OpenAI Codex Desktop leaks hundreds of Windows child processes via MCP
Zsparacia · ghdev · 2026-07-22
A Windows user reports that OpenAI Codex Desktop can leak large numbers of child processes over the course of a workday, leaving hundreds of node.exe, cmd.exe, and git.exe processes running and making the machine sluggish.
The bug appears tied to the MCP spawn/teardown path: one mode respawns the full MCP suite for each session generation without terminating older generations, while another mode leaks grandchildren because shutdown misses cmd.exe/node.exe descendants. The reporter says the issue reproduces on Windows 11 build 26200 and seems to persist even after fixes to earlier related bugs had landed.
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