On most operating systems today, the default is that when we install a program, it is given access to many resources that it may not need, and it’s user may not intend to give it access to. For example, when one installs a closed source program, in principle there is nothing to stop it from reading the private keys in ~/.ssh and send them to a malicious third party over the internet, and unless the user is a security expert proficient in using tracing programs, he will likely not be able to detect such a breach.
With the proliferation of many closed sourced programs being installed on computers, what actions are different operating systems taking to solve the problem of sandboxing third party programs?
Are there any operating system designed from the grounds up with security in mind, where every program or executable has to declare in a clearly readable format by the user what resources it requires to run, so that the OS runs it in a sandbox where it has access only to those resources? For example, an executable will have to declare that it will require access to a certain directory or a file on the filesystem, that it will have to reach certain domains or IP address over the network, that it will require certain amount of memory, etc … If the executable lies in its declaration for system resource requirements, it should be prevented from accessing them by the operating system.
This is a the beauty of Virtualization. Anyone performing testing or operating a questionable application would be wise to use a virtual machine.
Virtual Machines:
With the seamless modes virtualization programs such as VirtualBox provide you can take advantage of Virtual Machine’s sandboxing in a nearly seamless fashion.