From 73fd93929699375e5231e4854083195588deae52 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Curtis 'Fjord' Hawthorne <fjord@openai.com>
Date: Fri, 20 Feb 2026 10:47:07 -0800
Subject: [PATCH] js_repl: block wrapped payload prefixes in grammar (#12300)
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## Summary

Tighten the `js_repl` freeform Lark grammar to block the most common
malformed payload wrappers before they reach runtime validation.

## What Changed

- Replaced the overly permissive `js_repl` freeform grammar (`start:
/[\s\S]*/`) with a structured grammar that still supports:
  - plain JS source
  - optional first-line `// codex-js-repl:` pragma followed by JS source
- Added grammar-level filtering for common bad payload shapes by
rejecting inputs whose first significant token starts with:
  - `{` (JSON object wrapper like `{"code":"..."}`)
  - `"` (quoted code string)
  - `` ``` `` (markdown code fences)
- Implemented the grammar without regex lookahead/lookbehind because the
API-side Lark regex engine does not support look-around.
- Added a unit test to validate the grammar shape and guard against
reintroducing unsupported lookaround.

## Why

`js_repl` is a freeform tool, but the model sometimes emits wrapped
payloads (JSON, quoted strings, markdown fences) instead of raw
JavaScript. We already reject those at runtime, but this change moves
the constraint into the tool grammar so the model is less likely to
generate invalid tool-call payloads in the first place.

## Testing

- `cargo test -p codex-core
js_repl_freeform_grammar_blocks_common_non_js_prefixes`
- `cargo test -p codex-core parse_freeform_args_rejects_`

## Notes

- This intentionally over-blocks a few uncommon valid JS starts (for
example top-level `{ ... }` blocks or top-level quoted directives like
`"use strict";`) in exchange for preventing the common wrapped-payload
mistakes.



#### [git stack](https://github.com/magus/git-stack-cli)
- 👉 `1` https://github.com/openai/codex/pull/12300
- ⏳ `2` https://github.com/openai/codex/pull/12275
- ⏳ `3` https://github.com/openai/codex/pull/12205
- ⏳ `4` https://github.com/openai/codex/pull/12185
- ⏳ `5` https://github.com/openai/codex/pull/10673
---
 codex-rs/core/src/tools/spec.rs | 34 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-
 1 file changed, 33 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/codex-rs/core/src/tools/spec.rs b/codex-rs/core/src/tools/spec.rs
index b17a3a285..fe9c7ee8a 100644
--- a/codex-rs/core/src/tools/spec.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/core/src/tools/spec.rs
@@ -1068,7 +1068,24 @@ fn create_list_dir_tool() -> ToolSpec {
 }
 
 fn create_js_repl_tool() -> ToolSpec {
-    const JS_REPL_FREEFORM_GRAMMAR: &str = r#"start: /[\s\S]*/"#;
+    // Keep JS input freeform, but block the most common malformed payload shapes
+    // (JSON wrappers, quoted strings, and markdown fences) before they reach the
+    // runtime `reject_json_or_quoted_source` validation. The API's regex engine
+    // does not support look-around, so this uses a "first significant token"
+    // pattern rather than negative lookaheads.
+    const JS_REPL_FREEFORM_GRAMMAR: &str = r#"
+start: pragma_source | plain_source
+
+pragma_source: PRAGMA_LINE NEWLINE js_source
+plain_source: PLAIN_JS_SOURCE
+
+js_source: JS_SOURCE
+
+PRAGMA_LINE: /[ \t]*\/\/ codex-js-repl:[^\r\n]*/
+NEWLINE: /\r?\n/
+PLAIN_JS_SOURCE: /(?:\s*)(?:[^\s{\"`]|`[^`]|``[^`])[\s\S]*/
+JS_SOURCE: /(?:\s*)(?:[^\s{\"`]|`[^`]|``[^`])[\s\S]*/
+"#;
 
     ToolSpec::Freeform(FreeformTool {
         name: "js_repl".to_string(),
@@ -1922,6 +1939,21 @@ mod tests {
         assert_contains_tool_names(&tools, &["js_repl", "js_repl_reset"]);
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn js_repl_freeform_grammar_blocks_common_non_js_prefixes() {
+        let ToolSpec::Freeform(FreeformTool { format, .. }) = create_js_repl_tool() else {
+            panic!("js_repl should use a freeform tool spec");
+        };
+
+        assert_eq!(format.syntax, "lark");
+        assert!(format.definition.contains("PRAGMA_LINE"));
+        assert!(format.definition.contains("`[^`]"));
+        assert!(format.definition.contains("``[^`]"));
+        assert!(format.definition.contains("PLAIN_JS_SOURCE"));
+        assert!(format.definition.contains("codex-js-repl:"));
+        assert!(!format.definition.contains("(?!"));
+    }
+
     fn assert_model_tools(
         model_slug: &str,
         features: &Features,