Skip to content

ForceMarkOfTheWeb.md

Latest commit

 

History

History
65 lines (43 loc) · 2.29 KB

ForceMarkOfTheWeb.md

File metadata and controls

65 lines (43 loc) · 2.29 KB
Raw

Force Mark of The Web

ForceMarkOfTheWeb is a global setting in Sandboxie Ini. When enabled, it forces all files with the Mark of The Web (MOTW) to be automatically sandboxed in a designated sandbox. This provides enhanced security by ensuring that files downloaded from the internet or received via email are automatically isolated.

Settings

The feature uses two global settings:

ForceMarkOfTheWeb

[GlobalSettings]
ForceMarkOfTheWeb=y

Enables automatic sandboxing of files with the Mark of The Web attribute.

MarkOfTheWebBox

[GlobalSettings]
MarkOfTheWebBox=Web_Box

Specifies which sandbox should be used for MOTW files. The default value is DefaultBox if not specified.

What is Mark of The Web?

The Mark of The Web (MOTW) is a security feature in Windows that marks files as having originated from the internet or other untrusted locations. Windows automatically applies this mark to:

  • Files downloaded from web browsers
  • Email attachments
  • Files extracted from ZIP archives that were downloaded
  • Files received through instant messaging applications
  • Files copied from network shares marked as internet zones

Important Notes

  • This is a global setting that affects all sandboxes on the system
  • The specified sandbox must already exist and be enabled in your Sandboxie configuration
  • The sandbox name is case-sensitive and must match exactly
  • Files that are already running in any sandbox are not affected by this setting

Troubleshooting

If MOTW files are not being sandboxed:

  1. Verify both settings are configured:
    • ForceMarkOfTheWeb=y is set in [GlobalSettings]
    • MarkOfTheWebBox=SandboxName points to an existing sandbox
  2. Check sandbox name: Ensure the sandbox name matches exactly (case-sensitive)
  3. Confirm sandbox exists and is enabled
  4. Verify files have MOTW attribute: Use dir /r filename to check for Zone.Identifier stream

Similar Settings

  • ForceProcess: Forces specific programs into sandboxes
  • ForceFolder: Forces files from specific folders into sandboxes

User Interface

This setting can be configured in Sandboxie Plus through: Global Settings > Program Control > Force Process Options

Force Mark of The Web Settings