Observatory › Codex
Codex on Windows: what it can do on your computer
In short
As of 10 November 2026, according to its documentation, Codex starts in the on_request mode: it asks you before what needs permission.
By default, without asking you, it can read files anywhere with its file tools, edit files in the folders it works in and run commands in its terminal, inside its isolated environment (sandbox).
Mode it starts in
Starting mode: on_request
When an action needs permission, who gives it: you.
Starts in the Auto preset: it works inside the project without asking and asks you before going further.
Official source · accessed on 1 November 2026
What it can do by default
According to the vendor's documentation or source code, before you change any setting.
| Action | Where | By default | Note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Read files | Any path | Without asking | It reads every file your user account can read, not only the project. | Official source |
| Edit files | Working folders (the project folders you open) | Without asking | Official source | |
| Edit files | Outside the working directories | Asks first | Official source | |
| Edit files | Protected paths | Asks first | Official source | |
| Run commands | All commands | Without asking | Official source | |
| Connect to the internet | Any website | Asks first | Official source |
"Asks first": the action needs permission. Depending on the mode it starts in, you give it, or another AI model does.
What RosmarOps does with this agent
Evaluated since RosmarOps 0.8.0: RosmarOps reads its configuration on your computer, without network access, and gives it an Agent Posture Score from 0 to 100: how much it can reach with the permissions it has today.
Security change history
Only changes that affect what it can do on your computer or with your accounts. Nothing is deleted: corrections stay on record.
No security changes recorded yet.
Sources and data
- https://github.com/openai/codex/blob/67f0994/codex-rs/protocol/src/permissions.rs#L40-L43 · accessed on 1 November 2026
- https://github.com/openai/codex/blob/67f0994/codex-rs/protocol/src/protocol.rs#L1154-L1156 · accessed on 1 November 2026
- https://learn.chatgpt.com/docs/agent-approvals-security · accessed on 1 November 2026
- This page as JSON
Vendor's reply
None received. If the vendor sends one, it is published here, signed and dated, without changing anything above.
See a factual error? Tell us, with the source: legal@rosmarops.com
Read from the vendor's documentation and source code, each fact with its date and source. Not a security guarantee or advice.