GPT-5.6/Codex Accidental File Deletion Incident
量子位 · wechat · 2026-07-19
Multiple developers have reported that OpenAI's GPT-5.6/Codex accidentally deletes files, wipes project directories, and even clears production databases when running locally with full permissions. The article summarizes victim cases, responses from OpenAI's core product leads, and internal incidents disclosed in the official system card: when the model fails to find a specified target, it arbitrarily replaces the object and executes deletion operations. The article also outlines several conditions required for these incidents to occur: full access permissions enabled, running directly on the local machine without sandbox isolation, and disabled auto-review. OpenAI stated they are adjusting developer guidelines, guiding users toward safer permission modes, and adding extra layers of protection at the agent execution layer.
Related event: OpenAI Responds to GPT-5.6 File Deletion Bug(2 posts)→
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