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Dangerous Skip Permissions (OpenAI Codex counterpart) ​

What It Means in the OpenAI Ecosystem ​

OpenAI does not provide a native --dangerously-skip-permissions flag like Claude Code. However, the functional equivalent arises when developers configure their agent runtimes to automatically execute all model-proposed tool calls without any human oversight or guardrails.

In the OpenAI function calling API (2023), you can choose to automatically run whatever function the model outputs in its tool_calls field. If you bypass all validation, this is effectively "YOLO mode."

With the Agents SDK (2024–2025), skipping event checks and routing all tool_call executions directly to system APIs (filesystem, shell, or network) creates the same risk as Claude's dangerous skip mechanic.

This approach removes safety prompts and disables the principle of least privilege, leaving your runtime fully exposed to whatever the model outputs.

The Nuclear Temptation ​

Why would anyone take this risk?

During long autonomous sessions (e.g., multi-file refactors, research agents that crawl APIs, or deployment automation), developers may feel slowed down by constant approval steps. Running in "full auto" seems appealing because it allows uninterrupted execution.

Community discussions echo this trade-off: speed versus safety. Some developers run Codex inside Docker containers or firejail sandboxes so that dangerous commands (e.g., rm -rf /) do not escape the environment. This mirrors Claude users' YOLO experiments.

Why Granular Permissions Are Better ​

Instead of removing all checks, OpenAI's recommended best practice is explicit tool whitelisting:

  • In the Assistants API or Agents SDK, you can specify exactly which functions are exposed to the model.
  • You can implement middleware validators (e.g., regex checks on shell commands, argument sanitization for database queries).
  • You can require human confirmation only for destructive operations, such as file deletions or external network access.

This mirrors the "allowedTools" configuration in Claude but is implemented via explicit tool registration in your agent's runtime. The key advantage: transparency. You know precisely which functions the model may invoke.

Security and Isolation Considerations ​

Bypassing all permission checks can lead to catastrophic damage:

  • File corruption or mass deletion.
  • Arbitrary shell execution.
  • Data exfiltration via unmonitored HTTP requests.

Best practices include:

  • Isolation: Run agents in containers or disposable environments.
  • Auditing: Log every tool call and output.
  • Least privilege: Expose only the minimal set of APIs necessary.

Even OpenAI's docs warn that function calling and tool use require careful security consideration to avoid unintended side effects.

Security Transparency ​

Explicit tool configuration in OpenAI (e.g., defining safe functions like searchDocs(query) while omitting direct exec(cmd)) is superior to blanket auto-execution. It provides:

  • Auditability: Clear list of exposed functions.
  • Consistency: Permissions persist across sessions.
  • Safer defaults: Non-critical tools can run automatically, while destructive tools still require human oversight.
  • OpenAI Docs – Function Calling
  • OpenAI Docs – Assistants & Agents SDK Overview

Summary ​

In the OpenAI Codex ecosystem, "dangerous skip permissions" = auto-executing all model-proposed tool calls without validation. While tempting for long workflows, this removes all safety guardrails. The superior alternative is explicit tool whitelisting and validation—preserving speed while avoiding catastrophic mistakes.