Sandbox commands fail with "_encode:25: command not found: -e"

[Shaun_Walsh]

Where does the bug appear (feature/product)?

Cursor IDE

Describe the Bug

Title: Sandbox commands fail with “_encode:25: command not found: -e”

Description:
When AI agent runs terminal commands via run_terminal_cmd with sandbox enabled,
all commands fail with “_encode:25: command not found: -e” error.

Environment:

• OS: macOS 25.0.0 (Darwin Kernel Version 25.0.0)
• Shell: /bin/zsh
• Cursor Version: [your version]
• Sandbox: Enabled
• Permissions requested: network, all (both fail)

Steps to Reproduce:

1. Enable sandbox mode
2. Have AI agent run any terminal command with network permissions
3. Error appears 8 times: “_encode:25: command not found: -e”

Expected: Command executes
Actual: Command fails with encoding error

Workaround: Running commands manually in terminal works fine

Version: 2.0.64 (Universal)
VSCode Version: 1.99.3
Commit: 25412918da7e74b2686b25d62da1f01cfcd27680
Date: 2025-11-06T04:35:14.424Z
Electron: 37.7.0
Chromium: 138.0.7204.251
Node.js: 22.20.0
V8: 13.8.258.32-electron.0
OS: Darwin arm64 25.0.0

Steps to Reproduce

1. Enable Sandbox Mode

   • Go to Cursor Settings (Cmd+,)
   • Search for “sandbox”
   • Set “Auto-Run in Sandbox” to ON
   • Set “Auto-Run Network Access” to “Ask Every Time”

2. Create a test file in workspace

   In terminal, create a simple project

   mkdir ~/cursor-sandbox-test
   cd ~/cursor-sandbox-test
   echo “test” > test.txt
   3. Open the folder in Cursor

   • File → Open Folder → Select ~/cursor-sandbox-test

3. Ask AI agent to run a command requiring network

   • In chat, ask: “Run this command: curl -I https://google.com”
   • Or ask: “Build a container with podman”

4. Observe the error

   • Agent will attempt to execute via run_terminal_cmd tool
   • With required_permissions: ["network"]
   • Error appears 8 times:

Expected Behavior

no terminal commands work

Screenshots / Screen Recordings

Operating System

MacOS

Current Cursor Version (Menu → About Cursor → Copy)

Version: 2.0.64 (Universal)
VSCode Version: 1.99.3
Commit: 25412918da7e74b2686b25d62da1f01cfcd27680
Date: 2025-11-06T04:35:14.424Z
Electron: 37.7.0
Chromium: 138.0.7204.251
Node.js: 22.20.0
V8: 13.8.258.32-electron.0
OS: Darwin arm64 25.0.0

Does this stop you from using Cursor

No - Cursor works, but with this issue

[deanrie]

Hey, thanks for the report. Try this:

1. Open Settings Cmd+Shift+J → Agents → Inline Editing & Terminal
2. Enable “Legacy Terminal Tool”
3. Cmd+Shift+P → “Terminal: Kill All Terminals”
4. Restart Cursor

This should fix the sandbox issue.

Also check ~/.zshrc or ~/.zshenv — if there’s something like exec bash or other shell-switching commands, that can cause the problem.

If it still doesn’t work, please share errors from Help → Toggle Developer Tools → Console.

[ray0 (ray)]

I have the same problem
and still not work after enable Legacy Terminal Tool