sandbox-isolation

id	sandbox-isolation
name	Sandbox Isolation
description	Run untrusted or risky commands in Docker-based sandbox with resource limits and network isolation
version	1.0.0
tags	["safety","pi","security"]

Sandbox Isolation

The pi-guardrails extension provides a Docker-based sandbox for executing commands that might be risky, untrusted, or potentially destructive. Sandboxed commands run with network isolation, memory limits, and CPU constraints.

When To Use the Sandbox

Use the sandbox when:

• Running untrusted scripts from external sources
• Executing build commands in unfamiliar projects
• Testing destructive operations (file deletion, schema changes)
• Running user-provided code snippets
• Any command where the blast radius is unclear

Do NOT use the sandbox when:

• Running standard git, read, or edit operations
• The command is well-understood and low-risk
• Docker is not available (check isAvailable first)

How It Works

The sandbox wraps docker run with:

• No network access by default (--network=none)
• Read-only mounts for source code inspection
• Read-write mounts only for explicitly designated output paths
• Memory limits (e.g., 512m) to prevent resource exhaustion
• CPU limits (e.g., 1.0 core) to prevent CPU abuse
• Timeouts (default 30s) to prevent hanging processes
• Auto-cleanup (--rm) — containers are removed after execution

MCP Bridge

When connected, use guardrail_mcp with action sandbox_run:

action: sandbox_run
command: ["npm", "test"]
readOnlyMounts: ["/project/src"]
readWriteMounts: ["/project/test-results"]
networkAccess: false
memoryLimit: "512m"
timeout: 60000

The result includes exitCode, stdout, stderr, and timedOut fields.

Fallback When Docker Is Unavailable

If Docker is not installed or the daemon is not running, sandbox_run will return an error. In this case:

1. Inform the user that sandbox is unavailable
2. Ask for explicit permission before running the command outside the sandbox
3. Proceed only after approval — do not assume consent

What To Do When a Sandbox Run Fails

• Exit code != 0: The command itself failed — investigate stderr
• timedOut: true: The command exceeded the timeout — increase or simplify the command
• exit code null: Docker failed to start — check Docker availability

References

• [[injection-defense]] — Detect injection in sandboxed command output
• [[output-security]] — Scan sandboxed output for secrets
• [[tool-permissions]] — Permission levels for sandbox use