This document outlines techniques to debug and bypass macOS sandbox restrictions for testing and research purposes. Understanding how sandboxing works and how to bypass it is crucial for security researchers and developers.
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of macOS security mechanisms
Familiarity with Xcode and command line tools
Understanding of macOS sandbox architecture
Debugging Techniques
Dynamic Analysis: Use tools like LLDB to attach to sandboxed processes and inspect runtime behavior.
Static Analysis: Analyze the sandbox profile (entitlements.xml) to understand the restrictions imposed on the process.
Code Injection: Inject code into the process to manipulate its behavior and bypass sandbox restrictions.
Environment Variables: Modify environment variables to alter the process environment and potentially bypass sandbox restrictions.
Bypass Techniques
Exploiting Vulnerabilities: Identify and exploit vulnerabilities in macOS or third-party software to escape the sandbox.
Kernel Exploits: Use kernel exploits to gain higher privileges and bypass sandbox restrictions.
Filesystem Manipulation: Manipulate filesystem permissions to access restricted resources and bypass sandbox restrictions.
Inter-Process Communication: Communicate between processes to bypass sandbox restrictions and achieve desired outcomes.
Conclusion
By understanding macOS sandboxing mechanisms and employing debugging and bypass techniques, security researchers can effectively test the security of macOS applications and contribute to improving overall system security.
<!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>
# Compile itgcc-Xlinker-sectcreate-Xlinker__TEXT-Xlinker__info_plist-XlinkerInfo.plistsand.c-osand# Create a certificate for "Code Signing"# Apply the entitlements via signingcodesign-s<cert-name>--entitlementsentitlements.xmlsand
# Load app in debugginglldb./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_routineframe#1: 0x000000019300cf80 libsystem_secinit.dylib`_libsecinit_appsandbox + 584frame#2: 0x00000001874199c4 libsystem_trace.dylib`_os_activity_initiate_impl + 64frame#3: 0x000000019300cce4 libsystem_secinit.dylib`_libsecinit_initializer + 80frame#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 x2x2=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 10x16fdfd660:0x0000600003d04000(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 $x00x19300eb22:"Sandbox"## BYPASS## Due to the previous bp, the process will be stopped in:Process2517stopped* thread #1, queue = 'com.apple.main-thread', stop reason = breakpoint 1.1frame#0: 0x0000000187659900 libsystem_kernel.dylib`__mac_syscalllibsystem_kernel.dylib`:->0x187659900<+0>:movx16,#0x17d0x187659904<+4>:svc#0x800x187659908<+8>:b.lo0x187659928 ; <+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) cProcess2517resumingSandboxBypassed!Process2517exitedwithstatus=0 (0x00000000)