No Security Filtering

No Security Filtering

NoSecurityFiltering is a sandbox setting in Sandboxie Ini available since v1.0.0 / 5.55.0. This setting disables all remaining security filtering mechanisms in Application Compartment mode, providing maximum compatibility at the cost of virtually all security protections.

Prerequisites

[!IMPORTANT]
NoSecurityFiltering only functions when NoSecurityIsolation is also enabled. This setting has no effect in standard sandbox mode.

Usage

[DefaultBox]

NoSecurityFiltering=y

Syntax

NoSecurityFiltering=<y/n>

Where:

  • y disables all security filtering (only effective in Application Compartment mode).
  • n (default) maintains standard filtering mechanisms.

Interaction with Individual Filter Settings

NoSecurityFiltering serves as a master override that enables the individual filter disable settings:

  • DisableFileFilter: Disabled file filtering (same effect as NoSecurityFiltering for files).
  • DisableKeyFilter: Disabled registry filtering (same effect as NoSecurityFiltering for registry).
  • DisableObjectFilter: Disabled object filtering (same effect as NoSecurityFiltering for objects).

When NoSecurityFiltering=y is set, all three individual disable settings are automatically activated[^1][^2][^3].

UI Integration

In Sandboxie Plus, this setting appears as:

  • Checkbox: "Disable Security Filtering (not recommended)"[^1].
  • Location: Sandbox Options > Security Options > Sandbox Isolation.
  • Availability: Only enabled when "Disable Security Isolation" is checked[^2].

Use Cases

This extreme configuration might be justified for:

  • Legacy Software: Applications with severe compatibility issues.
  • Development Tools: Build systems requiring unrestricted system access.
  • System Utilities: Administrative tools that must access host resources.
  • Testing Scenarios: When you need to verify application behavior without any restrictions.

Debugging and Development

NoSecurityFiltering can be useful for:

  • Diagnosing Compatibility Issues: Determining if filtering mechanisms cause application problems.
  • Development Testing: Running development tools that require unrestricted access.
  • Legacy Application Support: Supporting applications that cannot function with any filtering.

Related Settings

Alternative Granular Controls

Instead of disabling all filtering, consider these individual controls:

[^1]: UI label in OptionsWindow.ui: The checkbox text "Disable Security Filtering (not recommended)" clearly indicates the security implications and discourages casual use of this setting.

[^2]: UI dependency in OptionsAdvanced.cpp: The code ui.chkNoSecurityFiltering->setEnabled(ui.chkNoSecurityIsolation->isChecked()); ensures that NoSecurityFiltering can only be enabled when NoSecurityIsolation is also active, enforcing the Application Compartment mode prerequisite.