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Codex Computer Use fails on macOS 26.4.1 with code-signing invalid helper #21846
Description
Summary
Codex Computer Use does not work on macOS. @Computer always returns:
Computer Use permissions are not granted
This continues even after granting Accessibility and Screen & System Audio Recording permissions, resetting permissions, starting new Codex threads, turning VPN off, and reinstalling Codex.
Correlation ID
019e096c-21ea-7a83-b3fa-87204325ebe8
Environment
- macOS: 26.4.1 (25E253)
- Codex app: 26.506.31421
- Computer Use helper bundle ID:
com.openai.sky.CUAService - Helper version: 780
- Mac: Apple Silicon
- VPN: Surfshark disabled during test
Steps Tried
- Enabled Accessibility for
Codex - Enabled Accessibility for
Codex Computer Use - Enabled Screen & System Audio Recording for Codex-related entries
- Ran targeted permission resets:
tccutil reset ScreenCapture com.openai.codex
tccutil reset ScreenCapture com.openai.sky.CUAService- Re-granted permissions after reset
- Tried brand-new Codex threads
- Turned Surfshark/VPN off
- Reinstalled Codex
- Moved/refreshed the local Computer Use helper/cache
Actual Behavior
Computer Use remains unavailable. @Computer still reports:
Computer Use permissions are not granted
Local Evidence
Running codesign verification on the helper reports:
codesign --verify --verbose=4 "$HOME/.codex/computer-use/Codex Computer Use.app"returns:
invalid signature (code or signature have been modified)
In architecture: arm64
A crash report also showed:
SkyComputerUseClient
SIGKILL (Code Signature Invalid)
Termination: CODESIGNING / Launch Constraint Violation
Bundle ID: com.openai.sky.CUAService.cli
Expected Behavior
After granting Accessibility and Screen Recording permissions, Codex Computer Use should be able to inspect and operate apps such as Calculator.
Ask
Please advise whether this is a known Codex Computer Use helper signing/registration issue on macOS 26.4.1 and how to repair or replace the helper.
Activity
github-actions commentedon May 8, 2026
Potential duplicates detected. Please review them and close your issue if it is a duplicate.
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IgorGanapolsky commentedon May 12, 2026
This looks like the same failure class I hit while hardening my own Mac agent setup: the visible symptom is usually a broken action loop, but the root cause is often one of these:
The fastest sanity check is to verify each layer separately: provider smoke test, isolated per-directory session id, macOS permissions readback, and a real Computer Use tool call such as listing running apps.
I wrote up the checklist here: https://igorganapolsky.github.io/openclaw-mac-ai-workstation-setup/troubleshooting.html
If you want this fixed done-for-you on a Mac, I also packaged it as a focused setup service: https://igorganapolsky.github.io/openclaw-mac-ai-workstation-setup/
IgorGanapolsky commentedon May 14, 2026
"Code-signing invalid helper" with permissions already granted is almost
always a bundle-ID mismatch — macOS recorded TCC approval for one signed
bundle, but the helper that's running has a different Team ID or Identifier.
Confirmable with:
codesign -dv --verbose=2 /Applications/Codex.app 2>&1 | grep -E "Identifier|TeamIdentifier"
ps -axo pid,comm | grep -i codex
And compare against the TCC.db approved client (requires FDA):
sqlite3 ~/Library/Application\ Support/com.apple.TCC/TCC.db
"SELECT client, auth_value FROM access WHERE service='kTCCServiceScreenCapture';"
If the running bundle ID and the TCC-approved bundle ID differ, the fix is
to remove the old/unsigned copy and re-grant against the canonical bundle.
I wrote up the full TCC bundle-ID failure mode plus 5 other root causes at:
https://igorganapolsky.github.io/openclaw-mac-ai-workstation-setup/troubleshooting.html
Free script in the repo (scripts/self-diagnose.mjs) captures both sides of
the codesign/TCC comparison into a redacted bundle. $19 quick read on the
same page reviews the bundle and names the root cause.
kmufti7 commentedon May 14, 2026
Follow-up diagnostics from the affected Mac:
After removing stale Desktop
Codex.appcopies and restarting Codex, Computer Use still reports:Current active app:
Stale app copies that were present and then moved out of the normal app path surface:
Those stale copies were also signed as
com.openai.codex/2DC432GLL2, but were older:Actual running Computer Use service path after restart:
Service identity:
Running Computer Use client processes are launched under:
Client identity from the installed helper bundle:
Codex in-app Computer Use settings show
Any Appenabled. The user reports Accessibility permissions are already granted/toggled for Codex/Computer Use, but the MCP Computer Use tool still returnsComputer Use permissions are not grantedwhen attempting a simple Calculator app-state read.A read-only TCC DB query from the Codex environment was blocked by macOS privacy:
Question: which exact bundle ID/path is the Computer Use permission checker expecting for Screen Recording and Accessibility:
com.openai.codex,com.openai.sky.CUAService, orcom.openai.sky.CUAService.cli? Is there a known issue where permissions are granted in System Settings but the MCP tool still reports not granted because the service/client identity or path does not match the checker?yeliex commentedon Jun 5, 2026
It is really annoying. Why they keeps this huge bug for such long time
jensenojs commentedon Jun 9, 2026
Adding a current Codex Desktop / Computer Use data point.
Environment:
26.5.1build25F80,arm6426.602.407243593codex-cli 0.137.0-alpha.41.0.809Computer Use calls fail with:
The helper/runtime is not actually absent on disk. I found three copies:
All three have the same SHA-256:
But the installed runtime fails signing assessment:
Observed:
and
spctlreports an internal Code Signing subsystem error.This looks different from a simple missing-file/cache issue: the helper exists, multiple runtime copies match by hash, and the failure appears to be in the signing / entitlement / launch-validation path. The end-user symptom still surfaces as
runtime app is missing.vanjaoljaca commentedon Jul 24, 2026
Adding a current reproduction from Codex Desktop / Computer Use on 2026-07-24.
Environment:
15.7.7build24G720, Apple Silicon (arm64)/Applications/ChatGPT.app26.721.31836(build5828)com.openai.codex1.0.100050226.721.1000502(build1000502)com.openai.sky.CUAServiceThe bundled plugin is installed and enabled, and
SKY_CUA_SERVICE_PATHpoints to the installed helper at:Every read-only Computer Use call fails before app inspection. Both
sky.get_app_state({ app: "Cursor" })andsky.list_apps()return:Resetting the Node REPL and re-running the plugin-owned bootstrap does not change the result.
Current signature verification:
The helper embedded in the application bundle also fails verification:
spctl --assess --type executefor both the outer app and embedded helper reports:This is not a missing-plugin or disabled-config case. It appears the invalid-signature/native-pipe failure persists in the current
26.721.31836desktop build and Computer Use1.0.1000502payload.No credentials, tokens, private file contents, or user data are included in this report.
breihana commentedon Aug 25, 2026
Confirmed on a newer unified ChatGPT/Codex desktop build with a recurring permission loop.
Environment:
Behavior:
tccutil reset ScreenCapture com.openai.sky.CUAService, helper relaunch, and fresh off/on grant did not resolve it.Readback after the fresh reproduction:
Decisive signing evidence:
codesign --verify --deep --strict ~/.codex/computer-use/Codex Computer Use.appreturnsinvalid signature (code or signature have been modified), In architecture: arm64./Applications/ChatGPT.app, and that bundled copy also fails strict signature verification./Applications/ChatGPT.appitself also failscodesign --verify --deep --strictwith the same invalid-signature result.This appears to be an app packaging/update corruption or signing regression in 26.818.61809 that prevents macOS from persisting the helper ScreenCapture grant. The onboarding UI should detect failed code validation / failed TCC readback and stop repeatedly asking the user to approve an already-enabled switch.
breihana commentedon Aug 25, 2026
Follow-up: I downloaded the current official production installer directly from
https://persistent.oaistatic.com/codex-app-prod/Codex.dmg, mounted it read-only, and checked the untouched bundle before installation.The DMG verifies its filesystem checksums, contains ChatGPT 26.818.61809 (build 7019), and reproduces the same signing failure:
codesign --verify --deep --strict /Volumes/ChatGPT\ Installer/ChatGPT.app->invalid signature (code or signature have been modified), In architecture: arm64Codex Computer Use.appfails the same strict verification.Therefore a reinstall from the current official production DMG cannot repair this machine; the distributed artifact itself appears invalid under macOS 26.6.2. This strengthens the packaging/signing-regression diagnosis and rules out user modification of the installed copy.