openai / openai/codex

macOS: Codex browser control via Chrome extension fails at startup — `node_repl` exits (code 65) with `sandbox-exec: unbound variable: TIOCSTI`

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app browser bug sandbox
Dominant language
Rust
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Description

### Title


### Summary
When starting browser control from the Codex desktop app on macOS using the ChatGPT Chrome extension (`@Chrome`), the browser-control kernel (`node_repl`) exits immediately with code 65 before any connection to Chrome/DevTools is established. Resetting the browser-control session and retrying does not help.

### Environment
- Product/surface: Codex in ChatGPT desktop app (macOS)
- Browser integration: Chrome via browser extension (`@Chrome`)
- Codex app version: 26.908.70816 (Released Sep 14, 2026)
- OS: macOS [please fill in version, e.g. 15.1.1]
- Chrome version: [please fill in]
- Extension installed: ChatGPT browser extension (Chrome)
- Session ID (from `/feedback`): 01a0aa7e-d992-7b10-963c-4f9d75089f7a

### Steps to reproduce
1. Open the ChatGPT/Codex desktop app on macOS.
2. Ensure Chrome is running with the ChatGPT browser extension installed/enabled.
3. Open any website in Chrome (issue occurs regardless of site; happens before site interaction).
4. In a Codex chat, start a browser task using `@Chrome` (attempt to inspect/control the current Chrome session).
5. Observe the browser-control startup failure.

### Expected behavior
Codex connects to Chrome (extension + DevTools/inspection) and can inspect/operate the active tab.

### Actual behavior
Browser control fails immediately during startup, before Chrome is reached/connected.

### Error output
```text
node_repl kernel exited unexpectedly

kernel_status: exited(code=65)
sandbox-exec: unbound variable: TIOCSTI
Troubleshooting attempted
  • Reset the browser-control session
  • Retried the connection multiple times
  • Confirmed the failure occurs before any website interaction
Additional notes / hypothesis

It looks like the generated sandbox-exec configuration may be referencing TIOCSTI as an unset shell variable, causing the sandboxed node_repl kernel to exit before connecting to Chrome.

Logs (optional)

If useful, I can attach the relevant macOS app logs from:
~/Library/Logs/com.openai.codex/YYYY/MM/DD
(Reviewed first for sensitive information.)

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Reproduce the @Chrome startup sequence on macOS, then inspect the node_repl failure and logs under ~/Library/Logs/com.openai.codex/YYYY/MM/DD. Trace how sandbox-exec handles the TIOCSTI reference before the Chrome/DevTools connection; done means node_repl stays running and browser control connects successfully.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
macos, node.js, rust
Domain
desktop, security
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Active
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
42/100

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