* Do you work in a **cybersecurity company**? Do you want to see your **company advertised in HackTricks**? or do you want to have access to the **latest version of the PEASS or download HackTricks in PDF**? Check the [**SUBSCRIPTION PLANS**](https://github.com/sponsors/carlospolop)!
* Discover [**The PEASS Family**](https://opensea.io/collection/the-peass-family), our collection of exclusive [**NFTs**](https://opensea.io/collection/the-peass-family)
* Get the [**official PEASS & HackTricks swag**](https://peass.creator-spring.com)
* **Join the** [**💬**](https://emojipedia.org/speech-balloon/) [**Discord group**](https://discord.gg/hRep4RUj7f) or the [**telegram group**](https://t.me/peass) or **follow** me on **Twitter** [**🐦**](https://github.com/carlospolop/hacktricks/tree/7af18b62b3bdc423e11444677a6a73d4043511e9/\[https:/emojipedia.org/bird/README.md)[**@carlospolopm**](https://twitter.com/hacktricks\_live)**.**
* **Share your hacking tricks by submitting PRs to the** [**hacktricks repo**](https://github.com/carlospolop/hacktricks) **and** [**hacktricks-cloud repo**](https://github.com/carlospolop/hacktricks-cloud).
</details>
## By functionality
### Write Bypass
This is not a bypass, it's just how TCC works: **It doesn't protect from writing**. If Terminal **doesn't have access to read the Desktop of a user it can still write into it**:
```shell-session
username@hostname ~ % ls Desktop
ls: Desktop: Operation not permitted
username@hostname ~ % echo asd > Desktop/lalala
username@hostname ~ % ls Desktop
ls: Desktop: Operation not permitted
username@hostname ~ % cat Desktop/lalala
asd
```
The **extended attribute `com.apple.macl`** is added to the new **file** to give the **creators app** access to read it.
### SSH Bypass
By default an access via **SSH** will have **"Full Disk Access"**. In order to disable this you need to have it listed but disabled (removing it from the list won't remove those privileges):
.png>)
Here you can find examples of how some **malwares have been able to bypass this protection**:
The attribute **`com.apple.macl`** is given to files to give a **certain application permissions to read it.** This attribute is set when **drag\&drop** a file over an app, or when a user **double-clicks** a file to open it with the **default application**.
Therefore, a user could **register a malicious app** to handle all the extensions and call Launch Services to **open** any file (so the malicious file will be granted access to read it).
The entitlement **`com.apple.private.icloud-account-access`** it's possible to communicate with **`com.apple.iCloudHelper`** XPC service which will **provide iCloud tokens**.
**iMovie** and **Garageband** had this entitlement and others that allowed.
For more **information** about the exploit to **get icloud tokens** from that entitlement chec the talk: [**#OBTS v5.0: "What Happens on your Mac, Stays on Apple's iCloud?!" - Wojciech Regula**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=\_6e2LhmxVc0)
An app with the **`kTCCServiceAppleEvents`** permission will be able to **control other Apps**. This means that it could be able to **abuse the permissions granted to the other Apps**.
For more info about Apple Scripts check:
{% content-ref url="macos-apple-scripts.md" %}
[macos-apple-scripts.md](macos-apple-scripts.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}
For example, if an App has **Automation permission over `iTerm`**, for example in this example **`Terminal`** has access over iTerm:
The userland **tccd daemon** what using the **`HOME`** **env** variable to access the TCC users database from: **`$HOME/Library/Application Support/com.apple.TCC/TCC.db`**
According to [this Stack Exchange post](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/135688/setting-environment-variables-on-os-x/3756686#3756686) and because the TCC daemon is running via `launchd` within the current user’s domain, it's possible to **control all environment variables** passed to it.\
Thus, an **attacker could set `$HOME` environment** variable in **`launchctl`** to point to a **controlled****directory**, **restart** the **TCC** daemon, and then **directly modify the TCC database** to give itself **every TCC entitlement available** without ever prompting the end user.\
# list Documents directory without prompting the end user
$> ls ~/Documents
```
### CVE-2021-30761 - Notes
Notes had access to TCC protected locations but when a note is created this is **created in a non-protected location**. So, you could ask notes to copy a protected file in a noe (so in a non-protected location) and then access the file:
The binary `/usr/libexec/lsd` with the library `libsecurity_translocate` had the entitlement `com.apple.private.nullfs_allow` which allowed it to crate **nullfs** mount and had the entitlement `com.apple.private.tcc.allow` with **`kTCCServiceSystemPolicyAllFiles`** to access every file.
It was possible to add the quarantine attribute to "Library", call the **`com.apple.security.translocation`** XPC service and then it would map Library to **`$TMPDIR/AppTranslocation/d/d/Library`** where all the documents inside Library could be **accessed**.
### SQL Tracing
If the environment variable **`SQLITE_AUTO_TRACE`** is set, the library **`libsqlite3.dylib`** will start **logging** all the SQL queries. Many applications used this library, so it was possible to log all their SQLite queries.
Several Apple applications used this library to access TCC protected information.
```bash
# Set this env variable everywhere
launchctl setenv SQLITE_AUTO_TRACE 1
```
### Apple Remote Dektop
As root you could enable this service and the **ARD agent will have full disk access** which could then be abused by a user to make it copy a new **TCC user database**.
## By plugins
Plugins are extra code usually in the form of libraries or plist, that will be **loaded by the main applicatio**n and will execute under its context. Therefore, if the main application had access to TCC restricted files (via granted permissions or entitlements), the **custom code will also have it**.
### CVE-2020-27937 - Directory Utility
The application `/System/Library/CoreServices/Applications/Directory Utility.app` had the entitlement **`kTCCServiceSystemPolicySysAdminFiles`**, loaded plugins with **`.daplug`** extension and **didn't have the hardened** runtime.
In order to weaponize this CVE, the **`NFSHomeDirectory`** is **changed** (abusing the previous entitlement) in order to be able to **take over the users TCC databas**e to bypass TCC.
For more info check the [**original report**](https://wojciechregula.blog/post/change-home-directory-and-bypass-tcc-aka-cve-2020-27937/).
### CVE-2020-29621 - Coreaudiod
The binary **`/usr/sbin/coreaudiod`** had the entitlements `com.apple.security.cs.disable-library-validation` and `com.apple.private.tcc.manager`. The first **allowing code injection** and second one giving it access to **manage TCC**.
This binary allowed to load **third party plug-ins** from the folder `/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/HAL`. Therefore, it was possible to **load a plugin and abuse the TCC permissions** with this PoC:
For more info check the [**original report**](https://wojciechregula.blog/post/play-the-music-and-bypass-tcc-aka-cve-2020-29621/).
### Device Abstraction Layer (DAL) Plug-Ins
System applications that open camera stream via Core Media I/O (apps with **`kTCCServiceCamera`**) load **in the process these plugins** located in `/Library/CoreMediaIO/Plug-Ins/DAL` (not SIP restricted).
Just storing in there a library with the common **constructor** will work to **inject code**.
Several Apple applications were vulnerable to this.
## By process injection
There are different techniques to inject code inside a process and abuse its TCC privileges:
{% content-ref url="../../macos-proces-abuse/" %}
[macos-proces-abuse](../../macos-proces-abuse/)
{% endcontent-ref %}
### Firefox
The Firefox application is still vulnerable having the `com.apple.security.cs.disable-library-validation` entitlement:
Fore more info about how to easily exploit this [**check the original report**](https://wojciechregula.blog/post/how-to-rob-a-firefox/).
### CVE-2020-10006
The binary `/system/Library/Filesystems/acfs.fs/Contents/bin/xsanctl` had the entitlements **`com.apple.private.tcc.allow`** and **`com.apple.security.get-task-allow`**, which allowed to inject code inside the process and use the TCC privileges.
### CVE-2023-26818 - Telegram
Telegram had the entitlements `com.apple.security.cs.allow-dyld-environment-variables` and c`om.apple.security.cs.disable-library-validation`, so it was possible to abuse it to **get access to its permissions** such recording with the camera. You can [**find the payload in the writeup**](https://danrevah.github.io/2023/05/15/CVE-2023-26818-Bypass-TCC-with-Telegram/).
## By open invocations
It's possible to invoke open in sandboxed 
### Terminal Scripts
It's quiet common to give terminal **Full Disk Access (FDA)**, at least in computers used by tech people. And it's possible to invoke **`.terminal`** scripts using with it.
**`.terminal`** scripts are plist files such as this one with the command to execute in the **`CommandString`** key:
```xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd"><plistversion="1.0">
<dict>
<key>CommandString</key>
<string>cp ~/Desktop/private.txt /tmp/;</string>
<key>ProfileCurrentVersion</key>
<real>2.0600000000000001</real>
<key>RunCommandAsShell</key>
<false/>
<key>name</key>
<string>exploit</string>
<key>type</key>
<string>Window Settings</string>
</dict>
</plist>
```
An application could write a terminal script in a location such as /tmp and launch it with a come such as:
### CVE-2020-9771 - mount\_apfs TCC bypass and privilege escalation
**Any user** (even unprivileged ones) can create and mount a time machine snapshot an **access ALL the files** of that snapshot.\
The **only privileged** needed is for the application used (like `Terminal`) to have **Full Disk Access** (FDA) access (`kTCCServiceSystemPolicyAllfiles`) which need to be granted by an admin.
{% code overflow="wrap" %}
```bash
# Create snapshot
tmutil localsnapshot
# List snapshots
tmutil listlocalsnapshots /
Snapshots for disk /:
com.apple.TimeMachine.2023-05-29-001751.local
# Generate folder to mount it
cd /tmp # I didn it from this folder
mkdir /tmp/snap
# Mount it, "noowners" will mount the folder so the current user can access everything
In several occasions files will store sensitive information like emails, phone numbers, messages... in non protected locations (which count as a vulnerability in Apple).
* Do you work in a **cybersecurity company**? Do you want to see your **company advertised in HackTricks**? or do you want to have access to the **latest version of the PEASS or download HackTricks in PDF**? Check the [**SUBSCRIPTION PLANS**](https://github.com/sponsors/carlospolop)!
* Discover [**The PEASS Family**](https://opensea.io/collection/the-peass-family), our collection of exclusive [**NFTs**](https://opensea.io/collection/the-peass-family)
* Get the [**official PEASS & HackTricks swag**](https://peass.creator-spring.com)
* **Join the** [**💬**](https://emojipedia.org/speech-balloon/) [**Discord group**](https://discord.gg/hRep4RUj7f) or the [**telegram group**](https://t.me/peass) or **follow** me on **Twitter** [**🐦**](https://github.com/carlospolop/hacktricks/tree/7af18b62b3bdc423e11444677a6a73d4043511e9/\[https:/emojipedia.org/bird/README.md)[**@carlospolopm**](https://twitter.com/hacktricks\_live)**.**
* **Share your hacking tricks by submitting PRs to the** [**hacktricks repo**](https://github.com/carlospolop/hacktricks) **and** [**hacktricks-cloud repo**](https://github.com/carlospolop/hacktricks-cloud).
