Sandboxing wrapper script for bubblewrap ; see https://sloonz.github.io/posts/sandboxing-3/

sandbox.py

#!/usr/bin/python

import argparse
import os
import shlex
import sys
import tempfile
import yaml

config = yaml.full_load(open(os.path.expanduser("~/.config/sandbox.yml")))
parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
parser.add_argument("--name", "-n", action="store")
parser.add_argument("--preset", "-p", nargs=1, action="append")
parser.add_argument("--as", "-a", action="store")
bwrap_args0 = ("unshare-all", "share-net", "unshare-user", "unshare-user-try", "unshare-ipc", "unshare-net", "unshare-uts", "unshare-cgroup", "unshare-cgroup-try", "clearenv", "new-session", "die-with-parent", "as-pid-1")
bwrap_args1 = ("args", "userns", "userns2", "pidns", "uid", "gid", "hostname", "chdir", "unsetenv", "lock-file", "sync-fd", "remount-ro", "exec-label", "file-label", "proc", "dev", "tmpfs", "mqueue", "dir", "seccomp", "add-seccomp-fd", "block-fd", "userns-block-fd", "json-status-fd", "cap-add", "cap-drop", "perms")
bwrap_args2 = ("setenv", "bind", "bind-try", "dev-bind", "dev-bind-try", "ro-bind", "ro-bind-try", "file", "bind-data", "ro-bind-data", "symlink", "chmod")
for a in bwrap_args0:
    parser.add_argument("--" + a, action="store_true")
for a in bwrap_args1:
    parser.add_argument("--" + a, nargs=1, action="append")
for a in bwrap_args2:
    parser.add_argument("--" + a, nargs=2, action="append")
parser.add_argument("command", nargs="+")
args = parser.parse_args()

bwrap_command = ["bwrap"]
system_bus_args = set()
session_bus_args = set()

executable = getattr(args, "as") or args.command[0]
executable = executable.split("/")[-1]

def expand(s, extra_env):
    return str(s).format(env={**os.environ, **extra_env}, command=args.command, executable=executable, pid=os.getpid())

def ensure_list(l):
    if isinstance(l, list):
        return l
    else:
        return [l]

def handle_bind(params, create, typ, extra_env):
    if isinstance(params, str):
        params = [params, params]
    src, dst = params
    src = expand(src, extra_env)
    dst = expand(dst, extra_env)
    if create:
        os.makedirs(src, exist_ok=True)
    return ("--" + typ, src, dst)

def handle_setup(config, setup, extra_env):
    setup = setup.copy()
    setup_args = []

    use_params = setup.pop("use", None)
    if use_params:
        for preset in use_params:
            for preset_setup in config["presets"][preset]:
                setup_args.extend(handle_setup(config, preset_setup, extra_env))

    args_params = setup.pop("args", None)
    if args_params:
        setup_args.extend(expand(a, extra_env) for a in args_params)

    setenv_params = setup.pop("setenv", None)
    if isinstance(setenv_params, dict):
        for k, v in setenv_params.items():
            extra_env[k] = expand(v, extra_env)
            setup_args.extend(("--setenv", k, extra_env[k]))
    elif isinstance(setenv_params, list):
        for k in setenv_params:
            if k in os.environ:
                setup_args.extend(("--setenv", k, os.environ[k]))

    for bind_type in ("bind", "bind-try", "dev-bind", "dev-bind-try", "ro-bind", "ro-bind-try"):
        bind_params = setup.pop(bind_type, None)
        if bind_params:
            setup_args.extend(handle_bind(bind_params, setup.pop("bind-create", None), bind_type, extra_env))

    for dbus_setup in ("see", "talk", "own", "call", "broadcast"):
        dbus_setup_params = setup.pop("dbus-" + dbus_setup, None)
        if dbus_setup_params:
            is_system = setup.pop("system-bus", False)
            if is_system:
                system_bus_args.add("--%s=%s" % (dbus_setup, dbus_setup_params))
            else:
                session_bus_args.add("--%s=%s" % (dbus_setup, dbus_setup_params))

    file_params = setup.pop("file", None)
    if file_params:
        data, dst = file_params
        pr, pw = os.pipe2(0)
        if os.fork() == 0:
            os.close(pr)
            os.write(pw, data.encode())
            sys.exit(0)
        else:
            os.close(pw)
            setup_args.extend(("--file", str(pr), expand(dst, extra_env)))

    dir_params = setup.pop("dir", None)
    if dir_params:
        setup_args.extend(("--dir", expand(dir_params, extra_env)))

    bind_args_params = setup.pop("bind-args", None)
    if bind_args_params:
        added_paths = set()
        strict = setup.pop("strict", True)
        ro = setup.pop("ro", True)
        for a in args.command[1:]:
            if os.path.exists(a):
                path = os.path.abspath(a)
                if not strict:
                    path = os.path.dirname(path)
                if not path in added_paths:
                    setup_args.extend((ro and "--ro-bind" or "--bind", path, path))
                    added_paths.add(path)

    cwd = os.getcwd()

    bind_cwd_params = setup.pop("bind-cwd", None)
    if bind_cwd_params is not None:
        ro = setup.pop("ro", False)
        setup_args.extend((ro and "--ro-bind" or "--bind", cwd, cwd))

    cwd_params = setup.pop("cwd", None)
    if cwd_params is not None:
        if type(cwd_params) == "str":
            setup_args.extend(("--chdir", expand(cwd_params, extra_env)))
        elif cwd_params:
            setup_args.extend(("--chdir", cwd))

    if setup.pop("restrict-tty", None):
        # --new-session breaks interactive sessions, this is an alternative way of fixing CVE-2017-5226
        import seccomp
        import termios
        f = seccomp.SyscallFilter(defaction=seccomp.ALLOW)
        f.add_rule(seccomp.KILL_PROCESS, "ioctl", seccomp.Arg(1, seccomp.MASKED_EQ, 0xffffffff, termios.TIOCSTI))
        f.add_rule(seccomp.KILL_PROCESS, "ioctl", seccomp.Arg(1, seccomp.MASKED_EQ, 0xffffffff, termios.TIOCLINUX))
        f.load()

    if len(setup) != 0:
        print("unknown setup actions: %s" % list(setup.keys()))
        sys.exit(1)

    return setup_args

def exec_bwrap(rule):
    extra_env = {}
    for setup in rule.get("setup", []):
        bwrap_command.extend(handle_setup(config, setup, extra_env))
    for (preset,) in args.preset or []:
        for preset_setup in config["presets"][preset]:
            bwrap_command.extend(handle_setup(config, preset_setup, extra_env))
    for a in bwrap_args0:
        if getattr(args, a.replace("-", "_")):
            bwrap_command.append("--" + a)
    for a in bwrap_args1:
        for (val,) in getattr(args, a.replace("-", "_")) or []:
            bwrap_command.extend(("--" + a, val))
    for a in bwrap_args2:
        for (v1, v2) in getattr(args, a.replace("-", "_")) or []:
            bwrap_command.extend(("--" + a, v1, v2))
    
    dbus_proxy_args = []
    dbus_proxy_dir = f"{os.environ['XDG_RUNTIME_DIR']}/xdg-dbus-proxy"
    if session_bus_args or system_bus_args:
        os.makedirs(dbus_proxy_dir, exist_ok=True)
    if session_bus_args:
        proxy_socket = tempfile.mktemp(prefix="session-", dir=dbus_proxy_dir)
        dbus_proxy_args.extend((os.environ["DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS"], proxy_socket))
        dbus_proxy_args.append("--filter")
        dbus_proxy_args.extend(session_bus_args)
        bwrap_command.extend(("--bind", proxy_socket, os.environ["DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS"].removeprefix("unix:path="),
            "--setenv", "DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS", os.environ["DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS"]))
    if system_bus_args:
        proxy_socket = tempfile.mktemp(prefix="system-", dir=dbus_proxy_dir)
        dbus_proxy_args.extend(("/run/dbus/system_bus_socket", proxy_socket))
        dbus_proxy_args.append("--filter")
        dbus_proxy_args.extend(system_bus_args)
        bwrap_command.extend(("--bind", "/run/dbus/system_bus_socket", "/run/dbus/system_bus_socket"))
    if dbus_proxy_args:
        pr, pw = os.pipe2(0)
        if os.fork() == 0:
            os.close(pr)
            dbus_proxy_command = ["xdg-dbus-proxy", "--fd=%d" % pw] + list(dbus_proxy_args)
            os.execlp(dbus_proxy_command[0], *dbus_proxy_command)
        # I would like to use bwrap's --block-fd, but bwrap setups then wait, and therefore may try to bind an non-existent socket
        assert os.read(pr, 1) == b"x" # wait for xdg-dbus-proxy to be ready
        bwrap_command.extend(("--sync-fd", str(pr)))

    bwrap_command.extend(args.command)
    if os.getenv("SANDBOX_DEBUG") == "1":
        print(bwrap_command, file=sys.stderr)
    os.execvp(bwrap_command[0], bwrap_command)

for rule in config["rules"]:
    is_match = False
    assert not (set(rule.keys()) - {"match", "no-sandbox", "setup"})
    if "match" in rule:
        assert not (set(rule["match"].keys()) - {"bin", "name"})
        if executable and executable in ensure_list(rule["match"].get("bin", [])):
            is_match = True
        if args.name and args.name in ensure_list(rule["match"].get("name", [])):
            is_match = True
    else:
        is_match = True

    if is_match:
        if rule.get("no-sandbox"):
            os.execvp(args.command[0], args.command)
        else:
            exec_bwrap(rule)
        break

sandbox.yml

presets:
  common:
    - args: [--clearenv, --unshare-pid, --die-with-parent, --proc, /proc, --dev, /dev, --tmpfs, /tmp, --new-session]
    - setenv: [PATH, LANG, XDG_RUNTIME_DIR, XDG_SESSION_TYPE, TERM, HOME, LOGNAME, USER]
    - ro-bind: /etc
    - ro-bind: /usr
    - args: [--symlink, usr/bin, /bin, --symlink, usr/bin, /sbin, --symlink, usr/lib, /lib, --symlink, usr/lib, /lib64, --tmpfs, "{env[XDG_RUNTIME_DIR]}"]
    - bind: /run/systemd/resolve
  private-home:
    - bind: ["{env[HOME]}/sandboxes/{executable}/", "{env[HOME]}"]
      bind-create: true
    - dir: "{env[HOME]}/.config"
    - dir: "{env[HOME]}/.cache"
    - dir: "{env[HOME]}/.local/share"
  x11:
    - setenv: [DISPLAY]
    - ro-bind: /tmp/.X11-unix/
  wayland:
    - setenv: [WAYLAND_DISPLAY]
    - ro-bind: "{env[XDG_RUNTIME_DIR]}/{env[WAYLAND_DISPLAY]}"
  pulseaudio:
    - ro-bind: "{env[XDG_RUNTIME_DIR]}/pulse/native"
    - ro-bind-try: "{env[HOME]}/.config/pulse/cookie"
    - ro-bind-try: "{env[XDG_RUNTIME_DIR]}/pipewire-0"
  drm:
    - dev-bind: /dev/dri
    - ro-bind: /sys
  portal:
    - file: ["", "{env[XDG_RUNTIME_DIR]}/flatpak-info"]
    - file: ["", "/.flatpak-info"]
    - dbus-call: "org.freedesktop.portal.*=*"
    - dbus-broadcast: "org.freedesktop.portal.*=@/org/freedesktop/portal/*"
rules:
  - match:
      bin: firefox
    setup:
      - setenv:
          MOZ_ENABLE_WAYLAND: 1
      - use: [common, private-home, wayland, portal]
      - dbus-own: org.mozilla.firefox.*
      - bind: "{env[HOME]}/Downloads"
      - bind: ["{env[HOME]}/.config/mozilla", "{env[HOME]}/.mozilla"]

  - match:
      name: shell
    setup:
      - use: [common, private-home]

  - match:
      bin: node
    setup:
      - use: [common, private-home]
      - bind-cwd: {}
      - cwd: true

  - match:
      bin: npx
    setup:
      - use: [common, private-home]
      - bind-cwd: {}
      - cwd: true

  - match:
      bin: npm
    setup:
      - use: [common, private-home]
      - bind-cwd: {}
      - cwd: true
  - match:
      name: none

  # Fallback: anything else fall backs to a sandboxed empty home
  - setup:
    - use: [common, private-home, x11, wayland, pulseaudio, portal]

Given you have the same permissions it remains unclear how you're able to create dirs into /run/user/1000/doc/by-app then 🤷‍♂️

I don't create dirs. xdg-dbus-proxy does that. In sbx xdg-dbus-proxy runs in its own container. I don't remember the details but you can look at the code and try it out yourself. I must say, it doesn't always work how I expect it to. There are some quirks.

@jcoffland thank you so much! I've been working off sloonz' 2nd iteration as I prefer his arguably simpler usage/configuration and assumed sbx is effectively the same. I'll try to work backwards to understand what you are doing right in sbx.

Edit: found the issue. To get portals working, two requirements had to be met:

1. app name needs to contain a dot in the middle; my.firefox is ok, whereas firefox or firefox. are not.
2. bwrapinfo.json is mandatory.