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fix(sandbox): keep a derived ACL target inside the write root it came from - #1040

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fix(sandbox): keep a derived ACL target inside the write root it came from#1040
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@Vasanthdev2004

@Vasanthdev2004 Vasanthdev2004 commented Sep 9, 2026

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Closes #1024.

FILE_FLAG_OPEN_REPARSE_POINT guards one component. The apply opens its target with it, which refuses a reparse point at the final component and resolves every component above it, as any absolute path has to. That is the whole guard for a path the operator named, and not enough for one this package derived.

The write-root carveouts are derived: <root>/.git/hooks and <root>/.git/config are constructed from a root, and <root>/.git is a name an unprivileged workspace writer can create before setup runs. mklink /J needs no privilege. With a junction there, the apply opens <junction-target>/hooks, which is an ordinary directory with nothing wrong about its final component, and zero sandbox setup writes a deny ACE on it as Administrator, outside the workspace.

Probed rather than reasoned about, since Windows path semantics do not reward reasoning. Opening <root>/.git/hooks through a junction and opening the outside path directly return the same GetFinalPathNameByHandle answer, \\?\...\002\target\hooks, while the anchor answers \\?\...\001. So the handle knows where it really is even when the name does not.

What changed

A derived entry now records the write root it came from, and the apply requires the object it finally holds to still live under it. The comparison is between two GetFinalPathNameByHandle answers, so both sides normalize the same way (\\?\ prefix, long names, drive letter) rather than being compared as written.

Materialization is checked before it creates, because os.MkdirAll follows the same reparse points and would otherwise put the directory on the far side with only the after-the-fact check noticing.

This is deliberately not a refusal of every reparse point on the path. Above the write root the path is the operator's, who may keep a workspace under a junction or a mapped directory, and refusing that would break setups this has nothing to say about. Only the tail the sandbox appended is held strict, which is the "owned intermediate" rule the issue asks for.

What is not fixed here

The window between the pre-create check and os.MkdirAll is still open: closing it needs the components created relative to retained handles rather than by pathname, which is the rooted descent in #808. Same for the os.RemoveAll on the failure path. This PR is scoped to refusing the ACE, which is what #1024 describes, and stays out of #808's way.

Tests

  • A carveout redirected by a junction at .git: the ACE is refused and the error names where it actually resolved.
  • The same carveout in an ordinary workspace still gets its ACE, so the refusal is not just failure.
  • Materialization behind the junction: refused before anything is created, and nothing appears on the far side.
  • An operator-named path below a junction is applied as before, since it carries no anchor.
  • The plan builder anchors the derived carveouts and leaves operator-named deny paths unanchored.

Junctions rather than symlinks throughout, so these run on an ordinary unelevated account, which is the account the attack needs.

Two of these exist because falsification caught me. Reverting the pre-create check left its test passing, which turned out to mean the check was doing nothing: it asked where the deepest existing ancestor lived, and a junction answers with its own path, because the open does not follow a final-component reparse point. What disqualifies that ancestor is that it IS a reparse point. Reverting the plan wiring also left everything passing, because every apply-level test hands the group an anchor directly and none of them would notice the builder never setting one. Both now fail by name.

Summary by CodeRabbit

  • Bug Fixes

    • Improved Windows sandbox protection against junctions and other path redirections that could cause ACL changes or directory creation outside the intended workspace.
    • Validates anchored paths and existing filesystem ancestors before applying permissions or materializing directories.
    • Preserves expected behavior for ordinary paths and explicitly unanchored operator paths.
  • Tests

    • Added coverage for junction redirects, containment checks, safe directory creation, and ACL application behavior on Windows.

… from

FILE_FLAG_OPEN_REPARSE_POINT refuses a reparse point at the final path
component and resolves every component above it, which is right for a path
the operator named and not enough for one this package derived. The
write-root carveouts are derived: <root>/.git/hooks and <root>/.git/config
are constructed from a root, and <root>/.git is a name an unprivileged
workspace writer can create before setup runs. mklink /J needs no
privilege, so a junction there had the apply open <junction-target>/hooks,
an ordinary directory with nothing wrong about its final component, and
zero sandbox setup wrote a deny ACE on it as Administrator, outside the
workspace.

A derived entry now carries the root it came from, and the apply requires
the object it finally holds to still live under it. The check is on the
handle rather than the name: GetFinalPathNameByHandle answers where the
open object actually is, and both sides go through it so the spelling
normalizes the same way. Materialization is checked before it creates,
since os.MkdirAll follows the same reparse points.

Deliberately not a refusal of every reparse point on the path. Above the
write root the path is the operator's, who may keep a workspace under a
junction or a mapped directory; only the tail the sandbox appended is held
strict.

Closes #1024
The pre-create check asked where the deepest existing ancestor lives, and
a junction answers with its own path: the open does not follow a
final-component reparse point, so <root>/.git came back as <root>/.git and
matched. os.MkdirAll does follow it. What disqualifies that ancestor is
that it IS a reparse point, not where it reports living.

Found by reverting the check and watching the test still pass, which said
the guard was doing nothing rather than that the test was weak. Pinned
against the function now, because through the whole apply the create is
made and then removed on the failure path, so the filesystem afterwards
looks identical either way. The plan wiring gets its own test for the same
reason: every apply-level case here hands the group an anchor directly, so
none of them would notice the builder never setting one.
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Greptile Summary

The PR adds write-root anchors to derived Windows ACL targets and compares opened targets against handle-resolved anchor paths to reject junction redirects.

  • Propagates anchors from the Windows ACL plan builder into grouped apply operations.
  • Adds pre-materialization and post-open containment checks.
  • Adds Windows junction regression coverage for redirected, ordinary, materialized, and operator-named targets.

Confidence Score: 3/5

This PR should not merge until materialization is performed through traversal-resistant retained handles so an attacker cannot redirect the elevated creation after the containment check.

The final ACL mutation is checked against the opened object, but the preceding materialization still traverses an attacker-mutable pathname after authorization and can create outside the write root.

Files Needing Attention: internal/sandbox/windows_acl_apply_windows.go, internal/sandbox/windows_acl_containment_windows.go

Security Review

The handle-based post-open check protects ACL application, but materialization remains vulnerable to a junction swap between the pre-create check and os.MkdirAll; creation must be rooted in retained handles to enforce containment at use time.

Important Files Changed

Filename Overview
internal/sandbox/windows_acl.go Adds optional anchors to derived ACL entries and wires the originating write root into plan construction.
internal/sandbox/windows_acl_apply_windows.go Enforces handle containment before ACL mutation, but pathname-based materialization remains separated from its containment check by an exploitable race.
internal/sandbox/windows_acl_containment_windows.go Implements handle-resolved containment checks correctly for opened objects, while its pre-create ancestor check cannot secure a later pathname traversal.
internal/sandbox/windows_acl_containment_windows_test.go Covers static junction redirects and plan wiring, but does not close or exercise the acknowledged component-swap race.

Sequence Diagram

sequenceDiagram
    participant W as Workspace writer
    participant S as Elevated setup
    participant F as Filesystem
    S->>F: Verify existing derived tail
    F-->>S: Existing ancestor is contained
    W->>F: Replace checked component with junction
    S->>F: os.MkdirAll(absolute path)
    F-->>S: Create target outside write root
    S->>F: Open and resolve created target
    F-->>S: Outside-root final path
    S-->>S: Refuse ACL after creation
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Reviews (1): Last reviewed commit: "fix(sandbox): reject the reparse ancesto..." | Re-trigger Greptile

if err := verifyWindowsACLPathUnderAnchor(group.Anchor, path); err != nil {
return windowsACLSnapshot{}, false, err
}
if err := os.MkdirAll(path, 0o700); err != nil {

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P1 security Materialization retains a junction race

When a workspace writer replaces a checked component with a junction after verifyWindowsACLPathUnderAnchor returns, os.MkdirAll traverses the mutable absolute path and creates the target outside the write root before the later handle check rejects it. Materialization needs to be performed relative to retained, traversal-resistant handles. How this was verified: The containment function releases its ancestor handle before the separate pathname-based os.MkdirAll call.

Context Used: AGENTS.md (source)

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Zero automated PR review

Verdict: No blockers found

Blockers

  • None found.

Validation

  • [pass] Diff hygiene: git diff --check
  • [pass] Tests: go test ./...
  • [pass] Build: go run ./cmd/zero-release build
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Scope

Head: ee302b32305d
Changed files (5): internal/sandbox/windows_acl.go, internal/sandbox/windows_acl_apply_windows.go, internal/sandbox/windows_acl_containment_windows.go, internal/sandbox/windows_acl_containment_windows_test.go, internal/sandbox/windows_acl_test.go

This deterministic review checks validation status and basic diff hygiene. A human reviewer still owns product judgment and design quality.

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Walkthrough

WindowsACLEntry now records anchors for derived deny paths. Windows ACL application checks anchored paths before materialization and after opening handles. Windows tests cover junction redirects, unanchored paths, materialization, and anchor propagation.

Changes

Windows ACL junction containment

Layer / File(s) Summary
Propagate ACL write-root anchors
internal/sandbox/windows_acl.go, internal/sandbox/windows_acl_apply_windows.go, internal/sandbox/windows_acl_test.go
Derived deny-write paths record their originating root. Path grouping preserves the anchor. Tests verify derived, read-only, and operator-specified paths.
Validate anchored Windows paths
internal/sandbox/windows_acl_containment_windows.go
Windows-only helpers resolve handle paths, inspect ancestors, reject reparse-point traversal, and return containment errors.
Block unsafe materialization and ACL updates
internal/sandbox/windows_acl_apply_windows.go, internal/sandbox/windows_acl_containment_windows_test.go
ACL application validates anchored targets before directory creation and after opening handles. Tests verify junction redirection is rejected and ACL snapshots are restored during cleanup.

Priority: ⬆️ High

Estimated code review effort: 4 (Complex) | ~45 minutes

Severity of issue fixed: High

Merge Risk: ⚪ Minimal · up to ee302

The change preserves native-path test coverage for anchored in-root paths while retaining unanchored behavior for operator-selected out-of-root paths. No current merge-readiness risk is identified.

Sequence Diagram(s)

sequenceDiagram
  participant ACLPlan
  participant ACLApply
  participant Containment
  participant WindowsFilesystem
  ACLPlan->>ACLApply: provide derived path with Anchor
  ACLApply->>Containment: validate target before materialization
  Containment->>WindowsFilesystem: inspect ancestors and resolve handles
  WindowsFilesystem-->>Containment: containment result
  Containment-->>ACLApply: allow or reject
  ACLApply->>Containment: verify opened target beneath Anchor
  Containment-->>ACLApply: allow ACL update or cleanup failure
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Check name Status Explanation Resolution
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✅ Passed checks (4 passed)
Check name Status Explanation
Description Check ✅ Passed Check skipped - CodeRabbit’s high-level summary is enabled.
Title check ✅ Passed The title clearly describes the primary fix: keeping derived Windows ACL targets inside their originating write root.
Linked Issues check ✅ Passed The changes address #1024 by anchoring derived in-root ACL paths and validating final containment before materialization and ACL updates. They preserve existing behavior for operator-configured paths …
Out of Scope Changes check ✅ Passed The implementation, containment checks, tests, and rollback cleanup all support the Windows ACL junction-redirection fix in #1024. No unrelated code changes are identified.
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Actionable comments posted: 2

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Inline comments:
In `@internal/sandbox/windows_acl_containment_windows_test.go`:
- Line 89: Update both successful-apply tests at
internal/sandbox/windows_acl_containment_windows_test.go lines 89-89 and 160-160
to retain the snapshot returned by applyWindowsACLPathGroup instead of
discarding it, and register t.Cleanup handlers that call
rollbackWindowsACLSnapshots when applied is true. Apply the same rollback
pattern at both sites so the deny-write DACL is restored before
temporary-directory cleanup.

In `@internal/sandbox/windows_acl.go`:
- Around line 54-55: Update BuildWindowsACLPlan and the
windowsWriteRootCapabilities flow so copied ReadOnlySubpaths are not assigned
Anchor: capability.Root unless they have been validated as root descendants; for
supported operator-named paths, leave Anchor empty instead. Preserve anchoring
only for paths proven to remain under the capability root, including
reparse-point safety.

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📒 Files selected for processing (4)
  • internal/sandbox/windows_acl.go
  • internal/sandbox/windows_acl_apply_windows.go
  • internal/sandbox/windows_acl_containment_windows.go
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Comment thread internal/sandbox/windows_acl_containment_windows_test.go
Comment thread internal/sandbox/windows_acl.go Outdated
…put the DACL back

Two from review, both right.

ReadOnlySubpaths is a profile field an operator can set to any path, and one
placed outside the write root is a configuration that works today; anchoring
it unconditionally turned that into a containment refusal. Only paths
lexically under the root are anchored now, which is where the derived
carveouts are anyway, and anything else keeps the final-component guard it
always had.

The successful-apply tests left their deny ACE in place, so t.TempDir could
fail to remove the tree. Restoring the snapshot exposed the sharper half:
the ACE denied the group the test runs as, which revoked its own WRITE_DAC
and left the rollback unable to reopen the target. The tests deny a group
this process is not a member of instead, which is what a capability SID is
in production, and roll back afterwards.
…t case included

The plan builder is cross-platform and its anchor tests were in a Windows-only
file, so nothing checked the wiring on Linux or macOS. Moved beside the other
BuildWindowsACLPlan tests, with the case review raised: an out-of-root
ReadOnlySubpath stays unanchored, and an in-root one is still held to its
write root.
@Vasanthdev2004

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Both taken, at 0ddf21d and 832b73b.

The anchor on ReadOnlySubpaths. Right, and I had conflated two things that arrive at the same place. ProtectedWriteDenyPaths is fed from two sources: ProtectedMetadataNames, which is joined onto the root and is under it by construction, and ReadOnlySubpaths, which is a profile field an operator can set to any path. The in-tree producer fills it from gitMetadataWriteCarveouts(root), so it is under the root in practice, but the field does not promise that and a config placing it elsewhere works today. Anchoring it turned that into a containment refusal.

Only paths lexically under the root are anchored now, via the existing pathWithinRoot. That is where the derived carveouts are anyway, so the guard is unchanged where it matters, and anything else keeps the final-component check it always had.

The rollback in the successful-apply tests. Also right, and following it turned up the sharper half. Restoring the snapshot failed with Access is denied on the reopen: the ACE denied S-1-5-32-545, a group the test process is a member of, so the apply revoked its own WRITE_DAC and nothing could put the DACL back. Leaving the ACE in place would have failed t.TempDir cleanup; restoring it could not run at all.

The tests deny S-1-5-32-546 instead, a group this process is not in, which is what a capability SID is in production, and roll back through t.Cleanup as you suggested. So the ACE is now both realistic and reversible, and the rollback path gets exercised rather than assumed.

While there: the plan tests I added were in a Windows-only file even though the builder is cross-platform, so nothing checked the anchoring on Linux or macOS. Moved beside the other BuildWindowsACLPlan tests, with your out-of-root case added. Removing the pathWithinRoot gate fails it by name.

coderabbitai[bot]
coderabbitai Bot previously approved these changes Sep 9, 2026
Moving these beside the other BuildWindowsACLPlan tests made them run on
Linux and macOS, where their Windows path literals stop meaning what they
say: pathWithinRoot is filepath.Rel underneath, a backslash is an ordinary
character off Windows, and C:\workspace\.git\hooks is then one component
that is not under C:\workspace, so every anchor came back empty. The
neighbouring tests get away with such literals because they only compare
strings they built the same way and never ask whether one contains another.

Paths are built with filepath.Join from temp roots now, so the containment
question is asked in the separator the running platform actually uses.
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sandbox: a junction at .git sends the fallback carveouts outside the workspace on Windows

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