Windows Codex browser control fails: nodeRepl.fetch request failed

Problem

On Windows, the Chrome extension panel loads, but Codex cannot enumerate or control browsers. Reproduced September 17, 2026:

await cua.getState();
{"apps":[],"browsers":[],"errors":["Browsers: Error: nodeRepl.fetch request failed"]}

The call takes about 21–23 seconds. The same runtime also reports fetch failures for ab.chatgpt.com/v1/initialize and /v1/rgstr.

Environment and troubleshooting

Windows 11 Pro 25H2, build 26200.9445; Codex desktop 26.908.9136.0 (versions checked September 15). User has restarted Chrome and Codex, reinstalled the extension, and tried a new chat. Earlier official checks passed for extension enabled in Chrome Default profile and native-host registration.

A local HTTP proxy is required; no working proxy-free network is available. HTTP_PROXY/HTTPS_PROXY/ALL_PROXY point to the local proxy; NO_PROXY includes localhost. No custom CA bundle was configured.

Network evidence

On September 15, separate Python probes through that proxy completed CONNECT and verified TLS for chatgpt.com, ws.chatgpt.com, and o33249.ingest.us.sentry.io. These probes do NOT verify the authenticated WebSocket or desktop browser-control runtime.

Feedback failure

After reproduction, /feedback showed "upload unconfirmed". At 2026-09-15 08:14:42 UTC, the desktop log recorded feedback/upload error -32603: upload to o33249.ingest.us.sentry.io failed with "unexpected EOF during handshake". Receipt is unconfirmed. A private feedback reference can be supplied to maintainers through an appropriate channel.

Request

OpenAI support referred this case to GitHub. Please triage to the desktop/browser-extension component and provide supported diagnostics for the actual proxy/TLS path used by nodeRepl.fetch and the feedback client. The existing evidence does not establish a missing CA or a proxy root cause.

Only minimal diagnostic details are included here; unrelated business data, full session transcripts, credentials and URL query parameters are omitted.

Start with the nodeRepl.fetch browser-control entry point and the desktop feedback/upload client, using the reported Windows proxy and TLS setup. Reproduce the browser enumeration failure and compare it with the ab.chatgpt.com and Sentry handshake errors. Done means supported diagnostics identify the actual proxy/TLS path and establish a likely cause or the next maintainer action.