OpenAI Codex Bug Ravages User SSD Lifespans

sull · x · 2026-07-20

OpenAI's coding assistant **Codex** was recently exposed for a severe bug where unauthorized TRACE-level logging continuously wrote massive amounts of data to a local SQLite file. - **Hardware Damage**: Developers reported 37TB of writes in just 21 days (approx. 640TB annually), enough to burn through a typical 1TB SSD's rated lifespan (600TBW) in under a year. Many users reported premature SSD failures. - **Fix Progress**: OpenAI mitigated this in the June 22 `0.142.x` update, reducing writes by about 85%. However, the complete fix wasn't merged until the `0.143.0` alpha version, and the community is still providing feedback. - **Recommendation**: Users running Codex 24/7 should update immediately and check their SSD's SMART wear data (existing damage is irreversible).

Related event: OpenAI Codex Mac App Blamed for Excessive SSD Wear(3 posts)→

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