## Why
`codex-utils-pty` and `codex-windows-sandbox` were the remaining crates
in `codex-rs` that still overrode the workspace's Rust 2024 edition.
Moving them forward in a separate PR keeps the baseline edition update
isolated from the follow-on Bazel clippy workflow in #15955, while
making linting and formatting behavior consistent with the rest of the
workspace.
This PR also needs Cargo and Bazel to agree on the edition for
`codex-windows-sandbox`. Without the Bazel-side sync, the experimental
Bazel app-server builds fail once they compile `windows-sandbox-rs`.
## What changed
- switch `codex-rs/utils/pty` and `codex-rs/windows-sandbox-rs` to
`edition = "2024"`
- update `codex-utils-pty` callsites and tests to use the collapsed `if
let` form that Clippy expects under the new edition
- fix the Rust 2024 fallout in `windows-sandbox-rs`, including the
reserved `gen` identifier, `unsafe extern` requirements, and new Clippy
findings that surfaced under the edition bump
- keep the edition bump separate from a larger unsafe cleanup by
temporarily allowing `unsafe_op_in_unsafe_fn` in the Windows entrypoint
modules that now report it under Rust 2024
- update `codex-rs/windows-sandbox-rs/BUILD.bazel` to `crate_edition =
"2024"` so Bazel compiles the crate with the same edition as Cargo
---
[//]: # (BEGIN SAPLING FOOTER)
Stack created with [Sapling](https://sapling-scm.com). Best reviewed
with [ReviewStack](https://reviewstack.dev/openai/codex/pull/15954).
* #15976
* #15955
* __->__ #15954
## Summary
This PR makes Windows sandbox proxying enforceable by routing proxy-only
runs through the existing `offline` sandbox user and reserving direct
network access for the existing `online` sandbox user.
In brief:
- if a Windows sandbox run should be proxy-enforced, we run it as the
`offline` user
- the `offline` user gets firewall rules that block direct outbound
traffic and only permit the configured localhost proxy path
- if a Windows sandbox run should have true direct network access, we
run it as the `online` user
- no new sandbox identity is introduced
This brings Windows in line with the intended model: proxy use is not
just env-based, it is backed by OS-level egress controls. Windows
already has two sandbox identities:
- `offline`: intended to have no direct network egress
- `online`: intended to have full network access
This PR makes proxy-enforced runs use that model directly.
### Proxy-enforced runs
When proxy enforcement is active:
- the run is assigned to the `offline` identity
- setup extracts the loopback proxy ports from the sandbox env
- Windows setup programs firewall rules for the `offline` user that:
- block all non-loopback outbound traffic
- block loopback UDP
- block loopback TCP except for the configured proxy ports
- optionally allow broader localhost access when `allow_local_binding=1`
So the sandboxed process can only talk to the local proxy. It cannot
open direct outbound sockets or do local UDP-based DNS on its own.The
proxy then performs the real outbound network access outside that
restricted sandbox identity.
### Direct-network runs
When proxy enforcement is not active and full network access is allowed:
- the run is assigned to the `online` identity
- no proxy-only firewall restrictions are applied
- the process gets normal direct network access
### Unelevated vs elevated
The restricted-token / unelevated path cannot enforce per-identity
firewall policy by itself.
So for Windows proxy-enforced runs, we transparently use the logon-user
sandbox path under the hood, even if the caller started from the
unelevated mode. That keeps enforcement real instead of best-effort.
---------
Co-authored-by: Codex <noreply@openai.com>
## Summary
- support legacy `ReadOnlyAccess::Restricted` on Windows in the elevated
setup/runner backend
- keep the unelevated restricted-token backend on the legacy full-read
model only, and fail closed for restricted read-only policies there
- keep the legacy full-read Windows path unchanged while deriving
narrower read roots only for elevated restricted-read policies
- honor `include_platform_defaults` by adding backend-managed Windows
system roots only when requested, while always keeping helper roots and
the command `cwd` readable
- preserve `workspace-write` semantics by keeping writable roots
readable when restricted read access is in use in the elevated backend
- document the current Windows boundary: legacy `SandboxPolicy` is
supported on both backends, while richer split-only carveouts still fail
closed instead of running with weaker enforcement
## Testing
- `cargo test -p codex-windows-sandbox`
- `cargo check -p codex-windows-sandbox --tests --target
x86_64-pc-windows-msvc`
- `cargo clippy -p codex-windows-sandbox --tests --target
x86_64-pc-windows-msvc -- -D warnings`
- `cargo test -p codex-core windows_restricted_token_`
## Notes
- local `cargo test -p codex-windows-sandbox` on macOS only exercises
the non-Windows stubs; the Windows-targeted compile and clippy runs
provide the local signal, and GitHub Windows CI exercises the runtime
path
## Summary
This is PR 2 of the Windows sandbox runner split.
PR 1 introduced the framed IPC runner foundation and related Windows
sandbox infrastructure without changing the active elevated one-shot
execution path. This PR switches that elevated one-shot path over to the
new runner IPC transport and removes the old request-file bootstrap that
PR 1 intentionally left in place.
After this change, ordinary elevated Windows sandbox commands still
behave as one-shot executions, but they now run as the simple case of
the same helper/IPC transport that later unified_exec work will build
on.
## Why this is needed for unified_exec
Windows elevated sandboxed execution crosses a user boundary: the CLI
launches a helper as the sandbox user and has to manage command
execution from outside that security context. For one-shot commands, the
old request-file/bootstrap flow was sufficient. For unified_exec, it is
not.
Unified_exec needs a long-lived bidirectional channel so the parent can:
- send a spawn request
- receive structured spawn success/failure
- stream stdout and stderr incrementally
- eventually support stdin writes, termination, and other session
lifecycle events
This PR does not add long-lived sessions yet. It converts the existing
elevated one-shot path to use the same framed IPC transport so that PR 3
can add unified_exec session semantics on top of a transport that is
already exercised by normal elevated command execution.
## Scope
This PR:
- updates `windows-sandbox-rs/src/elevated_impl.rs` to launch the runner
with named pipes, send a framed `SpawnRequest`, wait for `SpawnReady`,
and collect framed `Output`/`Exit` messages
- removes the old `--request-file=...` execution path from
`windows-sandbox-rs/src/elevated/command_runner_win.rs`
- keeps the public behavior one-shot: no session reuse or interactive
unified_exec behavior is introduced here
This PR does not:
- add Windows unified_exec session support
- add background terminal reuse
- add PTY session lifecycle management
## Why Windows needs this and Linux/macOS do not
On Linux and macOS, the existing sandbox/process model composes much
more directly with long-lived process control. The parent can generally
spawn and own the child process (or PTY) directly inside the sandbox
model we already use.
Windows elevated sandboxing is different. The parent is not directly
managing the sandboxed process in the same way; it launches across a
different user/security context. That means long-lived control requires
an explicit helper process plus IPC for spawn, output, exit, and later
stdin/session control.
So the extra machinery here is not because unified_exec is conceptually
different on Windows. It is because the elevated Windows sandbox
boundary requires a helper-mediated transport to support it cleanly.
## Validation
- `cargo test -p codex-windows-sandbox`
# Summary
This PR introduces the Windows sandbox runner IPC foundation that later
unified_exec work will build on.
The key point is that this is intentionally infrastructure-only. The new
IPC transport, runner plumbing, and ConPTY helpers are added here, but
the active elevated Windows sandbox path still uses the existing
request-file bootstrap. In other words, this change prepares the
transport and module layout we need for unified_exec without switching
production behavior over yet.
Part of this PR is also a source-layout cleanup: some Windows sandbox
files are moved into more explicit `elevated/`, `conpty/`, and shared
locations so it is clearer which code is for the elevated sandbox flow,
which code is legacy/direct-spawn behavior, and which helpers are shared
between them. That reorganization is intentional in this first PR so
later behavioral changes do not also have to carry a large amount of
file-move churn.
# Why This Is Needed For unified_exec
Windows elevated sandboxed unified_exec needs a long-lived,
bidirectional control channel between the CLI and a helper process
running under the sandbox user. That channel has to support:
- starting a process and reporting structured spawn success/failure
- streaming stdout/stderr back incrementally
- forwarding stdin over time
- terminating or polling a long-lived process
- supporting both pipe-backed and PTY-backed sessions
The existing elevated one-shot path is built around a request-file
bootstrap and does not provide those primitives cleanly. Before we can
turn on Windows sandbox unified_exec, we need the underlying runner
protocol and transport layer that can carry those lifecycle events and
streams.
# Why Windows Needs More Machinery Than Linux Or macOS
Linux and macOS can generally build unified_exec on top of the existing
sandbox/process model: the parent can spawn the child directly, retain
normal ownership of stdio or PTY handles, and manage the lifetime of the
sandboxed process without introducing a second control process.
Windows elevated sandboxing is different. To run inside the sandbox
boundary, we cross into a different user/security context and then need
to manage a long-lived process from outside that boundary. That means we
need an explicit helper process plus an IPC transport to carry spawn,
stdin, output, and exit events back and forth. The extra code here is
mostly that missing Windows sandbox infrastructure, not a conceptual
difference in unified_exec itself.
# What This PR Adds
- the framed IPC message types and transport helpers for parent <->
runner communication
- the renamed Windows command runner with both the existing request-file
bootstrap and the dormant IPC bootstrap
- named-pipe helpers for the elevated runner path
- ConPTY helpers and process-thread attribute plumbing needed for
PTY-backed sessions
- shared sandbox/process helpers that later PRs will reuse when
switching live execution paths over
- early file/module moves so later PRs can focus on behavior rather than
layout churn
# What This PR Does Not Yet Do
- it does not switch the active elevated one-shot path over to IPC yet
- it does not enable Windows sandbox unified_exec yet
- it does not remove the existing request-file bootstrap yet
So while this code compiles and the new path has basic validation, it is
not yet the exercised production path. That is intentional for this
first PR: the goal here is to land the transport and runner foundation
cleanly before later PRs start routing real command execution through
it.
# Follow-Ups
Planned follow-up PRs will:
1. switch elevated one-shot Windows sandbox execution to the new runner
IPC path
2. layer Windows sandbox unified_exec sessions on top of the same
transport
3. remove the legacy request-file path once the IPC-based path is live
# Validation
- `cargo build -p codex-windows-sandbox`
## Summary
- launch Windows sandboxed children on a private desktop instead of
`Winsta0\Default`
- make private desktop the default while keeping
`windows.sandbox_private_desktop=false` as the escape hatch
- centralize process launch through the shared
`create_process_as_user(...)` path
- scope the private desktop ACL to the launching logon SID
## Why
Today sandboxed Windows commands run on the visible shared desktop. That
leaves an avoidable same-desktop attack surface for window interaction,
spoofing, and related UI/input issues. This change moves sandboxed
commands onto a dedicated per-launch desktop by default so the sandbox
no longer shares `Winsta0\Default` with the user session.
The implementation stays conservative on security with no silent
fallback back to `Winsta0\Default`
If private-desktop setup fails on a machine, users can still opt out
explicitly with `windows.sandbox_private_desktop=false`.
## Validation
- `cargo build -p codex-cli`
- elevated-path `codex exec` desktop-name probe returned
`CodexSandboxDesktop-*`
- elevated-path `codex exec` smoke sweep for shell commands, nested
`pwsh`, jobs, and hidden `notepad` launch
- unelevated-path full private-desktop compatibility sweep via `codex
exec` with `-c windows.sandbox=unelevated`
• Keep Windows sandbox runner launches working from packaged installs by
running the helper from a user-owned runtime location.
On some Windows installs, the packaged helper location is difficult to
use reliably for sandboxed runner launches even though the binaries are
present. This change works around that by copying codex-
command-runner.exe into CODEX_HOME/.sandbox-bin/, reusing that copy
across launches, and falling back to the existing packaged-path lookup
if anything goes wrong.
The runtime copy lives in a dedicated directory with tighter ACLs than
.sandbox: sandbox users can read and execute the runner there, but they
cannot modify it. This keeps the workaround focused on the
command runner, leaves the setup helper on its trusted packaged path,
and adds logging so it is clear which runner path was selected at
launch.
`SandboxPolicy::ReadOnly` previously implied broad read access and could
not express a narrower read surface.
This change introduces an explicit read-access model so we can support
user-configurable read restrictions in follow-up work, while preserving
current behavior today.
It also ensures unsupported backends fail closed for restricted-read
policies instead of silently granting broader access than intended.
## What
- Added `ReadOnlyAccess` in protocol with:
- `Restricted { include_platform_defaults, readable_roots }`
- `FullAccess`
- Updated `SandboxPolicy` to carry read-access configuration:
- `ReadOnly { access: ReadOnlyAccess }`
- `WorkspaceWrite { ..., read_only_access: ReadOnlyAccess }`
- Preserved existing behavior by defaulting current construction paths
to `ReadOnlyAccess::FullAccess`.
- Threaded the new fields through sandbox policy consumers and call
sites across `core`, `tui`, `linux-sandbox`, `windows-sandbox`, and
related tests.
- Updated Seatbelt policy generation to honor restricted read roots by
emitting scoped read rules when full read access is not granted.
- Added fail-closed behavior on Linux and Windows backends when
restricted read access is requested but not yet implemented there
(`UnsupportedOperation`).
- Regenerated app-server protocol schema and TypeScript artifacts,
including `ReadOnlyAccess`.
## Compatibility / rollout
- Runtime behavior remains unchanged by default (`FullAccess`).
- API/schema changes are in place so future config wiring can enable
restricted read access without another policy-shape migration.
Today, there is a single capability SID that allows the sandbox to write
to
* workspace (cwd)
* tmp directories if enabled
* additional writable roots
This change splits those up, so that each workspace has its own
capability SID, while tmp and additional roots, which are
installation-wide, are still governed by the "generic" capability SID
This isolates workspaces from each other in terms of sandbox write
access.
Also allows us to protect <cwd>/.codex when codex runs in a specific
<cwd>
The elevated setup synchronously applies read/write ACLs to any
workspace roots.
However, until we apply *read* permission to the full path, powershell
cannot use some roots as a cwd as it needs access to all parts of the
path in order to apply it as the working directory for a command.
The solution is, while the async read-ACL part of setup is running, use
a "junction" that lives in C:\Users\CodexSandbox{Offline|Online} that
points to the cwd.
Once the read ACLs are applied, we stop using the junction.
-----
this PR also removes some dead code and overly-verbose logging, and has
some light refactoring to the ACL-related functions
## Description
Introduced `ExternalSandbox` policy to cover use case when sandbox
defined by outside environment, effectively it translates to
`SandboxMode#DangerFullAccess` for file system (since sandbox configured
on container level) and configurable `network_access` (either Restricted
or Enabled by outside environment).
as example you can configure `ExternalSandbox` policy as part of
`sendUserTurn` v1 app_server API:
```
{
"conversationId": <id>,
"cwd": <cwd>,
"approvalPolicy": "never",
"sandboxPolicy": {
"type": ""external-sandbox",
"network_access": "enabled"/"restricted"
},
"model": <model>,
"effort": <effort>,
....
}
```
a few fixes based on testing feedback:
* ensure cap_sid file is always written by elevated setup.
* always log to same file whether using elevated sandbox or not
* process potentially slow ACE write operations in parallel
* dedupe write roots so we don't double process any
* don't try to create read/write ACEs on the same directories, due to
race condition
