VSCode extension: open-in-targets error loop causes high CPU (Code Helper Renderer 100%+)

Summary

The openai.chatgpt VS Code extension (Codex) has a bug where the open-in-targets and set-preferred-app handlers throw an error instead of returning gracefully. Because the webview queries open-in-targets on a 1-minute interval (staleTime: ONE_MINUTE), the failure triggers a React Query retry loop, resulting in continuous log spam and sustained 100-170% CPU usage on Code Helper (Renderer) processes.

This happens in every open VS Code window that has the Codex panel loaded.

Affected versions

26.325.31654-darwin-arm64
26.5401.11717 (latest as of 2026-04-05)

Evidence

VS Code extension logs rotate 6+ times within a single session:

~/.vscode/Code/logs/.../exthost/openai.chatgpt/Codex.1.log  (1,556 lines)
~/.vscode/Code/logs/.../exthost/openai.chatgpt/Codex.2.log  (1,556 lines)
~/.vscode/Code/logs/.../exthost/openai.chatgpt/Codex.3.log  (1,556 lines)
~/.vscode/Code/logs/.../exthost/openai.chatgpt/Codex.4.log  (1,556 lines)
~/.vscode/Code/logs/.../exthost/openai.chatgpt/Codex.5.log  (1,556 lines)
~/.vscode/Code/logs/.../exthost/openai.chatgpt/Codex.6.log  (1,556 lines)

Repeated error:

Error: open-in-target not supported in extension
    at open-in-targets (extension.js:255:22561)
    at W_.handleVSCodeRequest (extension.js:255:27618)
    at Qw.fetch (extension.js:214:1973)
    ...

Activity Monitor during the loop:

Code Helper (Renderer)  171.1%  CPU
Code Helper (Renderer)  112.4%  CPU
Code Helper (Plugin)     31.6%  CPU

Root cause

In extension.js, both handlers are intentional stubs for features unsupported in extension mode, but they throw instead of returning gracefully:

// extension.js (both 26.325.31654 and 26.5401.11717)
"open-in-targets": async () => {
  throw new Error("open-in-target not supported in extension")
},
"set-preferred-app": async () => {
  throw new Error("open-in-target not supported in extension")
},

The webview (index-*.js) queries open-in-targets via React Query with staleTime: ONE_MINUTE:

queryFn: async () => pr(`open-in-targets`, { params: { cwd: e } }),
queryKey: Sr(`open-in-targets`, { cwd: e }),
staleTime: Fr.ONE_MINUTE

When the query throws, React Query retries, creating a continuous failure loop.

Requested fix

Return an empty/no-op response instead of throwing, so the webview treats the feature as unavailable without retrying:

"open-in-targets": async () => ({ targets: [] }),
"set-preferred-app": async () => ({}),

This makes the behavior consistent with other unsupported stubs in the extension and stops the retry loop entirely. The fix is a one-liner in the extension source, no functional change, just converting an unhandled throw into a graceful empty response.

@bolinfest

cc @bolinfest @jif-oai @aibrahim-oai @nornagon-openai @dylan-hurd-oai @charley-oai — tagging core contributors, this affects the VS Code extension specifically.

Potential duplicates detected. Please review them and close your issue if it is a duplicate.

High CPU usage triggered by rendering file/code links in chat; confirmed open-in-target failure loop in extension #16320
VS Code extension spams unsupported requests / thread-stream-state-changed broadcasts, causing high CPU/GPU usage on macOS #15397
[Codex Extension][VS Code][macOS] Renderer CPU spikes after file-changing task completes #15958

Powered by Codex Action

I've encountered the same problem.

After using the latest version of the CodeX vs Code extension and having several conversations with CodeX,

my Macbook Air M4's CPU usage exceeded 100%, and the computer overheated significantly.

I've encountered the same problem.

After using the latest version of the CodeX vs Code extension and having several conversations with CodeX,

my Macbook Air M4's CPU usage exceeded 100%, and the computer overheated significantly.

run this script to fix it

set -euo pipefail

EXT_DIR="$HOME/.vscode/extensions"
PATCHED=0
SKIPPED=0
ALREADY=0

find "$EXT_DIR" -maxdepth 1 -type d -name "openai.chatgpt-*" | sort | while read -r dir; do
  ext_js="$dir/out/extension.js"
  version=$(basename "$dir")

  if [[ ! -f "$ext_js" ]]; then
    echo "[$version] extension.js not found, skipping"
    continue
  fi

  # Check if bug is present
  if grep -q '"open-in-targets":async()=>{throw new Error("open-in-target not supported in extension")}' "$ext_js"; then
    echo "[$version] bug detected — patching..."

    # Backup (only once per version)
    if [[ ! -f "$ext_js.bak" ]]; then
      cp "$ext_js" "$ext_js.bak"
      echo "[$version] backup created: extension.js.bak"
    fi

    sed -i '' \
      's/"open-in-targets":async()=>{throw new Error("open-in-target not supported in extension")}/"open-in-targets":async()=>({targets:[]})/g' \
      "$ext_js"

    sed -i '' \
      's/"set-preferred-app":async()=>{throw new Error("open-in-target not supported in extension")}/"set-preferred-app":async()=>({})/g' \
      "$ext_js"

    # Verify
    if grep -q '"open-in-targets":async()=>({targets:\[\]})' "$ext_js"; then
      echo "[$version] patched successfully"
    else
      echo "[$version] patch verification failed — restoring backup"
      cp "$ext_js.bak" "$ext_js"
    fi

  elif grep -q '"open-in-targets":async()=>({targets:\[\]})' "$ext_js"; then
    echo "[$version] already patched, skipping"
  else
    echo "[$version] open-in-targets pattern not found — extension structure may have changed"
  fi
done

echo ""
echo "Done. Reload VS Code windows to apply: Cmd+Shift+P → Developer: Reload Window"

I believe I was seeing the same issue.

When Codex was active in VS Code, Code Helper (Renderer) was reaching around 200% CPU and my Mac was overheating very quickly. Your root-cause analysis matches my symptoms closely.

Thank you for identifying and documenting this so clearly.

I applied the patch script shared in this thread, reloaded VS Code, and after that the abnormal CPU and overheating behavior stopped on my side. I tested it several times and the issue no longer seems to occur, although I will continue testing.

@bagerxx

Thanks a lot to identifying and solving the problem. After using the script, the behavior of the CPU over usage seems disappear.

Moreover, thanks to @bagerxx for leading me to see this solution.

I've encountered the same problem.我也遇到过同样的问题。
After using the latest version of the CodeX vs Code extension and having several conversations with CodeX,在使用最新版本的 CodeX vs Code 扩展程序并与 CodeX 进行多次沟通后，
my Macbook Air M4's CPU usage exceeded 100%, and the computer overheated significantly.我的 Macbook Air M4 的 CPU 使用率超过 100%，电脑严重过热。

run this script to fix it运行此脚本即可修复它

set -euo pipefail

EXT_DIR="$HOME/.vscode/extensions"
PATCHED=0
SKIPPED=0
ALREADY=0

find "$EXT_DIR" -maxdepth 1 -type d -name "openai.chatgpt-*" | sort | while read -r dir; do
  ext_js="$dir/out/extension.js"
  version=$(basename "$dir")

  if [[ ! -f "$ext_js" ]]; then
    echo "[$version] extension.js not found, skipping"
    continue
  fi

  # Check if bug is present
  if grep -q '"open-in-targets":async()=>{throw new Error("open-in-target not supported in extension")}' "$ext_js"; then
    echo "[$version] bug detected — patching..."

    # Backup (only once per version)
    if [[ ! -f "$ext_js.bak" ]]; then
      cp "$ext_js" "$ext_js.bak"
      echo "[$version] backup created: extension.js.bak"
    fi

    sed -i '' \
      's/"open-in-targets":async()=>{throw new Error("open-in-target not supported in extension")}/"open-in-targets":async()=>({targets:[]})/g' \
      "$ext_js"

    sed -i '' \
      's/"set-preferred-app":async()=>{throw new Error("open-in-target not supported in extension")}/"set-preferred-app":async()=>({})/g' \
      "$ext_js"

    # Verify
    if grep -q '"open-in-targets":async()=>({targets:\[\]})' "$ext_js"; then
      echo "[$version] patched successfully"
    else
      echo "[$version] patch verification failed — restoring backup"
      cp "$ext_js.bak" "$ext_js"
    fi

  elif grep -q '"open-in-targets":async()=>({targets:\[\]})' "$ext_js"; then
    echo "[$version] already patched, skipping"
  else
    echo "[$version] open-in-targets pattern not found — extension structure may have changed"
  fi
done

echo ""
echo "Done. Reload VS Code windows to apply: Cmd+Shift+P → Developer: Reload Window"

Thanks a lot, this patch really works on M1 Max macOS 2.6.

我也遇到过同样的问题。
在使用最新版本的CodeX vs Code扩展并与CodeX进行多次对话后，在使用最新版本的CodeX vs Code扩展程序并与CodeX进行多次沟通后，
我的Macbook Air M4的CPU使用率超过100%，计算机明显过热。我的Macbook Air M4的CPU使用率超过100%，计算机严重过热。

运行此脚本来修复它运行此脚本即可修复它

set -euo pipefail

EXT_DIR="$HOME/.vscode/extensions"
PATCHED=0
SKIPPED=0
ALREADY=0

find "$EXT_DIR" -maxdepth 1 -type d -name "openai.chatgpt-*" | sort | while read -r dir; do
  ext_js="$dir/out/extension.js"
  version=$(basename "$dir")

  if [[ ! -f "$ext_js" ]]; then
    echo "[$version] extension.js not found, skipping"
    continue
  fi

  # Check if bug is present
  if grep -q '"open-in-targets":async()=>{throw new Error("open-in-target not supported in extension")}' "$ext_js"; then
    echo "[$version] bug detected — patching..."

    # Backup (only once per version)
    if [[ ! -f "$ext_js.bak" ]]; then
      cp "$ext_js" "$ext_js.bak"
      echo "[$version] backup created: extension.js.bak"
    fi

    sed -i '' \
      's/"open-in-targets":async()=>{throw new Error("open-in-target not supported in extension")}/"open-in-targets":async()=>({targets:[]})/g' \
      "$ext_js"

    sed -i '' \
      's/"set-preferred-app":async()=>{throw new Error("open-in-target not supported in extension")}/"set-preferred-app":async()=>({})/g' \
      "$ext_js"

    # Verify
    if grep -q '"open-in-targets":async()=>({targets:\[\]})' "$ext_js"; then
      echo "[$version] patched successfully"
    else
      echo "[$version] patch verification failed — restoring backup"
      cp "$ext_js.bak" "$ext_js"
    fi

  elif grep -q '"open-in-targets":async()=>({targets:\[\]})' "$ext_js"; then
    echo "[$version] already patched, skipping"
  else
    echo "[$version] open-in-targets pattern not found — extension structure may have changed"
  fi
done

echo ""
echo "Done. Reload VS Code windows to apply: Cmd+Shift+P → Developer: Reload Window"

非常感谢，这个补丁在 M1 Max macOS 2.6 上真的有效。

Thank you for your help.

I've encountered the same problem.
After using the latest version of the CodeX vs Code extension and having several conversations with CodeX,
my Macbook Air M4's CPU usage exceeded 100%, and the computer overheated significantly.

run this script to fix it

set -euo pipefail

EXT_DIR="$HOME/.vscode/extensions"
PATCHED=0
SKIPPED=0
ALREADY=0

find "$EXT_DIR" -maxdepth 1 -type d -name "openai.chatgpt-*" | sort | while read -r dir; do
  ext_js="$dir/out/extension.js"
  version=$(basename "$dir")

  if [[ ! -f "$ext_js" ]]; then
    echo "[$version] extension.js not found, skipping"
    continue
  fi

  # Check if bug is present
  if grep -q '"open-in-targets":async()=>{throw new Error("open-in-target not supported in extension")}' "$ext_js"; then
    echo "[$version] bug detected — patching..."

    # Backup (only once per version)
    if [[ ! -f "$ext_js.bak" ]]; then
      cp "$ext_js" "$ext_js.bak"
      echo "[$version] backup created: extension.js.bak"
    fi

    sed -i '' \
      's/"open-in-targets":async()=>{throw new Error("open-in-target not supported in extension")}/"open-in-targets":async()=>({targets:[]})/g' \
      "$ext_js"

    sed -i '' \
      's/"set-preferred-app":async()=>{throw new Error("open-in-target not supported in extension")}/"set-preferred-app":async()=>({})/g' \
      "$ext_js"

    # Verify
    if grep -q '"open-in-targets":async()=>({targets:\[\]})' "$ext_js"; then
      echo "[$version] patched successfully"
    else
      echo "[$version] patch verification failed — restoring backup"
      cp "$ext_js.bak" "$ext_js"
    fi

  elif grep -q '"open-in-targets":async()=>({targets:\[\]})' "$ext_js"; then
    echo "[$version] already patched, skipping"
  else
    echo "[$version] open-in-targets pattern not found — extension structure may have changed"
  fi
done

echo ""
echo "Done. Reload VS Code windows to apply: Cmd+Shift+P → Developer: Reload Window"

Thank you for your help.

Thanks for the investigation.

I applied the workaround locally on macOS by changing:

"open-in-targets":async()=>{throw new Error("open-in-target not supported in extension")},
"set-preferred-app":async()=>{throw new Error("open-in-target not supported in extension")},

to:

"open-in-targets":async()=>({targets:[]}),
"set-preferred-app":async()=>({}),

After restarting VS Code, Codex loaded normally and the high CPU / overheating issue disappeared.

Really appreciate you sharing this.

Great find, I had to kill VSCode after every prompt in the Codex plugin because of the 100% CPU

Little script i made that fixes it since any manual fixes break on update:

#!/usr/bin/env bash
#
# Source-aware local workaround for Codex VS Code CPU hotspots.
# This patches the installed extension bundle in-place and keeps a .bak copy.

set -euo pipefail

APP="auto"
CHECK_ONLY=0

usage() {
    cat <<'EOF'
Usage: fix_codex.sh [--app vscode|windsurf|auto] [--check]

Options:
  --app    Choose which editor extension to inspect. Default: auto.
  --check  Report which patches would apply without modifying files.
EOF
}

while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
    case "$1" in
        --app)
            if [[ $# -lt 2 ]]; then
                echo "ERROR: --app requires a value." >&2
                exit 1
            fi

            APP="$2"
            shift 2
            ;;
        --check)
            CHECK_ONLY=1
            shift
            ;;
        -h|--help)
            usage
            exit 0
            ;;
        *)
            echo "ERROR: Unknown argument: $1" >&2
            usage >&2
            exit 1
            ;;
    esac
done

case "$APP" in
    auto|vscode|windsurf)
        ;;
    *)
        echo "ERROR: --app must be one of: auto, vscode, windsurf." >&2
        exit 1
        ;;
esac

find_extension_dir() {
    local -a base_dirs=()
    local -a candidates=()
    local base_dir

    case "$APP" in
        vscode)
            base_dirs=("$HOME/.vscode/extensions")
            ;;
        windsurf)
            base_dirs=("$HOME/.windsurf/extensions")
            ;;
        auto)
            base_dirs=("$HOME/.vscode/extensions" "$HOME/.windsurf/extensions")
            ;;
    esac

    for base_dir in "${base_dirs[@]}"; do
        if [[ -d "$base_dir" ]]; then
            while IFS= read -r candidate; do
                [[ -n "$candidate" ]] && candidates+=("$candidate")
            done < <(ls -d "$base_dir"/openai.chatgpt-*-darwin-arm64 2>/dev/null || true)
        fi
    done

    if [[ ${#candidates[@]} -eq 0 ]]; then
        return 1
    fi

    printf '%s\n' "${candidates[@]}" | while IFS= read -r candidate; do
        printf '%s\t%s\n' \
            "$(basename "$candidate" | sed -E 's/^openai\.chatgpt-//; s/-darwin-arm64$//')" \
            "$candidate"
    done | sort -V | tail -1 | cut -f2-
}

EXT_DIR=$(find_extension_dir || true)

if [[ -z "${EXT_DIR:-}" ]]; then
    echo "ERROR: Could not find Codex extension directory in ~/.windsurf/extensions or ~/.vscode/extensions."
    exit 1
fi

BUNDLE=$(ls "$EXT_DIR"/webview/assets/index-*.js 2>/dev/null | head -1)
EXT_HOST="$EXT_DIR/out/extension.js"

if [[ -z "${BUNDLE:-}" ]]; then
    echo "ERROR: Could not find Codex webview bundle."
    exit 1
fi

if [[ ! -f "$EXT_HOST" ]]; then
    echo "ERROR: Could not find Codex extension host bundle."
    exit 1
fi

echo "Found extension: $EXT_DIR"
echo "Found bundle:    $BUNDLE"
echo "Found host JS:   $EXT_HOST"
echo "App mode:        $APP"
echo "Check only:      $CHECK_ONLY"
echo "Size:            $(du -h "$BUNDLE" | cut -f1)"

if [[ "$CHECK_ONLY" -eq 0 ]]; then
    if [[ ! -f "$BUNDLE.bak" ]]; then
        cp "$BUNDLE" "$BUNDLE.bak"
        echo "Backup created:  $BUNDLE.bak"
    else
        echo "Backup exists:   $BUNDLE.bak"
    fi

    if [[ ! -f "$EXT_HOST.bak" ]]; then
        cp "$EXT_HOST" "$EXT_HOST.bak"
        echo "Backup created:  $EXT_HOST.bak"
    else
        echo "Backup exists:   $EXT_HOST.bak"
    fi
fi

PATCHED=0

replace_all() {
    local old="$1"
    local new="$2"
    local label="$3"

    python3 - "$BUNDLE" "$old" "$new" "$label" "$CHECK_ONLY" <<'PY'
from pathlib import Path
import sys

bundle_path = Path(sys.argv[1])
old = sys.argv[2]
new = sys.argv[3]
label = sys.argv[4]
check_only = sys.argv[5] == "1"

text = bundle_path.read_text()
count = text.count(old)
if count == 0:
    print(f"{label}: skipped")
    raise SystemExit(1)

if check_only:
    print(f"{label}: would apply ({count} replacements)")
else:
    bundle_path.write_text(text.replace(old, new))
    print(f"{label}: applied ({count} replacements)")
PY
}

replace_all_in_file() {
    local file_path="$1"
    local old="$2"
    local new="$3"
    local label="$4"

    python3 - "$file_path" "$old" "$new" "$label" "$CHECK_ONLY" <<'PY'
from pathlib import Path
import sys

bundle_path = Path(sys.argv[1])
old = sys.argv[2]
new = sys.argv[3]
label = sys.argv[4]
check_only = sys.argv[5] == "1"

text = bundle_path.read_text()
count = text.count(old)
if count == 0:
    print(f"{label}: skipped")
    raise SystemExit(1)

if check_only:
    print(f"{label}: would apply ({count} replacements)")
else:
    bundle_path.write_text(text.replace(old, new))
    print(f"{label}: applied ({count} replacements)")
PY
}

echo ""
echo "Checking for known Codex CPU hotspots"
echo "============================================"

if replace_all \
    'pp={numStars:1900,minStars:700,starsPerMegaPixel:900,baseTrailLength:2,maxTrailLength:22,speedBase:1,speedWarpMultiplier:38,clearAlphaWarpMultiplier:.8,warpEasing:.06,warpAlphaDamp:.35,idleMaxFps:20,activeMaxFps:60,unfocusedFpsMultiplier:.6' \
    'pp={numStars:200,minStars:100,starsPerMegaPixel:100,baseTrailLength:2,maxTrailLength:22,speedBase:1,speedWarpMultiplier:38,clearAlphaWarpMultiplier:.8,warpEasing:.06,warpAlphaDamp:.35,idleMaxFps:5,activeMaxFps:15,unfocusedFpsMultiplier:.1' \
    'PATCH 1 legacy starfield'; then
    PATCHED=$((PATCHED + 1))
fi

if replace_all \
    'oe?le=0:i&&!a&&(le=1e3)' \
    'oe?le=1e3:i&&!a&&(le=1e3)' \
    'PATCH 2 legacy interval'; then
    PATCHED=$((PATCHED + 1))
fi

if replace_all \
    'm.observe(document.body,{childList:!0,subtree:!0,attributes:!0,attributeFilter:[`style`,`class`,`hidden`,`aria-hidden`]})' \
    'm.observe(document.body,{childList:!0,subtree:!1,attributes:!0,attributeFilter:[`style`,`class`,`hidden`,`aria-hidden`]})' \
    'PATCH 3 hotkey observer'; then
    PATCHED=$((PATCHED + 1))
fi

if replace_all \
    'se?ue=0:i&&!a&&(ue=1e3)' \
    'se?ue=1e3:i&&!a&&(ue=1e3)' \
    'PATCH 4 prerelease exec interval'; then
    PATCHED=$((PATCHED + 1))
fi

if replace_all \
    'if(document.hidden)return;if(n-T.current>=e-1){' \
    'if(document.hidden){w.current=null;return}if(n-T.current>=e-1){' \
    'PATCH 5 sign-in hidden loop'; then
    PATCHED=$((PATCHED + 1))
fi

if replace_all \
    'let n=()=>{document.hidden||(T.current=0)};' \
    'let n=()=>{document.hidden||(T.current=0,w.current==null&&(w.current=window.requestAnimationFrame(t)))};' \
    'PATCH 6 sign-in resume'; then
    PATCHED=$((PATCHED + 1))
fi

if replace_all \
    'loop:h,renderConfig:te,autoplay:ne,className:`pointer-events-none h-full w-full contain-[paint_style_layout_inline-size]`' \
    'loop:h,renderConfig:te,autoplay:!1,className:`pointer-events-none h-full w-full contain-[paint_style_layout_inline-size]`' \
    'PATCH 9 animated icon autoplay disable'; then
    PATCHED=$((PATCHED + 1))
fi

if replace_all_in_file \
    "$EXT_HOST" \
    '"open-in-targets":async()=>{throw new Error("open-in-target not supported in extension")},"set-preferred-app":async()=>{throw new Error("open-in-target not supported in extension")}' \
    '"open-in-targets":async()=>({preferredTarget:null,availableTargets:[],targets:[]}),"set-preferred-app":async()=>({success:!1})' \
    'PATCH 7 open target handler'; then
    PATCHED=$((PATCHED + 1))
fi

if replace_all_in_file \
    "$EXT_HOST" \
    'this.anyBroadcastHandlers.size===0&&this.logger.warning("Received broadcast but no handler is configured",{safe:{method:e.method},sensitive:{}})' \
    'this.anyBroadcastHandlers.size===0&&e.method!=="thread-stream-state-changed"&&e.method!=="client-status-changed"&&this.logger.warning("Received broadcast but no handler is configured",{safe:{method:e.method},sensitive:{}})' \
    'PATCH 8 thread stream warning suppression'; then
    PATCHED=$((PATCHED + 1))
fi

if replace_all_in_file \
    "$EXT_HOST" \
    '"local-environments":async()=>{throw new Error("local-environments is not supported in the extension")}' \
    '"local-environments":async()=>[]' \
    'PATCH 10 local environments fallback'; then
    PATCHED=$((PATCHED + 1))
fi

echo ""
echo "============================================"
if [[ "$CHECK_ONLY" -eq 1 ]]; then
    echo "  $PATCHED patches would apply"
else
    echo "  $PATCHED patches applied"
fi
echo "============================================"
echo ""

if [[ "$CHECK_ONLY" -eq 0 ]]; then
    echo "Next: Reload Windsurf or VS Code"
    echo "  Cmd+Shift+P -> 'Developer: Reload Window'"
    echo ""
    echo "To restore original:"
    echo "  cp \"$BUNDLE.bak\" \"$BUNDLE\""
    echo "  cp \"$EXT_HOST.bak\" \"$EXT_HOST\""
fi

@shijie-oai

thanks @shijie-oai!
you might want to see another cases as well, will describe it here later.

Hi all! We have merged a fix and this should be addressed by the next release. Sorry about the close notification - linear was too eager at closing the ticket when we mark the task done internally.

Hi, thanks for the update.

Do you have an estimated timeline for when the next release will be rolled out? The current issue is blocking us from using the feature, so it’s quite urgent on our side.

Appreciate your help!

Hello everyone!! Will running the fix script affect the extension's functionality in the future? What happens to the changes after the update? Will I need to do anything to undo all the changes made by the script?

Or does anyone have information on how often they release?)

Thank you for sharing, investigating, and resolving this issue.

Hi all! We should be releasing a VSCE version soon - I will post back when the version is updated.

The latest update made it even worse 😭

(93 °C – average core temperature . Its 199 °F)

Are there any ways to help troubleshoot this? I can share system logs or something

Hello everyone!! Will running the fix script affect the extension's functionality in the future? What happens to the changes after the update? Will I need to do anything to undo all the changes made by the script?

Or does anyone have information on how often they release?)

Thank you for sharing, investigating, and resolving this issue.

i will maintain it and publish a GitHub repo so people can clone and run it instead of waiting on OpenAI to fix it.

I've encountered the same problem.
After using the latest version of the CodeX vs Code extension and having several conversations with CodeX,
my Macbook Air M4's CPU usage exceeded 100%, and the computer overheated significantly.

run this script to fix it

set -euo pipefail

EXT_DIR="$HOME/.vscode/extensions"
PATCHED=0
SKIPPED=0
ALREADY=0

find "$EXT_DIR" -maxdepth 1 -type d -name "openai.chatgpt-*" | sort | while read -r dir; do
  ext_js="$dir/out/extension.js"
  version=$(basename "$dir")

  if [[ ! -f "$ext_js" ]]; then
    echo "[$version] extension.js not found, skipping"
    continue
  fi

  # Check if bug is present
  if grep -q '"open-in-targets":async()=>{throw new Error("open-in-target not supported in extension")}' "$ext_js"; then
    echo "[$version] bug detected — patching..."

    # Backup (only once per version)
    if [[ ! -f "$ext_js.bak" ]]; then
      cp "$ext_js" "$ext_js.bak"
      echo "[$version] backup created: extension.js.bak"
    fi

    sed -i '' \
      's/"open-in-targets":async()=>{throw new Error("open-in-target not supported in extension")}/"open-in-targets":async()=>({targets:[]})/g' \
      "$ext_js"

    sed -i '' \
      's/"set-preferred-app":async()=>{throw new Error("open-in-target not supported in extension")}/"set-preferred-app":async()=>({})/g' \
      "$ext_js"

    # Verify
    if grep -q '"open-in-targets":async()=>({targets:\[\]})' "$ext_js"; then
      echo "[$version] patched successfully"
    else
      echo "[$version] patch verification failed — restoring backup"
      cp "$ext_js.bak" "$ext_js"
    fi

  elif grep -q '"open-in-targets":async()=>({targets:\[\]})' "$ext_js"; then
    echo "[$version] already patched, skipping"
  else
    echo "[$version] open-in-targets pattern not found — extension structure may have changed"
  fi
done

echo ""
echo "Done. Reload VS Code windows to apply: Cmd+Shift+P → Developer: Reload Window"

this script still works.

I've encountered the same problem.
After using the latest version of the CodeX vs Code extension and having several conversations with CodeX,
my Macbook Air M4's CPU usage exceeded 100%, and the computer overheated significantly.

run this script to fix it

set -euo pipefail

EXT_DIR="$HOME/.vscode/extensions"
PATCHED=0
SKIPPED=0
ALREADY=0

find "$EXT_DIR" -maxdepth 1 -type d -name "openai.chatgpt-*" | sort | while read -r dir; do
  ext_js="$dir/out/extension.js"
  version=$(basename "$dir")

  if [[ ! -f "$ext_js" ]]; then
    echo "[$version] extension.js not found, skipping"
    continue
  fi

  # Check if bug is present
  if grep -q '"open-in-targets":async()=>{throw new Error("open-in-target not supported in extension")}' "$ext_js"; then
    echo "[$version] bug detected — patching..."

    # Backup (only once per version)
    if [[ ! -f "$ext_js.bak" ]]; then
      cp "$ext_js" "$ext_js.bak"
      echo "[$version] backup created: extension.js.bak"
    fi

    sed -i '' \
      's/"open-in-targets":async()=>{throw new Error("open-in-target not supported in extension")}/"open-in-targets":async()=>({targets:[]})/g' \
      "$ext_js"

    sed -i '' \
      's/"set-preferred-app":async()=>{throw new Error("open-in-target not supported in extension")}/"set-preferred-app":async()=>({})/g' \
      "$ext_js"

    # Verify
    if grep -q '"open-in-targets":async()=>({targets:\[\]})' "$ext_js"; then
      echo "[$version] patched successfully"
    else
      echo "[$version] patch verification failed — restoring backup"
      cp "$ext_js.bak" "$ext_js"
    fi

  elif grep -q '"open-in-targets":async()=>({targets:\[\]})' "$ext_js"; then
    echo "[$version] already patched, skipping"
  else
    echo "[$version] open-in-targets pattern not found — extension structure may have changed"
  fi
done

echo ""
echo "Done. Reload VS Code windows to apply: Cmd+Shift+P → Developer: Reload Window"

this script still works.

Does it work or not?

[openai.chatgpt-26.415.20818-darwin-arm64] open-in-targets pattern not found — extension structure may have changed

Done. Reload VS Code windows to apply: Cmd+Shift+P → Developer: Reload Window

Hi all! We should be releasing a VSCE version soon - I will post back when the version is updated.

Does the newest version 26.415.20818 solved this issue? Same problem happened when I using the codex extention.

I've encountered the same problem.
After using the latest version of the CodeX vs Code extension and having several conversations with CodeX,
my Macbook Air M4's CPU usage exceeded 100%, and the computer overheated significantly.

run this script to fix it

set -euo pipefail

EXT_DIR="$HOME/.vscode/extensions"
PATCHED=0
SKIPPED=0
ALREADY=0

find "$EXT_DIR" -maxdepth 1 -type d -name "openai.chatgpt-*" | sort | while read -r dir; do
  ext_js="$dir/out/extension.js"
  version=$(basename "$dir")

  if [[ ! -f "$ext_js" ]]; then
    echo "[$version] extension.js not found, skipping"
    continue
  fi

  # Check if bug is present
  if grep -q '"open-in-targets":async()=>{throw new Error("open-in-target not supported in extension")}' "$ext_js"; then
    echo "[$version] bug detected — patching..."

    # Backup (only once per version)
    if [[ ! -f "$ext_js.bak" ]]; then
      cp "$ext_js" "$ext_js.bak"
      echo "[$version] backup created: extension.js.bak"
    fi

    sed -i '' \
      's/"open-in-targets":async()=>{throw new Error("open-in-target not supported in extension")}/"open-in-targets":async()=>({targets:[]})/g' \
      "$ext_js"

    sed -i '' \
      's/"set-preferred-app":async()=>{throw new Error("open-in-target not supported in extension")}/"set-preferred-app":async()=>({})/g' \
      "$ext_js"

    # Verify
    if grep -q '"open-in-targets":async()=>({targets:\[\]})' "$ext_js"; then
      echo "[$version] patched successfully"
    else
      echo "[$version] patch verification failed — restoring backup"
      cp "$ext_js.bak" "$ext_js"
    fi

  elif grep -q '"open-in-targets":async()=>({targets:\[\]})' "$ext_js"; then
    echo "[$version] already patched, skipping"
  else
    echo "[$version] open-in-targets pattern not found — extension structure may have changed"
  fi
done

echo ""
echo "Done. Reload VS Code windows to apply: Cmd+Shift+P → Developer: Reload Window"

this script still works.

Does it work or not?

[openai.chatgpt-26.415.20818-darwin-arm64] open-in-targets pattern not found — extension structure may have changed

Done. Reload VS Code windows to apply: Cmd+Shift+P → Developer: Reload Window

hmmm, it does work on my machine

Hi all! We should be releasing a VSCE version soon - I will post back when the version is updated.

Does the newest version 26.415.20818 solved this issue? Same problem happened when I using the codex extention.

update to 26.5409.20454 using VSIX then run that script. works perfectly

26.5415.20818 is the newest version, and it seems like remove the parameter used in the script, which cause the failure of it.

My cpu was about 130% with 417 (or 5417 pre release) , I tried the patch but didnt work :

[openai.chatgpt-26.5417.40842-darwin-arm64] open-in-targets pattern not found — extension structure may have changed

Done. Reload VS Code windows to apply: Cmd+Shift+P → Developer: Reload Window

Then I downgraded to .409. and applied the patch, but perf got even worse (300%)

The script doesnt fix the problem unfortunately

My cpu was about 130% with 417 (or 5417 pre release) , I tried the patch but didnt work :
[openai.chatgpt-26.5417.40842-darwin-arm64] open-in-targets pattern not found — extension structure may have changed

Done. Reload VS Code windows to apply: Cmd+Shift+P → Developer: Reload Window
Then I downgraded to .409. and applied the patch, but perf got even worse (300%)

The script doesnt fix the problem unfortunately

+1

My cpu was about 130% with 417 (or 5417 pre release) , I tried the patch but didnt work :
[openai.chatgpt-26.5417.40842-darwin-arm64] open-in-targets pattern not found — extension structure may have changed

Done. Reload VS Code windows to apply: Cmd+Shift+P → Developer: Reload Window
Then I downgraded to .409. and applied the patch, but perf got even worse (300%)

The script doesnt fix the problem unfortunately

that's the pain-point with personal patch, it only works on specific circumstance, in this case, mine.

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VSCode extension: open-in-targets error loop causes high CPU (Code Helper Renderer 100%+) #16849

Summary

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Requested fix

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VSCode extension: open-in-targets error loop causes high CPU (Code Helper Renderer 100%+) #16849

Description

Summary

Affected versions

Evidence

Root cause

Requested fix

Activity

ofrnsb commented on Apr 5, 2026

github-actions commented on Apr 5, 2026

MingLi3306 commented on Apr 5, 2026

ofrnsb commented on Apr 5, 2026

bagerxx commented on Apr 5, 2026

Ga1axy0 commented on Apr 5, 2026

9426224 commented on Apr 6, 2026

MingLi3306 commented on Apr 6, 2026

MingLi3306 commented on Apr 6, 2026

KeriaGuma commented on Apr 7, 2026

bwesen commented on Apr 8, 2026

Smexey commented on Apr 8, 2026

12 remaining items

ofrnsb commented on Apr 14, 2026

Dagsi commented on Apr 16, 2026

tinkeridze commented on Apr 16, 2026

shijie-oai commented on Apr 16, 2026

tinkeridze commented on Apr 16, 2026

ofrnsb commented on Apr 17, 2026

ofrnsb commented on Apr 17, 2026

Ga1axy0 commented on Apr 17, 2026

Ga1axy0 commented on Apr 17, 2026

ofrnsb commented on Apr 18, 2026

ofrnsb commented on Apr 18, 2026

Ga1axy0 commented on Apr 20, 2026

nicohouillon commented on Apr 22, 2026

nkawli commented on Apr 23, 2026

ofrnsb commented on Apr 23, 2026

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