Codex App does not honor [sandbox_workspace_write] network_access = true from config.toml (works in CLI) #13373

What variant of Codex are you using?

Codex App - Version 26.228.1430 (760)

What feature would you like to see?

Problem

Official docs state that for Codex App / CLI / IDE, network in workspace-write can be enabled via:

config.toml

[sandbox_workspace_write]
network_access = true

Source: https://developers.openai.com/codex/security

In practice, Codex CLI behaves as expected, but Codex App does not reliably match this behavior.

Codex CLI behavior (expected)

With:

[sandbox_workspace_write]
network_access = true

CLI can run networked commands in workspace-write mode, including DNS-dependent requests to internal/corporate hosts.

Codex App behavior (observed)

In App sandboxed runs, behavior is different:

• scutil --dns may return No DNS configuration available
• CODEX_SANDBOX_NETWORK_DISABLED is often 1
• DNS-dependent commands to internal/corporate hosts fail

To make the same tasks work in App, users currently need escalated/full-access execution.

Why this matters

This blocks efficient day-to-day engineering workflows in corporate environments:

• running benchmarks/tests that depend on internal services
• validating integrations against internal APIs
• using Codex App as a practical replacement for CLI without over-privileging execution

Why current workaround is insufficient

Current workaround is to run with escalated permissions / full-access (or approve broad prefixes like make).
This works, but it is not least-privilege:

• grants broader execution power than needed,
• is policy-unfriendly for enterprise environments,
• does not provide predictable network behavior for all tools/commands.

Proposal

Please add one of the following:

1. CLI parity in App:
   Honor [sandbox_workspace_write] network_access = true in Codex App exactly as in CLI.

2. Explicit App UI controls:

   • Filesystem sandbox: workspace-write
   • Network: enabled (same practical behavior users get in CLI with network_access=true)

3. Clear docs:
   Document network behavior differences between CLI/App and sandbox/escalated/full-access modes, and clarify config scope in App.

Expected outcome

Users can keep strict filesystem sandboxing while still enabling required network access, without requiring Full Access.

Related

• Codex app should respect network_access = true #10702: App does not respect network_access=true as expected (CLI/App parity gap).
• codex app can't touch web , but codex cli can #10856: CLI can run curl, while App fails with DNS resolution errors.
• External CLIs fail with DNS lookup error, while Codex CLI works #10616 (closed): External CLIs in App fail with DNS lookup errors, while CLI works.
• Codex unable to access my localhost rest endpoint #10610 (closed): localhost / internal endpoint is not reachable from sandbox; discussed as sandbox/network enhancement direction.

Additional information

No response