You can't trust macOS Privacy and Security settings

6 hours ago

The Privacy & Security settings in macOS can misleadingly indicate an app lacks access to protected folders like Documents, when it actually does.
Using a custom app called Insent, a demonstration shows that user intent via an Open and Save Panel can grant permanent access to protected folders without consent, overriding TCC (Transparency, Consent, and Control) settings.
After accessing a protected folder through intent, the sandboxing constraints are removed for that app, allowing continued access even if the Privacy & Security settings show access as disabled.
To revoke this access, users must run a Terminal command ('tccutil reset All co.eclecticlight.Insent') and restart their Mac, as standard settings adjustments are ineffective.
This behavior is specific to each protected folder; accessing one folder via intent doesn't grant access to others, and the issue may occur in macOS versions from 13.5 onwards.
Log entries illustrate how sandboxd intercepts access requests when consent is required, but not when access is granted through user intent in an Open and Save Panel.
The exploit requires careful sequencing and user interaction, making it less likely but still a concerning privacy vulnerability that can trap users into surrendering control over protected locations.

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