tomevault-io Sandbox Builder
Sandboxing isolates untrusted code execution, preventing it from affecting the host system. It's essential for browsers, plugin systems, and secure code execution platforms.
When to Use This Skill
- Running untrusted code
- Browser plugin security
- Serverless function isolation
- Plugin architectures
- Multi-tenant systems
What This Skill Does
- Isolation: Separate untrusted code from host
- Resource Limits: CPU, memory, time constraints
- System Call Filtering: Restrict system calls
- Filesystem Namespacing: Virtual filesystems
- Network Isolation: Restrict network access
Key Concepts
| Concept | Description |
|---|---|
| Isolation | Separate execution environment |
| Resource Limits | CPU, memory, time constraints |
| Seccomp | Syscall filtering on Linux |
| Namespaces | Linux namespace isolation |
| Chroot | Change root directory |
| Virtualization | Full VM isolation |
Tips
- Use multiple layers of defense
- Test with malicious inputs
- Log all violations
- Use established libraries when possible
- Consider OS-specific features
Common Use Cases
- Browser sandboxes
- Serverless platforms
- Online code execution
- Plugin systems
- CI/CD pipelines
Related Skills
capability-system- Capability-based securityinformation-flow-analyzer- Track information flowffi-designer- Safe FFI boundarieswebassembly-runtime- WASM sandboxing
Canonical References
| Reference | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Provos "Improving Host Security with System Call Policies" | Systrace/seccomp |
| Yee et al. "Native Client" | Chrome sandbox |
| seL4 documentation | Microkernel capabilities |
Tradeoffs and Limitations
Approach Tradeoffs
| Approach | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Seccomp | Lightweight | Linux only |
| Namespaces | Strong isolation | Complex |
| VMs | Complete isolation | Heavy |
| WASM | Portable | Limited APIs |
When NOT to Use This Skill
- Trusted code execution
- When performance is critical
- Simple scripting needs
Limitations
- OS-specific features
- Escape vulnerabilities exist
- Performance overhead
Assessment Criteria
A high-quality implementation should have:
| Criterion | What to Look For |
|---|---|
| Isolation | Untrusted code cannot escape |
| Resource Limits | Enforced limits |
| Monitoring | Violations detected and logged |
| Performance | Reasonable overhead |
Quality Indicators
✅ Good: Multiple isolation layers, proper limits, comprehensive logging ⚠️ Warning: Basic isolation, missing some limits ❌ Bad: Escape vulnerabilities, no resource limits
Research Tools & Artifacts
Sandbox implementations:
| Tool | What to Learn |
|---|---|
| Native Client | Browser sandbox |
| WebAssembly | Sandboxed execution |
| gvisor | Container sandbox |
Research Frontiers
1. Confidential Computing
- Goal: Hardware-based isolation
- Approach: SGX, TEEs
Implementation Pitfalls
| Pitfall | Real Consequence | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Escape bugs | Security bypass | Defense in depth |
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