Does GPT-5.6 Sol delete files without permission in Codex?

Watch · checked weekly

Unchanged since Sep 22

Checked 11 times since Jul 21 · paused

Direct links

ChatGPT Work and Codex help.openai.com
After reports of GPT-5.6 deleting files, OpenAI says the issue most often occurs in full-access mode without sandboxing and it is working to mitigate the risk texxr.com
OpenAI's GPT-5.6 Sol Is Deleting Users' Files technology.org
Safety: require a hard confirmation and recovery gate for bulk/home-directory deletion even in Full Access github.com

Current answer

Sources

History

How strongly the models agree, per check. Filled points mark checks that changed the answer.

Sep 29
Checked: no change
Shown above
Sep 22
The answer changed

The old consensus stated there was no evidence of a real model called 'GPT-5.6 Sol' deleting files. The new consensus reverses this, confirming that GPT-5.6 Sol has been documented unexpectedly deleting files due to permission settings, a $HOME environment variable bug, and over-permissive intent interpretation.
Read this version
Sep 15
The answer changed

The conclusion shifted from confirming reported cases of GPT-5.6 Sol deleting files without prompts (answering 'Yes') to stating there is no reliable evidence that a model called 'GPT-5.6 Sol' has such a known bug.
Read this version
Aug 11 – Sep 8 5 checks, no change
- Sep 8 Read this version
- Sep 1 Read this version
- Aug 25 Read this version
- Aug 18same answer, new wording Read this version
- Aug 11 Read this version
Aug 4
The answer changed

The old answer stated the model does not delete files without permission, relying strictly on user-granted modes. The new answer reverses this core conclusion, stating that GPT-5.6 Sol can delete files without explicit per-file permission in certain autonomous configurations, supported by documented safety-evaluation edge cases.
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Jul 28
The answer changed

OLD affirms risk of unintended autonomous deletions (esp. Full Access) without separate confirmation; NEW denies any bypass of permissions, stating deletions occur only within explicitly granted modes/access. Central conclusion and qualification reversed.
Read this version
Jul 21, 2026
Watch started

The first answer. Every later check is compared with it.
Read the first answer

How the 3 models compared · 1 contradiction

OpenAI GPT-5.6 Luna · Google Gemini Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite · DeepSeek DeepSeek V4.1 Flash

contradiction · critical

Model C claims GPT-5.6 Sol cannot delete files independently without permissions, whereas Models A and B note actual documented incidents of accidental or unauthorized file deletions by the model.

Model C states the model does not delete files by itself without permitted access.

OpenAI

“GPT‑5.6 Sol does not independently possess file-system permissions”

Models A and B report multiple documented incidents where the model independently and unexpectedly deleted files.

Gemini, DeepSeek

“multiple developers reported incidents where the model independently and unexpectedly deleted files”

How to verify: Check whether documented user incidents and system cards confirm unauthorized or accidental file deletions by GPT-5.6 Sol.