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Explicit user approvals are not honored in delegated tasks #35072

Description

@JavierPiedra

What version of the Codex App are you using (From “About Codex” dialog)?

Version 26.721.30844

What subscription do you have?

Pro

What platform is your computer?

Darwin 25.5.0 arm64 arm

What issue are you seeing?

Codex requested approval for a local-only migration that would revoke browser-role UPDATE access on one table. The stated scope was explicit:

  • Write the migration file only.
  • Do not run it against any database.
  • Do not deploy or push it.
  • Preserve the service-owned RPC as the intended write path.

After the user gave explicit approval directly in the parent task, and later asked Codex to retry, the delegated worker still rejected the edit because it did not recognize a trusted user approval.

This happened repeatedly in the same task. Codex also reported that no clickable approval control was available in the session, so the user could not approve through a different UI surface.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

  1. Start a managed Codex desktop task that delegates implementation to a worker.
  2. Ask for a local change involving persistent access control, while explicitly excluding database application, deployment, push, and external side effects.
  3. Have Codex explain the risk and request approval.
  4. Reply with a direct, scoped approval, such as: “I authorize writing, without applying or deploying, the local migration that revokes UPDATE from PUBLIC, anon, and authenticated.”
  5. Ask Codex to proceed or retry.
  6. Observe that the delegated worker rejects the same local edit, claiming no trusted approval exists.
  7. Ask whether there is a clickable approval control; observe that Codex reports none is available.

Session ID: 019f9163-7b3c-7391-b70c-5163cd88b600

What is the expected behavior?

A direct, explicit approval from the user in the parent task should be available to a delegated worker for that same narrowly scoped action.

If the worker requires a separate trust boundary, Codex should present a clickable approval control that states the exact action, risk, and scope. After approval, the worker should proceed or explain precisely why it cannot.

Additional information

macOS 26.5.1, build 25F80.

No database migration was applied, no deployment occurred, no branch was pushed, and no external system was changed. The problem is that explicit user authorization could not be consumed by the delegated worker.

Session ID: 019f9163-7b3c-7391-b70c-5163cd88b600

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