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Open-source sandboxing computer program From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sandboxie is an open-source OS-level virtualization solution for Microsoft Windows.[10][11][12] It is a sandboxing solution that creates an isolated operating environment in which applications can run without permanently modifying the local system.[10][13] This virtual environment allows for controlled testing of untrusted programs and web surfing.[13][14][15]
Original author(s) | Ronen Tzur[1] |
---|---|
Developer(s) | David Xanatos[2] |
Initial release | 26 June 2004 |
Stable release | Plus 1.14.10, Classic 5.69.10
/ 3 October 2024[3] |
Repository | github |
Written in | C, C++ |
Operating system | Windows 7 and later |
Platform | IA-32, x86-64 and ARM64 |
Size | 2.2–19.9 MB |
Available in | +18 languages[4] |
Type | Security software |
License |
|
Website | sandboxie-plus |
After various ownership transitions (Sophos[16][17][18] acquired Invincea[1][19][20] which acquired Sandboxie from the original author, Ronen Tzur), Sophos eventually dropped support and released the code as open-source.[21] The day after the Sophos announcement, a third-party developer known as David Xanatos forked the open-source project[lower-alpha 1][2][22] and expanded it later with Sandboxie Plus.[23]
Sandboxie was initially released in 2004 as a tool for sandboxing Internet Explorer. Over time, the program was expanded to support other web browsers and eventually, arbitrary apps.[24]
In December 2013, Invincea announced the acquisition of Sandboxie.[1] The original developer Ronen Tzur further announced he would no longer be involved with the program.[19][20]
In February 2017, Sophos announced the acquisition of Invincea.[16][17][18] Invincea posted an assurance in Sandboxie's website that for the time being Sandboxie's development and support would continue as normal.[25]
Version 4.02 introduced support for Windows 64-bit[26] with the exception of Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, which was never supported.[27]
Windows XP SP3 and Windows Vista SP2 were supported up to version 5.22, after which their support was dropped.[28][29] In September 2019, Sandboxie version 5.31.4 was released under a freeware license "with plans to transition it to an open source tool". The previous commercial license still applied to customers with active licenses until their license expired.[30]
In April 2019, the official site was shut down, preventing downloads, installations and purchases, which prompted the creation of a temporary forum in the company's own domain.[31]
In May 2019, the official site returned with the original forums permanently shut down in favor of Sophos' own forums,[31] which were later shut down as well.[32] Between May and September 2019 (when Sandboxie became freeware), the purchase options were still missing.[30]
In response to the announcement of the closure of the Sandboxie website, software developer David Berdik scraped the site's contents and published the archive on GitHub on May 10, 2020.[33]
In April 2020, Sophos released the source code (as the source code-only version 5.40[34]) under the GPL 3.0+ license. Sophos stated that they would no longer be involved in the development of Sandboxie and that the open-source community would have to continue development instead.[21]
Sandboxie Plus is a fork of the original open-source code[21] and provides two editions of Sandboxie: Plus and Classic.[22]
Sandboxie Plus has been in development since early 2020,[23] while the first stable version was made available on 25 December 2021.[35] It includes numerous improvements:
Although the Classic edition lacks native interface support for Plus features, both editions offer the same security and compatibility fixes. While they remain free for private non-commercial use, a few of the newly developed features are only available to project supporters with a valid "supporter certificate".[37]
Until version 0.4.5, antivirus software, including Microsoft Defender Antivirus, falsely flagged Sandboxie Plus. To clear this false flag, the Sandboxie Plus developer had to pay Microsoft for a digital certificate, which he raised thanks to donors on Patreon.[38] Version 0.5.0 was the first digitally signed version of Sandboxie Plus.[39] An exception exists for the pre-release versions,[lower-alpha 2] which are usually not signed to speed up the release process.[40]
Sandboxie was included in Brothersoft's 2010 Editors Pick list.[41] In November 2011, Gizmo's Freeware gave Sandboxie a rating of 9 out of 10 stars[42] and included it in their Editors' Choice List as the "Best Free Browser Protection Utility".[43] Softonic has given Sandboxie a rating of 8 out of 10 with Elena Santos stating in her review that "Sandboxie is a handy tool to test untrustworthy software without putting your system in danger."[44]
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