A sandbox is an isolated computing environment that allows software, code, or processes to run separately from the main operating system and applications. It is designed to restrict access to system resources, files, networks, and hardware so that actions performed inside the sandbox cannot harm or interfere with the host system.
Sandboxes are commonly used in security to safely execute untrusted or potentially malicious software, in software development and testing to evaluate new code or updates, and in web browsers and operating systems to limit the impact of exploits. Isolation can be implemented using techniques such as process isolation, virtual machines, containers, or application-level restrictions. By confining behavior to a controlled environment, sandboxes help reduce risk while enabling observation and analysis of software behavior.