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Codex Desktop repeatedly crashes on macOS: CrBrowserMain EXC_BREAKPOINT/SIGTRAP in V8 code cache path #32676
Description
What happened?
Codex Desktop / ChatGPT macOS app repeatedly crashes while using Codex. The macOS crash reporter shows the same native crash signature each time:
EXC_BREAKPOINT / SIGTRAPTrace/BPT trap: 5- faulting thread:
CrBrowserMain - top frames repeatedly include:
ares_llist_replace_destructorv8::ScriptCompiler::ConsumeCodeCacheTask::ConsumeCodeCacheTask(...)v8::ScriptCompiler::CreateCodeCache(...)in later reportsv8impl::Reference::InvokeFinalizerFromGC()
This looks related to, but not exactly identical to, existing reports:
- Codex desktop repeatedly crashes in CrBrowserMain with EXC_BREAKPOINT at temporal_rs_PlainDateTime_hour on macOS 26.6 #31094
- Repeated macOS Codex Desktop 26.609 crashes: CrBrowserMain EXC_BREAKPOINT, Renderer SIGABRT, stale app-server helpers #27880
- Codex macOS app crashes on startup with EXC_BREAKPOINT/SIGTRAP in CrBrowserMain #30005
Frequency
Very frequent. There are 11 ChatGPT-2026-07-13*.ips crash reports on the machine today.
Recent crash reports:
ChatGPT-2026-07-13-101501.ips
ChatGPT-2026-07-13-101659.ips
ChatGPT-2026-07-13-102517.ips
The latest three all have the same pattern:
app_version: 26.707.61608
build: 5200
exception: EXC_BREAKPOINT / SIGTRAP
termination: Trace/BPT trap: 5
thread: CrBrowserMain
Environment
macOS: 26.5.1 (25F80)
machine: Apple Silicon, Mac16,8
ChatGPT/Codex app version from crash reports: 26.707.61608, build 5200
Codex CLI bundled in ChatGPT.app: codex-cli 0.144.0-alpha.4
Codex Framework shown in process args: 150.0.7871.115
Crash signature excerpt
From the latest reports, sanitized summary only:
exception: EXC_BREAKPOINT SIGTRAP
termination: Trace/BPT trap: 5
faulting thread: CrBrowserMain
frames:
ares_llist_replace_destructor
ares_llist_replace_destructor
ares_llist_replace_destructor
ares_llist_replace_destructor
ares_llist_replace_destructor
v8::ScriptCompiler::ConsumeCodeCacheTask::ConsumeCodeCacheTask(...)
v8::ScriptCompiler::ConsumeCodeCacheTask::ConsumeCodeCacheTask(...)
v8::ScriptCompiler::CreateCodeCache(v8::Local<v8::UnboundScript>)
Diagnostics already checked
Local Codex auth and SQLite state do not appear to be the cause:
auth mode: chatgpt
state_5.sqlite: integrity_check ok
logs_2.sqlite: integrity_check ok
goals_1.sqlite: integrity_check ok
memories_1.sqlite: integrity_check ok
No obvious auth/network patterns were present in local Codex logs:
hadToken=false: 0
Unauthorized: 0
websocket: 0
stream disconnected: 0
cannot access local database: 0
SQLite errors: 0
Mitigations attempted
- Moved Electron/Chromium cache-like directories out of
~/Library/Application Support/Codex:CacheCode CacheGPUCacheGPUPersistentCacheGrShaderCacheShaderCacheDawnGraphiteCacheDawnWebGPUCacheGraphiteDawnCachecomponent_crx_cacheextensions_crx_cache- several optimization/safety/component cache folders
- Disabled bundled browser/chrome plugins in
~/.codex/config.toml:
[plugins."chrome@openai-bundled"]
enabled = false
[plugins."browser@openai-bundled"]
enabled = falseThe crashes continued after the first cache cleanup. The plugin-disable mitigation is currently being tested, but the user requested this issue because the crash frequency is high.
Expected behavior
Codex Desktop should not crash the entire ChatGPT/Codex macOS app during normal Codex use.
Actual behavior
The app exits and macOS shows "ChatGPT quit unexpectedly." Reopening the app works temporarily, but the same crash recurs.
Privacy note
I am not attaching the full .ips files publicly because they may contain local paths and machine-specific details. I can provide additional sanitized excerpts if helpful.
Activity
github-actions commentedon Jul 13, 2026
Potential duplicates detected. Please review them and close your issue if it is a duplicate.
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miguelartazos commentedon Jul 19, 2026
Confirming the same signature on my machine — happy to add this as another data point.
Environment
Frequency: 10 crash reports in one day — 1 after ~15h of uptime overnight, then 9 more in a tight crash-loop within ~50 minutes this morning while just trying to relaunch the app. Reproduction rate on relaunch: effectively 100% once it started.
Signature (identical exception/offsets across all 10 reports):
Top frames (symbols are nearest-export guesses in a stripped binary, but consistent across every single crash):
Note the
ValueSerializer::WriteValueframes repeating in a tight A→B→A→B cycle (offsets 22496744/22492968/22498740/22499976 alternating) — looks like a recursive/cyclic serialization of something during startup, which then hits a fatal V8 check.What I ruled out (each tested with a clean relaunch afterward, same crash every time — identical offsets in all cases):
~/Library/Application Support/Codex/Code Cacheand thePartitions/codex-browser-app/Code Cache— no change, crashed even faster (10s vs ~40-50s) with a cold cache.Local Storage,Session Storage(root,Default/, andcodex-browser-app/partitions) andbrowser-sidebar-page-states.json— no change.ChatGPT.appfrom https://openai.com/chatgpt/download/ (same version, 26.715.31925/5551, since that's current) — crashed identically again.Given the crash reproduces identically across a fresh install with a completely empty profile, this doesn't look like it can be fixed client-side — seems to require a fix in this app build. Crash timing scales inversely with cache warmth (30-50s cold-cache-absent → cached, 10s fully cold), consistent with something in early-startup IPC/state serialization rather than anything user-data-related.
Happy to share full sanitized
.ipsreports if a maintainer provides an upload route.iangillespieunreal commentedon Jul 28, 2026
This error is happening to me as well. New mac, just downloaded the ChatGPT app. It will not load on my desktop. Please advise on a solution.
cavemanconsultinggroup-debug commentedon Aug 10, 2026
Same crash here — Apple Silicon M5, macOS 26.4.
Reproducing the exact CrBrowserMain EXC_BREAKPOINT / SIGTRAP in the V8 startup / code-cache path on a new M5 machine.
Environment:
App: ChatGPT / Codex Desktop, version 26.803.41515 (6321), identifier com.openai.codex
OS: macOS 26.4 (25E246)
Hardware: Mac17,6 (Apple Silicon, M5-class)
Code type: ARM-64 (Native)
Crash summary (from the .ips):
Triggered by Thread 0: CrBrowserMain, dispatch queue com.apple.main-thread
Exception Type: EXC_BREAKPOINT (SIGTRAP)
Termination Reason: Namespace SIGNAL, Code 5, Trace/BPT trap: 5
Top of the crashing thread:
0 Codex Framework ares_llist_replace_destructor + 21608
1 Codex Framework ares_llist_replace_destructor + 21500
2 Codex Framework reading_mode$cxxbridge1$194$parse_distilled_html + 13231356
3 Codex Framework reading_mode$cxxbridge1$194$parse_distilled_html + 13231236
4 Codex Framework v8::Isolate::Enter() + 57412
5 Codex Framework v8_simulator_probe_memory_continuation + 2292
6 Codex Framework v8::String::NewFromUtf8(...) + 328
7 Codex Framework node::StringDecoder::DecodeData(...) + 1028
8 Codex Framework node::StringDecoder::DecodeData(...) + 564
9 Codex Framework node ... _register_external_reference_string_decoder(...) + 916
What triggered it: crashes began right after signing out of one Codex account and into a different one. The app now crashes on every launch, before any window appears.
What I already tried (crash is identical after each): full uninstall + clean reinstall of the current build from the official download page; reset the data folder (~/Library/Application Support/Codex moved aside, app recreated a fresh empty one) still crashes; removed the stale ~/Library/Caches/com.openai.codex cache from an older version, still crashes.
So this is not user-data / cache related on my end — it's the build failing at V8/Node startup. Happy to attach the full .ips if useful.
acnorris17 commentedon Aug 11, 2026
Adding a deterministic Voice-specific M5 reproduction to this crash family.
Environment
26.803.61601(build6396)com.openai.codex26.5.2 (25F84)Mac17,2, Apple Silicon M5Deterministic trigger
The application otherwise works normally. It crashes immediately in either of these cases:
The second path confirms that starting audio capture is not required; merely loading the Voice interface terminates the entire app.
Repeated signature
The crashes consistently show:
Leading frames are identical across the reports and match the M5 report already in this thread:
The issue has been reproduced repeatedly, including immediately after a complete clean-state reset.
Troubleshooting already ruled out
com.openai.codex.Voice works with the same account on an M1 Mac and iPhone. Normal non-Voice use on this M5 is unaffected.
I have a privacy-limited support package containing four
.ipscrash reports and a diagnostic summary. I am not attaching raw reports publicly because they may include machine/local runtime details. Please provide a private upload route if the full reports would help.This appears to be a reproducible Voice-interface initialization path into the existing CrBrowserMain/V8 failure, not a microphone, permission, account, cache, or corrupted-install problem.
xyzracehorse commentedon Aug 14, 2026
Repeated Codex Desktop V8
SIGTRAP/brk 0crash — 13 occurrences in ~49.5h on build 6396Issue body
Codex Desktop is repeatedly crashing and interrupting active work. This is a follow-up to an August 12 local investigation, with seven new macOS DiagnosticReports collected on August 13–14.
Environment
26.803.61601(build6396)com.openai.codex151.0.7922.7626.6.1 (25G76)Frequency and impact
Repeated crash signature
All seven new reports have:
EXC_BREAKPOINT/SIGTRAP(Breakpoint) brk 0imageOffset:71766936ares_llist_replace_destructorares_llist_replace_destructorreading_mode$cxxbridge1$194$parse_distilled_htmlreading_mode$cxxbridge1$194$parse_distilled_htmlCrBrowserMainin five reports andV8Workerin two reportsThe earlier investigation also found embedded
OOM error in V8andAllocation failed - JavaScript heap out of memorystrings. The machine had ample physical memory at the time, supporting per-process V8 heap exhaustion rather than whole-system memory pressure.This recurring signature is distinct from the separate August 11
EXC_BAD_ACCESSdrag-and-drop renderer crash and should not be grouped with it.Reproduction status
No single deterministic click sequence has been isolated. The failure occurs during ordinary Codex Desktop use and can recur within minutes after relaunch. Large active histories and heavy task switching appear correlated, but are not claimed as the root cause.
Expected behavior
The desktop app should remain stable during normal use and after relaunch.
Actual behavior
The Chromium/V8 process repeatedly terminates with the same breakpoint and stack signature, losing the active app session and disrupting work.
Attachments
The accompanying archive contains only these seven new macOS
.ipsreports:ChatGPT-2026-08-13-085021.ipsChatGPT-2026-08-13-091949.ipsChatGPT-2026-08-13-092150.ipsChatGPT-2026-08-13-104519.ipsChatGPT-2026-08-13-200310.ipsChatGPT-2026-08-14-074051.ipsChatGPT-2026-08-14-074315.ipsBroad conversation histories, session transcripts, and unrelated application logs are not included.
Feedback-submission blocker observed on August 14
An additional Codex Desktop browser-permission defect prevented this evidence from being submitted through the official GitHub issue form:
github.comwas added under Settings > Browser > Allowed sites.github.comentry was visible under Blocked sites.https://github.com/openai/codex/issues/new/choosebefore the page loaded, reporting that a saved user permission setting blockshttps://git.lvmhsh.cn.Computer Use correctly refused to bypass the saved site policy. The mismatch between the visible Allowed-sites state and the enforced hidden Block state appears to be a second reproducible Codex Desktop bug. No GitHub issue URL or number was issued because the page never loaded.
codex-crash-evidence-2026-08-14.zip
kongyuzhuo commentedon Aug 31, 2026
I can also reproduce this problem on my mac, even the latest verison 26.825.51511 didn't fix this problem.
Summary
The unified ChatGPT/Codex desktop app for macOS repeatedly terminates during normal Codex use. macOS displays “ChatGPT quit unexpectedly.”
This remains reproducible on the current official DMG release:
26.825.51511, build7377151.0.7922.1740.151.0-alpha.7.2All 13 inspected crash reports have the same native failure shape:
EXC_BREAKPOINTSIGTRAPSIGNAL 5,Trace/BPT trap: 5CrBrowserMain/com.apple.main-threadJETSAM, JavaScript heap OOM, orOOMErrorHandlermarker in the crash reportsThe current build has crashed four times, including once while diagnostics were being collected for this report.
Environment
ChatGPT.appDMGcom.openai.codex26.825.515117377151.0.7922.1740.151.0-alpha.7.226.5.2 (25F84)arm64)2DC432GLL2)/Applications/ChatGPT.appcxp appfrom a terminal, using a local HTTP(S) proxy wrappercxpversion:0.1.20The exact proxy profile, local port, username, hostnames, device model, device identifiers, conversation IDs, request IDs, and incident IDs have been intentionally omitted.
Frequency and repeatability
Thirteen macOS crash reports were generated between August 28 and August 31, 2026:
26.820.7152372260x4538fcc26.825.5151173770x45be570The four current-build runs terminated after approximately:
Within each app build, every inspected report has the same top framework image offset. This makes the failure appear deterministic at the native assertion site even though a minimal UI action that triggers it has not yet been isolated.
Best-known reproduction
cxp appon macOS 26.5.2.This is frequent but not yet reduced to one deterministic click sequence. It occurs while the app is both foregrounded and backgrounded.
Expected behavior
The desktop app should remain running. Stale, delayed, duplicated, or out-of-order conversation events should be ignored or recovered without terminating the Electron main process.
Actual behavior
The entire app exits with
EXC_BREAKPOINT / SIGTRAPonCrBrowserMain. macOS displays “ChatGPT quit unexpectedly.” Active desktop work is interrupted, and reopening the app only recovers it temporarily.Sanitized crash signature
The current build's faulting instruction is consistently inside:
feat: desktop beta channel and free personal spaces (#912)