session.

7. If it attempts to open the URL, it falls back to the non-browser open tool and fails with an invalid ref_id error.

8. Open VS Code → View → Output → Codex.

9. The log shows that the Browser Use session route was successfully captured:

   IAB_LIFECYCLE webview captured browser use session route

10. Despite the Browser Use session route being captured, no browser-control tool is exposed to the Codex agent.

Additional reproducibility:

• Reproduces in completely fresh Codex conversations.
• Reproduces after fully restarting VS Code.
• Reproduces after signing out of ChatGPT and signing back in.
• Reproduces on extension versions 26.901.22334 and 26.715.31925.
• Reproduces with both elevated and unelevated Windows sandbox configurations.
• A local web application is running and accessible normally from a regular browser at http://localhost:8501.

What is the expected behavior?

When a Codex Browser Use session is created in the VS Code extension, the browser automation/browser-use tools should be exposed to the Codex agent.

Codex should be able to open, inspect, interact with, and take screenshots of a locally running web application such as http://localhost:8501.

This functionality previously worked normally in the same environment.

Additional information

Additional diagnostics:

The issue does not appear to be specific to my local project or Streamlit application.

I performed the following A/B tests:

• Extension 26.901.22334: Browser Use unavailable
• Extension 26.715.31925: Browser Use unavailable
• Windows sandbox elevated: Browser Use unavailable
• Windows sandbox unelevated: Browser Use unavailable
• Fresh Codex conversation: Browser Use unavailable
• Full VS Code restart: Browser Use unavailable
• ChatGPT sign-out/sign-in: Browser Use unavailable

Relevant Codex Output log entries include:

IAB_LIFECYCLE webview captured browser use session route

Error fetching httpStatus=403 statusText=Forbidden url=/settings/user

sa_server_request_failed attachAuth=false attachIntegrityState=false method=get routePattern=/settings/user status=403 url=/settings/user

After reauthentication, I also observed:

remote featured plugin request to https://chatgpt.com/backend-api/plugins/featured failed with status 401 Unauthorized

There also appears to be a feature/configuration mismatch. The extension reports features including:

• thread_tools
• open_in_codex
• apps_mcp_path_override

while the runtime reports:

• unknown feature key in config: open_in_codex
• unknown feature key in config: thread_tools
• ignoring invalid experimental feature enablement keys: apps_mcp_path_override

Browser Use worked previously in this same environment. The problem appeared after it had been functioning normally.

I can provide the complete Codex Output logs if needed.

Start by reproducing the issue in the VS Code extension and inspect the Codex Output logs around “captured browser use session route,” the /settings/user 403, and featured-plugin 401 responses. Trace why a captured Browser Use route does not provision browser-control tools; done means the tools are exposed in a fresh session and can inspect the stated localhost URL.