feat: add strict seatbelt profiles and remove unusable closed profiles

[SandyTao520]

Summary

Add new strict-open and strict-proxied seatbelt sandbox profiles that restrict both file reads and writes to the working directory. Remove permissive-closed and restrictive-closed profiles that block all network, making the CLI unusable.

Details

Existing restrictive-* profiles use (allow file-read*) which allows reading the entire filesystem. The new strict profiles whitelist reads to only TARGET_DIR, essential HOME dotfiles (.gemini, .npm, .cache, .nvm, .config), and system paths (/usr, /bin, /Library, etc.). Uses (allow file-read-metadata) globally for Node.js path traversal without exposing file contents.

The *-closed profiles block all outbound network which prevents API calls entirely — removed as unusable.

Related Issues

#18007

How to Validate

1. SEATBELT_PROFILE=strict-open gemini — verify CLI starts and works
2. Ask the model to run ls ~ — should get "Operation not permitted"
3. Ask the model to run ls . — should work normally
4. npx vitest run packages/cli/src/utils/sandbox.test.ts packages/cli/src/utils/sandboxUtils.test.ts — 25 tests pass

Pre-Merge Checklist

• Updated relevant documentation and README (if needed)
• Added/updated tests (if needed)
• Noted breaking changes (if any)
• Validated on required platforms/methods:
  • MacOS
    • npm run
    • npx
    • Docker
    • Podman
    • Seatbelt
  • Windows
    • npm run
    • npx
    • Docker
  • Linux
    • npm run
    • npx
    • Docker

[gemini-cli]

Hi there! Thank you for your contribution to Gemini CLI.

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[gemini-cli]

Hi @SandyTao520, thank you so much for your contribution to Gemini CLI! We really appreciate the time and effort you've put into this.

We're making some updates to our contribution process to improve how we track and review changes. Please take a moment to review our recent discussion post: Improving Our Contribution Process & Introducing New Guidelines.

Key Update: Starting January 26, 2026, the Gemini CLI project will require all pull requests to be associated with an existing issue. Any pull requests not linked to an issue by that date will be automatically closed.

Thank you for your understanding and for being a part of our community!

[gemini-code-assist]

Summary of Changes

Hello @SandyTao520, I'm Gemini Code Assist¹! I'm currently reviewing this pull request and will post my feedback shortly. In the meantime, here's a summary to help you and other reviewers quickly get up to speed!

This pull request significantly refines the macOS seatbelt sandbox profiles for the CLI, prioritizing security and usability. It introduces new 'strict' profiles that enforce much tighter controls over file system access, limiting reads and writes to only necessary directories and files. Concurrently, it removes older 'closed' profiles that were impractical due to their complete network blocking. These changes aim to provide a more secure and functional sandboxing environment for the application.

Highlights

• New Strict Seatbelt Profiles: Introduced strict-open and strict-proxied macOS seatbelt sandbox profiles to enhance security by significantly restricting file system access.
• Removed Unusable Profiles: Deprecated and removed permissive-closed and restrictive-closed profiles, which blocked all network traffic and rendered the CLI unusable.
• Granular File System Access: The new strict profiles whitelist file reads to the working directory, essential HOME dotfiles, and critical system paths, moving away from broad file-read* permissions.
• Node.js Path Traversal: Added (allow file-read-metadata) globally to support Node.js module resolution and path traversal without exposing file contents.
• Network Configuration: The strict-open profile allows all outbound network traffic, while strict-proxied specifically routes outbound traffic through a proxy on localhost:8877.

Changelog

• packages/cli/src/utils/sandbox-macos-permissive-closed.sb
  • Removed the profile as it was deemed unusable due to blocking all network traffic.
• packages/cli/src/utils/sandbox-macos-restrictive-closed.sb
  • Renamed to sandbox-macos-strict-open.sb to reflect its new, stricter file access policies and open network configuration.
  • Updated file read permissions from a broad (allow file-read*) to a highly specific whitelist of directories including the target directory, temporary/cache directories, essential home dotfiles, included directories, and common system paths.
  • Added (allow file-read-metadata) to permit path traversal for Node.js module resolution without granting full file content access.
  • Modified network policy to allow all outbound network traffic, contrasting with the previous 'closed' state.
• packages/cli/src/utils/sandbox-macos-strict-proxied.sb
  • Added a new seatbelt profile designed for strict file access with proxied outbound network traffic.
  • Configured file read permissions to be highly restrictive, similar to strict-open, allowing access only to specified directories and essential system paths.
  • Included (allow file-read-metadata) for Node.js path traversal.
  • Enabled outbound network traffic specifically through a proxy on localhost:8877.
• packages/cli/src/utils/sandboxUtils.ts
  • Removed permissive-closed and restrictive-closed from the list of BUILTIN_SEATBELT_PROFILES.
  • Added strict-open and strict-proxied to the list of BUILTIN_SEATBELT_PROFILES.

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[gemini-code-assist]

Code Review

This pull request introduces new, more secure strict-open and strict-proxied seatbelt sandbox profiles for macOS, which significantly improve security by restricting file reads to specific whitelisted paths and removing unusable *-closed profiles. However, the new strict-proxied profile currently allows unnecessary write access to sensitive user configuration files like .gitconfig and .npm. This could be leveraged for sandbox escape and should be addressed for tighter security. Additionally, while outside the scope of this PR, potential command injection vulnerabilities were noted in sandbox.ts and sandboxUtils.ts and are recommended for a separate security-focused PR.

[github-actions]

Size Change: +5.55 kB (+0.02%)

Total Size: 24.3 MB

Filename	Size	Change
./bundle/sandbox-macos-permissive-closed.sb	0 B	-1.03 kB (removed)	🏆
./bundle/sandbox-macos-restrictive-closed.sb	0 B	-3.29 kB (removed)	🏆
./bundle/sandbox-macos-strict-open.sb	4.82 kB	+4.82 kB (new file)	🆕
./bundle/sandbox-macos-strict-proxied.sb	5.02 kB	+5.02 kB (new file)	🆕

ℹ️ View Unchanged

Filename	Size	Change
./bundle/gemini.js	24.3 MB	+31 B (0%)
./bundle/sandbox-macos-permissive-open.sb	890 B	0 B
./bundle/sandbox-macos-permissive-proxied.sb	1.31 kB	0 B
./bundle/sandbox-macos-restrictive-open.sb	3.36 kB	0 B
./bundle/sandbox-macos-restrictive-proxied.sb	3.56 kB	0 B

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