Network Extension

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Customize and extend the core networking features of iOS, iPad OS, and macOS using Network Extension.

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Filing a Wi-Fi Bug Report
Every now and again I end up helping a developer with a Wi-Fi issue. These fall into two groups: User-level Wi-Fi issues Development Wi-Fi issues A user-level Wi-Fi issue is one where the developer hasn’t created any of the products involved. An example of this is when you’re developing an app for an accessory and iOS is having problems connecting to that accessory but you don’t control the accessory’s firmware. In general, I recommend that you escalate such issues to the accessory vendor. They can then run their own investigation and, if necessary, file their own bug report. A development Wi-Fi issue is one that directly affects one of your products. For example, you’re developing a Wi-Fi accessory and iOS is having problems connecting to it. In that case, the onus is on you [1] to investigate why things are failing. If your conclusion is that iOS is behaving incorrectly, file a bug about that. IMPORTANT If you do file a bug in the context of some forums thread, please post your bug number to the thread, just for the record. When filing this sort of bug report it’s important to provide: Solid evidence that the problem is on the Apple side of the fence Enough information for Apple’s engineers to investigate it effectively Let’s start with that second point. If you can reproduce the problem reliably, install the Wi-Fi debug profile on your device, reproduce the problem, noting down a rough timestamp, and include the resulting logs and that timestamp in your bug report. Also, consider attaching a packet trace. There are three options here: Record a packet trace from the perspective of the Apple device. On iOS, use an RVI packet trace for this. Record a packet trace from the perspective of your accessory. Record a Wi-Fi level packet trace. You can do this from your Mac (see Recording a Wi-Fi Packet Trace) but it might be easier to do this with the infrastructure you used during the bring up of your accessory. It’s fine to include all three (-: Also include any relevant context about the issue. For example: If the issue is tied to a specific device model (In that case, it’d be good to include the above information for both the successful and failing cases.) If the problem shows up when joining from Settings > Wi-Fi, or whether it’s tied to a specific API, like NEHotspotConfigurationManager Finally, make sure to include an explanation of why you think this is an Apple bug, referencing specific items in the logs and packet traces that you attached. Of course, it’s only possible to do all of this if you can reproduce the problem. Investigating an intermittent issue based on reports coming in from users is much harder. It’s OK to file a bug about such issues, but your bug might not be actionable. At a minimum you should aim to include a sysdiagnose log with your bug. IMPORTANT This log has to be taken shortly after reproducing the problem. Don’t just attach any old log. One option is to request such a log from your users. I talk more about this in Using a Sysdiagnose Log to Debug a Hard-to-Reproduce Problem. You can also ask your users to file their own bugs using the Feedback Assistant app. It should automatically capture and attach a sysdiagnose log. Share and Enjoy — Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com" [1] Well, your organisation. It’s rare to find a team where the same engineer works on both the iOS app and the accessory firmware. But if that’s you, good job!
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Someone help me, i need to connect to wifi by scan a qrCode in my Flutter APP
Hi, I'v got the error by using NEHotspotConfiguration to connect a wifi spot but get:NEHotspotConfigurationErrorDomain code=8. I hope to get the same result as when scanning the code with the system camera. A pop-up window will appear, and I just need to click "Join" to successfully connect. Here's the logs: [OneAppWifi][iOS] handleCheckWifiEnabled start (iOS 12+) [OneAppWifi][iOS] handleCheckWifiEnabled pathUpdateHandler status=satisfied [OneAppWifi][iOS] handleConnectWifi start, ssid=OPPO Find X6 Pro, pwd=len=16, authType=Optional("sae"), hidden=false [OneAppWifi][iOS] handleConnectWifi cancelPendingConnection before new request ssid=OPPO Find X6 Pro [OneAppWifi][iOS] cancelPendingConnection called, errorCode=nil, currentSsid=nil [OneAppWifi][iOS] cancelPendingConnection silent cancel, just clear pendingConnectResult [OneAppWifi][iOS] handleConnectWifi apply completion with error, domain=NEHotspotConfigurationErrorDomain, code=8, userInfo=["NSLocalizedDescription": internal error.] [OneAppWifi][iOS] resolveNEError NEHotspotConfigurationErrorDomain code=8 [OneAppWifi][iOS] resolveNEError systemConfiguration / internal, map to connection_failed [OneAppWifi][iOS] handleConnectWifi resolved as failure errorCode=Optional("connection_failed") for ssid=OPPO Find X6 Pro [OneAppWifi][iOS] firePendingResult value=["success": false, "errorCode": Optional("connection_failed")], currentSsid=Optional("OPPO Find X6 Pro")
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Packet Tunnel Provider entitlement
Hello, I submitted a Network Extension entitlement request (Packet Tunnel Provider) and opened case 102837721995. The case history says Apple sent a message on March 12, but I did not receive it and cannot reply through the support portal. Could someone from Apple Developer Support check the case? Also, it is possible that I misunderstood something or submitted the wrong entitlement request. My application will use WireGuard to establish the VPN connection. If a different entitlement is required for this scenario, please let me know. Thank you.
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URL Filter Behaviour
Hello I have implemented URL Filter using below sample link https://developer.apple.com/documentation/networkextension/filtering-traffic-by-url But currently I am facing weird issue when I try to add new urls in the input_urls.txt file. When I add url in the file and execute BloomFilterTool again, it creates new bloom plist as well as server url file so I replaces those manually restart the server as well as reinstall the app, but when I do so I am not able to get new urls blocked by browser until and unless I am not killing browser and relaunching it again. Does anybody facing same kind of issue ?
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Current wisdom on multiple XPC services in a System Extension?
I'm following up on a couple of forum threads from 2020 to get more clarity on the current guidance for supporting multiple XPC services in system extensions. For context, I'm trying to create a system extension that contains both an Endpoint Security client and a Network Extension filter, and I'm seeing indications that the system may not expect this and doesn't handle it smoothly. First: Previous guidance indicated that the system would automatically provide a Mach service named <TeamID>.<BundleID>.xpc to use for communicating with the system extension. However, the SystemExtension man page currently documents an Info.plist key called NSEndpointSecurityMachServiceName and suggests that the default service name is deprecated; and in fact if this key is not set, I find a message in the Console: The extension from () is using the deprecated default mach service name. Please update the extension to set the NSEndpointSecurityMachServiceName key in the Info.plist file. I have accordingly set this key, but I wanted to confirm that this is the current best practice. Second, and more interesting: Another user was trying to do something similar and observed that the Mach service for the endpoint security client wasn't available but the NE filter was. Quinn did some research and replied that this was intended behavior, quoting the EndpointSecurity man page: "If ES extension is combined with a Network Extension, set the NEMachServiceName key in the Info.plist" (which I have also done), and concluding from this: ... if you have a combined ES and NE system extension then the Mach service provided by the NE side takes precedence. However, the current man page does not include this quoted text and says nothing about a combined ES and NE system extension. So I'm wondering about current best practice. If I do combine the ES and NE clients in a single system extension, should they each declare the Mach service name under their respective Info.plist keys? And could there be a single XPC listener for both, using the same service name under each key, or would it be better to have separate XPC listeners? Alternatively, would it be preferable to have each component in a separate system extension? (This would entail some rearchitecting of the current design.)
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Does app launch recency affect NEPacketTunnelProvider, HotspotHelper, or NEHotspotManager functionality?
We are assisting a client with their app integration. The client believes that NEPacketTunnelProvider, NEHotspotHelper, and NEHotspotManager extensions stop functioning if the containing app hasn't been launched by the user within some recent window (e.g. 30, 60, or 90 days). We haven't been able to find any documentation supporting this claim. Specifically, we'd like to know: Is there any app launch recency requirement that would cause iOS to stop invoking a registered NEHotspotHelper or NEHotspotManager configuration? Is there any app launch recency requirement that would cause iOS to tear down or prevent activation of a NEPacketTunnelProvider? More generally, does iOS enforce any kind of "staleness" check on apps that provide Network Extension or Hotspot-related functionality, where not being foregrounded for some period causes the system to stop honoring their registrations? If such a mechanism exists, we'd appreciate any pointers to documentation or technical notes describing the behavior and timeframes involved. If it doesn't exist, confirmation would help us guide our client's debugging in the right direction. Thank you.
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Setup SearchDomains with NETransparentProxyProvider
We have a macOS system extension with NETransparentProxyProvider which is able to intercept traffic and handle it. We also wanted to setup few search domains from our network extension. However, unlike PacketTunnelProvider, NEDNSSettings are completely ignored with NETransparentProxyProvider. So whats the best way to setup few DNS search domains when using NETransparentProxyProvider.
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Video AirPlay from iOS to tvOS doesn't work with VPN on when enforceRoutes is enabled
Hey! We discovered an unexpected side-effect of enabling enforceRoutes in our iOS VPN application - video airplay from iOS to tvOS stopped working (Unable to Connect popup appears instead). Our flags combination is: includeAllNetworks = false enforceRoutes = true excludeLocalNetworks = true Interestingly, music content can be AirPlayed with the same conditions. Also, video AirPlay from iOS device to the macOS works flawlessly. Do you know if this is a known issue? Do you have any advice if we can fix this problem on our side, while keeping enforcRoutes flag enabled?
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Validation error with Network Extension due to square brackets in Product Name
Hello, I am facing a validation error when uploading a macOS app with a Network Extension. The Error: Invalid system extension. The system extension at “[T] TEXT.app/Contents/Library/SystemExtensions/company_name.network-extension.systemextension” resides in an unexpected location. The Problem: Validation fails only when the app's Product Name contains square brackets: [T] TEXT. If I remove the brackets from the Product Name, validation passes. What I've tried: Setting Product Name to TEXT (without brackets) and CFBundleDisplayName to [T] TEXT. Cleaning Derived Data and rebuilding the archive. Verified that the extension is physically located at Contents/Library/SystemExtensions/. It seems the Apple validation tool fails to parse the bundle path correctly when it contains characters like [ or ]. Question: How can I keep the app name with brackets for the user (in System Settings and Menu Bar) while ensuring the Network Extension passes validation? Is there a way to escape these characters or a specific Info.plist configuration to satisfy the validator?"
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Validation error with Network Extension due to square brackets in Product Name
Hello, I am facing a validation error when uploading a macOS app with a Network Extension. The Error: Invalid system extension. The system extension at “[T] TEXT.app/Contents/Library/SystemExtensions/company_name.network-extension.systemextension” resides in an unexpected location. The Problem: Validation fails only when the app's Product Name contains square brackets: [T] TEXT. If I remove the brackets from the Product Name, validation passes. What I've tried: Setting Product Name to TEXT (without brackets) and CFBundleDisplayName to [T] TEXT. Cleaning Derived Data and rebuilding the archive. Verified that the extension is physically located at Contents/Library/SystemExtensions/. It seems the Apple validation tool fails to parse the bundle path correctly when it contains characters like [ or ]. Question: How can I keep the app name with brackets for the user (in System Settings and Menu Bar) while ensuring the Network Extension passes validation? Is there a way to escape these characters or a specific Info.plist configuration to satisfy the validator?"
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NEPacketTunnelFlow: large UDP DNS responses (~893 bytes) silently dropped despite writePacketObjects() returning success
I'm using NEPacketTunnelProvider to intercept DNS queries, forward them upstream, and inject the responses back via writePacketObjects(). This works correctly for responses under ~500 bytes. For larger responses (~893 bytes, e.g. DNS CERT records), writePacketObjects() returns without error but mDNSResponder never receives the packet — it retries 3–4 times and then times out. What I have verified: IP and UDP checksums are correct UDP length and IP total length fields are correct Maximum packet size (MTU) set to 1500 in NEIPv4Settings/NEIPv6Settings Approaches tried: Injecting the full 921-byte packet — writePacketObjects() succeeds but the packet never reaches mDNSResponder IP-level fragmentation — fragments appear to be silently dropped Setting the TC (truncation) bit — mDNSResponder does not retry over TCP Truncating the response to ≤512 bytes — the packet arrives but the data is incomplete Questions: Is there a supported way to deliver a DNS response larger than 512 bytes through NEPacketTunnelFlow? Does NEPacketTunnelProvider impose an undocumented packet size limit below the configured MTU? Does mDNSResponder silently discard responses larger than 512 bytes when the original query had no EDNS0 OPT record? Is there a way to signal that larger responses are supported? Are IP-level fragments reliably delivered through writePacketObjects()? Tested on iOS 26.3, physical device.
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Push notifications not delivered over Wi-Fi with includeAllNetworks = true regardless of excludeAPNS setting
We have a VPN app that uses NEPacketTunnelProvider with includeAllNetworks = true. We've encountered an issue where push notifications are not delivered over Wi-Fi while the tunnel is active in a pre-MFA quarantine state (tunnel is up but traffic is blocked on server side), regardless of whether excludeAPNS is set to true or false. Observed behavior Wi-Fi excludeAPNS = true - Notifications not delivered Wi-Fi excludeAPNS = false - Notifications not delivered Cellular excludeAPNS = true - Notifications delivered Cellular excludeAPNS = false - Notifications not delivered On cellular, the behavior matches our expectations: setting excludeAPNS = true allows APNS traffic to bypass the tunnel and notifications arrive; setting it to false routes APNS through the tunnel and notifications are blocked (as expected for a non-forwarding tunnel). On Wi-Fi, notifications fail to deliver in both cases. Our question Is this expected behavior when includeAllNetworks is enabled on Wi-Fi, or is this a known issue / bug with APNS delivery? Is there something else in the Wi-Fi networking path that includeAllNetworks affects beyond routing, which could prevent APNS from functioning even when the traffic is excluded from the tunnel? Sample Project Below is the minimal code that reproduces this issue. The project has two targets: a main app and a Network Extension. The tunnel provider captures all IPv4 and IPv6 traffic via default routes but does not forward packets — simulating a pre-MFA quarantine state. The main app configures the tunnel with includeAllNetworks = true and provides a UI toggle for excludeAPNS. PacketTunnelProvider.swift (Network Extension target): import NetworkExtension class PacketTunnelProvider: NEPacketTunnelProvider { override func startTunnel(options: [String : NSObject]?, completionHandler: @escaping (Error?) -> Void) { let settings = NEPacketTunnelNetworkSettings(tunnelRemoteAddress: "127.0.0.1") let ipv4 = NEIPv4Settings(addresses: ["198.51.100.1"], subnetMasks: ["255.255.255.0"]) ipv4.includedRoutes = [NEIPv4Route.default()] settings.ipv4Settings = ipv4 let ipv6 = NEIPv6Settings(addresses: ["fd00::1"], networkPrefixLengths: [64]) ipv6.includedRoutes = [NEIPv6Route.default()] settings.ipv6Settings = ipv6 let dns = NEDNSSettings(servers: ["198.51.100.1"]) settings.dnsSettings = dns settings.mtu = 1400 setTunnelNetworkSettings(settings) { error in if let error = error { completionHandler(error) return } self.readPackets() completionHandler(nil) } } private func readPackets() { packetFlow.readPackets { [weak self] packets, protocols in self?.readPackets() } } override func stopTunnel(with reason: NEProviderStopReason, completionHandler: @escaping () -> Void) { completionHandler() } override func handleAppMessage(_ messageData: Data, completionHandler: ((Data?) -> Void)?) { if let handler = completionHandler { handler(messageData) } } override func sleep(completionHandler: @escaping () -> Void) { completionHandler() } override func wake() { } } ContentView.swift (Main app target) — trimmed to essentials: import SwiftUI import NetworkExtension struct ContentView: View { @State private var excludeAPNs = false @State private var manager: NETunnelProviderManager? var body: some View { VStack { Toggle("Exclude APNs", isOn: $excludeAPNs) .onChange(of: excludeAPNs) { Task { await saveAndReload() } } Button("Connect") { Task { await toggleVPN() } } } .padding() .task { await loadManager() } } private func loadManager() async { let managers = try? await NETunnelProviderManager.loadAllFromPreferences() if let existing = managers?.first { manager = existing } else { let m = NETunnelProviderManager() let proto = NETunnelProviderProtocol() proto.providerBundleIdentifier = "<your-extension-bundle-id>" proto.serverAddress = "127.0.0.1" proto.includeAllNetworks = true proto.excludeAPNs = excludeAPNs m.protocolConfiguration = proto m.localizedDescription = "TestVPN" m.isEnabled = true try? await m.saveToPreferences() try? await m.loadFromPreferences() manager = m } if let proto = manager?.protocolConfiguration as? NETunnelProviderProtocol { excludeAPNs = proto.excludeAPNs } } private func saveAndReload() async { guard let manager else { return } if let proto = manager.protocolConfiguration as? NETunnelProviderProtocol { proto.includeAllNetworks = true proto.excludeAPNs = excludeAPNs } manager.isEnabled = true try? await manager.saveToPreferences() try? await manager.loadFromPreferences() } private func toggleVPN() async { guard let manager else { return } if manager.connection.status == .connected { manager.connection.stopVPNTunnel() } else { await saveAndReload() try? manager.connection.startVPNTunnel() } } } Steps to reproduce Build and run the sample project with above code on a physical iOS device. Connect to a Wi-Fi network. Set excludeAPNS = true using the toggle and tap Connect. Send a push notification to the device to a test app with remote notification capability (e.g., via a test push service or the push notification console). Observe that the notification is not delivered. Disconnect. Switch to cellular. Reconnect with the same settings. Send the same push notification — observe that it is delivered. Environment iOS 26.2 Xcode 26.2 Physical device (iPhone 15 Pro)
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Random global network outage triggered by NEFilterDataProvider extension – only reboot helps, reinstall doesn't
I’m encountering a persistent issue with my Network Extension (specifically NEFilterDataProvider) and would really appreciate any insights. The extension generally works as expected, but after some time — especially after sleep/wake cycles or network changes — a global network outage occurs. During this state, no network traffic works: pings fail, browsers can’t load pages, etc. As soon as I stop the extension (by disabling it in System Preferences), the network immediately recovers. If I re-enable it, the outage returns instantly. I’ve also noticed that once this happens, the extension stops receiving callbacks like handleNewFlow(), and reinstalling the app or restarting the extension doesn’t help. The only thing that resolves the issue is rebooting the system. After reboot, the extension works fine again — until the problem reoccurs later. I asked AI about this behavior, and it suggested the possibility that the kernel might have marked the extension as untrusted, causing the system to intentionally block all network traffic as a safety mechanism. Has anyone experienced similar behavior with NEFilterDataProvider? Could there be a way to detect or prevent this state without rebooting? Is there any logging or diagnostic data I should collect when it happens again? Any guidance or pointers would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
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Question Regarding peekOutboundBytes Limit in NEFilterDataProvider When Using SMB
Dear Apple Developer Technical Support, I am currently developing a macOS network filtering solution using NetworkExtension with NEFilterDataProvider. During implementation of the handleOutboundData logic, we are using the following verdict: NEFilterNewFlowVerdict.filterDataVerdict( withFilterInbound: true, peekInboundBytes: InboundPeekBytes, filterOutbound: true, peekOutboundBytes: OutboundPeekBytes ) However, we have encountered an issue when SMB traffic is involved. When SMB protocol communication occurs, the network connection occasionally becomes unresponsive or appears to stall when peekOutboundBytes is set to a large value. Through testing, we observed the following behavior: On some systems, reducing the peekOutboundBytes value allows SMB communication to proceed normally. On other systems, even relatively small values can still cause the SMB connection to stall. This behavior appears inconsistent across different macOS environments. Because of this, we would like to clarify the following: Is there a documented or recommended maximum value for peekOutboundBytes when using NEFilterNewFlowVerdict.filterDataVerdict? Are there any internal limits or constraints within NetworkExtension that could cause SMB traffic to stall when the peek buffer size is too large? Are there best practices for selecting appropriate peekInboundBytes / peekOutboundBytes values when filtering high-throughput protocols such as SMB? If necessary, we can provide additional information such as macOS version, test environment details, and logs. Thank you for your assistance. Best regards, sangho
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Feb ’26
`sysextd` rejects new `NEFilterDataProvider` activation with "no policy" on macOS 26 — despite valid Developer ID + notarization
I'm building a macOS network monitor using NEFilterDataProvider as a system extension, distributed with Developer ID signing. On macOS 26.3 (Tahoe), sysextd consistently rejects the activation request with "no policy, cannot allow apps outside /Applications" — despite the app being in /Applications and passing every verification check. I'm aware of the known Xcode NE signing bug (r. 108838909) and have followed the manual signing process from Exporting a Developer ID Network Extension. I've also tried both xcodebuild build and xcodebuild archive workflows — identical failure. Environment macOS 26.3 (25D125), SIP enabled Xcode 26.3 (17C529) Hardware Apple M2 Pro Certificate Developer ID Application (issued Jan 30, 2026 — 27 days old) MDM/Profiles None installed Signing & Verification (all pass) $ spctl -a -vv /Applications/Chakshu.app /Applications/Chakshu.app: accepted source=Notarized Developer ID origin=Developer ID Application: ROBIN SHARMA (R65679C4F3) $ codesign --verify --deep --strict -vv /Applications/Chakshu.app /Applications/Chakshu.app: valid on disk /Applications/Chakshu.app: satisfies its Designated Requirement $ xcrun stapler validate /Applications/Chakshu.app The validate action worked! App signing: Authority=Developer ID Application: ROBIN SHARMA (R65679C4F3) Authority=Developer ID Certification Authority Authority=Apple Root CA TeamIdentifier=R65679C4F3 Runtime Version=26.2.0 Notarization Ticket=stapled App entitlements: com.apple.application-identifier = R65679C4F3.dev.indrasvat.chakshu com.apple.developer.team-identifier = R65679C4F3 com.apple.developer.system-extension.install = true com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension = [content-filter-provider-systemextension] keychain-access-groups = [R65679C4F3.*] Extension signing: Same Developer ID authority, same team, same timestamp. Extension entitlements match (minus system-extension.install). Developer ID provisioning profiles are embedded in both app and extension. What sysextd logs Captured Feb 26, 2026 from log stream --predicate 'process == "sysextd"': sysextd [com.apple.sx:XPC] client activation request for dev.indrasvat.chakshu.filter sysextd attempting to realize extension with identifier dev.indrasvat.chakshu.filter sysextd (Security) SecKeyVerifySignature ← pass (×2) sysextd (Security) SecTrustEvaluateIfNecessary ← pass (×2) sysextd [com.apple.xpc:connection] activating connection: name=com.apple.CodeSigningHelper sysextd [com.apple.xpc:connection] invalidated after the last release sysextd no policy, cannot allow apps outside /Applications sysextd [com.apple.sx:XPC] client connection invalidated Signature and trust evaluation pass. CodeSigningHelper completes. Then the policy check fails. The app receives OSSystemExtensionError code 4 (extensionNotFound). What I've tried and ruled out Build process: Approach Result xcodebuild build -configuration Release + manual re-sign Same failure xcodebuild archive + export from archive + manual re-sign (per thread/737894) Same failure Minimal hand-crafted Xcode project (no xcodegen, trivial code) Same failure Both workflows follow Quinn's process exactly: build with Apple Development → copy app → embed Developer ID provisioning profiles → re-sign inside-out (extension first, then app) with -systemextension suffix entitlements → notarize → staple → install to /Applications. System-level checks: Rebooting — no change Killing sysextd — no change Removing com.apple.quarantine xattr — no change chown root:wheel on app bundle — no change lsregister -r (reset Launch Services) — no change Waiting 27 days for certificate propagation — no change Reinstalling via Finder drag-to-Applications — no change No MDM or configuration profiles installed /Library/SystemExtensions/db.plist shows extensionPolicies: [] (empty) Key observation Pre-existing network extensions activated before macOS 26 work fine on this machine. For example, Tailscale's NEPacketTunnelProvider shows state: activated_enabled in the system extensions database — it was activated on a prior macOS version and is still running. Only new system extension activations fail. I've seen similar Tahoe-specific reports from LuLu (same NEFilterDataProvider type, Developer ID distribution): LuLu #825 LuLu #831 Questions Is this a known regression in macOS 26's sysextd policy evaluation for new Developer ID system extension activations? sysextd's policy check fails after all signature and trust evaluation succeeds. Is there a separate trust/policy path that sysextd consults beyond what spctl, codesign, and CodeSigningHelper verify? Is there anything else I should be checking? I have a sysdiagnose captured immediately after the failure, a minimal reproducer project, and full raw sysextd logs available on request.
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Mar ’26
Network extension caused network access to slow down or fail.
Hi, On macOS 26.4 Beta (25E5218f) (macOS Tahoe 26 Developer Beta ), the network filter causes network failures or slowdowns. This manifests as Chrome failing to access websites, while Safari can access the same websites without issue. The affected websites can be pinged locally. My situation is similar to this situation.The same question link is: https://github.com/objective-see/LuLu/issues/836 Have you been paying attention to this issue? Hopefully, it can be fixed in the official release. Thank you.
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Feb ’26
Request for Guidance on Approval Process for Network Extension Entitlement
Dear Apple Developer Support Team, I am writing to inquire about the process for obtaining approval for the following entitlement in my iOS/macOS app: <key>com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension</key> <array> <string>content-filter-provider</string> </array> Specifically, I would like guidance on: The steps required to submit a request for this entitlement. Any necessary documentation or justification that needs to be provided to Apple. Typical review timelines and approval criteria. Any restrictions or compliance requirements associated with this entitlement. Our app intends to implement a content filtering functionality to enhance network security and user safety. We want to ensure full compliance with Apple’s policies and guidelines. Could you please provide detailed instructions or point us to the relevant resources to initiate this approval process? Thank you for your assistance.
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Issue with XPC communication between Network Extension and host application
Hello, I need to develop a Network Extension (Transparent Proxy) that sends data to the host application for analysis. Network Extension - XPC client Host application - XPC service I am trying to implement it with XPC. However, when attempting to connect, I see the following error in the system logs on client side. [0x1015a2050] failed to do a bootstrap look-up: xpc_error=[3: No such process] I assume the problem occurs because the Network Extension cannot find the registered XPC service. On the service side, I see the following message in the logs: 2026-02-24 13:15:36.419345+0300 localhost fgstnehost[58884]: (libxpc.dylib) [com.apple.xpc:connection] [0x100bdee70] activating connection: mach=true listener=true peer=false name=TEAM_ID.group.app_id.netfilter.xpc Entitlements Network Extension: <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd"> <plist version="1.0"> <dict> <key>com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension</key> <array> <string>app-proxy-provider-systemextension</string> </array> <key>com.apple.security.application-groups</key> <array> <string>TEAM_ID.group.app_id.netfilter</string> </array> <key>com.apple.security.app-sandbox</key> <true/> <key>com.apple.security.xpc.mach-lookup.global-name</key> <array> <string>TEAM_ID.group.app_id.netfilter.xpc</string> </array> </dict> </plist> Entitlements host application: <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd"> <plist version="1.0"> <dict> <key>com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension</key> <array> <string>app-proxy-provider-systemextension</string> </array> <key>com.apple.developer.system-extension.install</key> <true/> <key>com.apple.security.application-groups</key> <array> <string>TEAM_ID.group.app_id.netfilter</string> </array> <key>com.apple.security.app-sandbox</key> <true/> <key>com.apple.security.xpc.mach-service.name</key> <array> <string>TEAM_ID.group.app_id.netfilter.xpc</string> </array> </dict> </plist> Server.m @interface XPCServer () @property (nonatomic, strong) NSXPCListener *listener; @end @implementation XPCServer - (instancetype) init { self = [super init]; if (self != nil) { _listener = [[NSXPCListener alloc] initWithMachServiceName: XPC_SERVICE_ID]; _listener.delegate = self; } return self; } - (void) start { [self.listener resume]; } - (BOOL) listener:(NSXPCListener *) listener shouldAcceptNewConnection:(NSXPCConnection *) newConnection { return YES; } @end Client.m @interface XPCClient () @property (nonatomic, strong) NSXPCConnection *connection; @end @implementation XPCClient - (void) connect { self.connection = [[NSXPCConnection alloc] initWithMachServiceName: XPC_SERVICE_ID options: NSXPCConnectionPrivileged]; self.connection.invalidationHandler = ^{ [[OSLogger sharedInstance] error: "XPCClient: connection can not be formed or the connection has terminated and may not be re-established"]; }; self.connection.interruptionHandler = ^{ [[OSLogger sharedInstance] error: "XPCClient: the remote process exits or crashes"]; }; [self.connection resume]; } @end What could be the root cause of this issue? Are there any recommendations for implementing IPC between a Network Extension and aß Host Application? Thank you in advance.
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Feb ’26
Unable to detect Network Extension configuration change while pushing MDM profile
My team is developing an enterprise VPN application that needs to respond to Mobile Device Management (MDM) profile installations and removals in real-time. Our app uses the NetworkExtension framework and needs to update the UI immediately when VPN configurations are added or removed via MDM. We are currently observing NEVPNConfigurationChangeNotification to detect VPN configuration changes: While NEVPNConfigurationChangeNotification fires reliably when users manually remove VPN profiles through Settings > General > VPN & Device Management, it appears to have inconsistent behavior when MDM profiles containing VPN configurations are installed programmatically via MDM systems. STEPS TO REPRODUCE From MDM Admin Console: Deploy a new VPN profile to the test device On Device: Wait for MDM profile installation (usually silent, no user interaction required) Check Device Settings: Go to Settings > General > VPN & Device Management to confirm profile is installed Return to App: Check if the UI shows the new VPN profile
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Feb ’26
Filing a Wi-Fi Bug Report
Every now and again I end up helping a developer with a Wi-Fi issue. These fall into two groups: User-level Wi-Fi issues Development Wi-Fi issues A user-level Wi-Fi issue is one where the developer hasn’t created any of the products involved. An example of this is when you’re developing an app for an accessory and iOS is having problems connecting to that accessory but you don’t control the accessory’s firmware. In general, I recommend that you escalate such issues to the accessory vendor. They can then run their own investigation and, if necessary, file their own bug report. A development Wi-Fi issue is one that directly affects one of your products. For example, you’re developing a Wi-Fi accessory and iOS is having problems connecting to it. In that case, the onus is on you [1] to investigate why things are failing. If your conclusion is that iOS is behaving incorrectly, file a bug about that. IMPORTANT If you do file a bug in the context of some forums thread, please post your bug number to the thread, just for the record. When filing this sort of bug report it’s important to provide: Solid evidence that the problem is on the Apple side of the fence Enough information for Apple’s engineers to investigate it effectively Let’s start with that second point. If you can reproduce the problem reliably, install the Wi-Fi debug profile on your device, reproduce the problem, noting down a rough timestamp, and include the resulting logs and that timestamp in your bug report. Also, consider attaching a packet trace. There are three options here: Record a packet trace from the perspective of the Apple device. On iOS, use an RVI packet trace for this. Record a packet trace from the perspective of your accessory. Record a Wi-Fi level packet trace. You can do this from your Mac (see Recording a Wi-Fi Packet Trace) but it might be easier to do this with the infrastructure you used during the bring up of your accessory. It’s fine to include all three (-: Also include any relevant context about the issue. For example: If the issue is tied to a specific device model (In that case, it’d be good to include the above information for both the successful and failing cases.) If the problem shows up when joining from Settings > Wi-Fi, or whether it’s tied to a specific API, like NEHotspotConfigurationManager Finally, make sure to include an explanation of why you think this is an Apple bug, referencing specific items in the logs and packet traces that you attached. Of course, it’s only possible to do all of this if you can reproduce the problem. Investigating an intermittent issue based on reports coming in from users is much harder. It’s OK to file a bug about such issues, but your bug might not be actionable. At a minimum you should aim to include a sysdiagnose log with your bug. IMPORTANT This log has to be taken shortly after reproducing the problem. Don’t just attach any old log. One option is to request such a log from your users. I talk more about this in Using a Sysdiagnose Log to Debug a Hard-to-Reproduce Problem. You can also ask your users to file their own bugs using the Feedback Assistant app. It should automatically capture and attach a sysdiagnose log. Share and Enjoy — Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com" [1] Well, your organisation. It’s rare to find a team where the same engineer works on both the iOS app and the accessory firmware. But if that’s you, good job!
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2w
Someone help me, i need to connect to wifi by scan a qrCode in my Flutter APP
Hi, I'v got the error by using NEHotspotConfiguration to connect a wifi spot but get:NEHotspotConfigurationErrorDomain code=8. I hope to get the same result as when scanning the code with the system camera. A pop-up window will appear, and I just need to click "Join" to successfully connect. Here's the logs: [OneAppWifi][iOS] handleCheckWifiEnabled start (iOS 12+) [OneAppWifi][iOS] handleCheckWifiEnabled pathUpdateHandler status=satisfied [OneAppWifi][iOS] handleConnectWifi start, ssid=OPPO Find X6 Pro, pwd=len=16, authType=Optional("sae"), hidden=false [OneAppWifi][iOS] handleConnectWifi cancelPendingConnection before new request ssid=OPPO Find X6 Pro [OneAppWifi][iOS] cancelPendingConnection called, errorCode=nil, currentSsid=nil [OneAppWifi][iOS] cancelPendingConnection silent cancel, just clear pendingConnectResult [OneAppWifi][iOS] handleConnectWifi apply completion with error, domain=NEHotspotConfigurationErrorDomain, code=8, userInfo=["NSLocalizedDescription": internal error.] [OneAppWifi][iOS] resolveNEError NEHotspotConfigurationErrorDomain code=8 [OneAppWifi][iOS] resolveNEError systemConfiguration / internal, map to connection_failed [OneAppWifi][iOS] handleConnectWifi resolved as failure errorCode=Optional("connection_failed") for ssid=OPPO Find X6 Pro [OneAppWifi][iOS] firePendingResult value=["success": false, "errorCode": Optional("connection_failed")], currentSsid=Optional("OPPO Find X6 Pro")
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106
Activity
2w
Packet Tunnel Provider entitlement
Hello, I submitted a Network Extension entitlement request (Packet Tunnel Provider) and opened case 102837721995. The case history says Apple sent a message on March 12, but I did not receive it and cannot reply through the support portal. Could someone from Apple Developer Support check the case? Also, it is possible that I misunderstood something or submitted the wrong entitlement request. My application will use WireGuard to establish the VPN connection. If a different entitlement is required for this scenario, please let me know. Thank you.
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46
Activity
2w
URL Filter Behaviour
Hello I have implemented URL Filter using below sample link https://developer.apple.com/documentation/networkextension/filtering-traffic-by-url But currently I am facing weird issue when I try to add new urls in the input_urls.txt file. When I add url in the file and execute BloomFilterTool again, it creates new bloom plist as well as server url file so I replaces those manually restart the server as well as reinstall the app, but when I do so I am not able to get new urls blocked by browser until and unless I am not killing browser and relaunching it again. Does anybody facing same kind of issue ?
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103
Activity
2w
Current wisdom on multiple XPC services in a System Extension?
I'm following up on a couple of forum threads from 2020 to get more clarity on the current guidance for supporting multiple XPC services in system extensions. For context, I'm trying to create a system extension that contains both an Endpoint Security client and a Network Extension filter, and I'm seeing indications that the system may not expect this and doesn't handle it smoothly. First: Previous guidance indicated that the system would automatically provide a Mach service named <TeamID>.<BundleID>.xpc to use for communicating with the system extension. However, the SystemExtension man page currently documents an Info.plist key called NSEndpointSecurityMachServiceName and suggests that the default service name is deprecated; and in fact if this key is not set, I find a message in the Console: The extension from () is using the deprecated default mach service name. Please update the extension to set the NSEndpointSecurityMachServiceName key in the Info.plist file. I have accordingly set this key, but I wanted to confirm that this is the current best practice. Second, and more interesting: Another user was trying to do something similar and observed that the Mach service for the endpoint security client wasn't available but the NE filter was. Quinn did some research and replied that this was intended behavior, quoting the EndpointSecurity man page: "If ES extension is combined with a Network Extension, set the NEMachServiceName key in the Info.plist" (which I have also done), and concluding from this: ... if you have a combined ES and NE system extension then the Mach service provided by the NE side takes precedence. However, the current man page does not include this quoted text and says nothing about a combined ES and NE system extension. So I'm wondering about current best practice. If I do combine the ES and NE clients in a single system extension, should they each declare the Mach service name under their respective Info.plist keys? And could there be a single XPC listener for both, using the same service name under each key, or would it be better to have separate XPC listeners? Alternatively, would it be preferable to have each component in a separate system extension? (This would entail some rearchitecting of the current design.)
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226
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2w
Does app launch recency affect NEPacketTunnelProvider, HotspotHelper, or NEHotspotManager functionality?
We are assisting a client with their app integration. The client believes that NEPacketTunnelProvider, NEHotspotHelper, and NEHotspotManager extensions stop functioning if the containing app hasn't been launched by the user within some recent window (e.g. 30, 60, or 90 days). We haven't been able to find any documentation supporting this claim. Specifically, we'd like to know: Is there any app launch recency requirement that would cause iOS to stop invoking a registered NEHotspotHelper or NEHotspotManager configuration? Is there any app launch recency requirement that would cause iOS to tear down or prevent activation of a NEPacketTunnelProvider? More generally, does iOS enforce any kind of "staleness" check on apps that provide Network Extension or Hotspot-related functionality, where not being foregrounded for some period causes the system to stop honoring their registrations? If such a mechanism exists, we'd appreciate any pointers to documentation or technical notes describing the behavior and timeframes involved. If it doesn't exist, confirmation would help us guide our client's debugging in the right direction. Thank you.
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68
Activity
3w
Setup SearchDomains with NETransparentProxyProvider
We have a macOS system extension with NETransparentProxyProvider which is able to intercept traffic and handle it. We also wanted to setup few search domains from our network extension. However, unlike PacketTunnelProvider, NEDNSSettings are completely ignored with NETransparentProxyProvider. So whats the best way to setup few DNS search domains when using NETransparentProxyProvider.
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178
Activity
2w
Video AirPlay from iOS to tvOS doesn't work with VPN on when enforceRoutes is enabled
Hey! We discovered an unexpected side-effect of enabling enforceRoutes in our iOS VPN application - video airplay from iOS to tvOS stopped working (Unable to Connect popup appears instead). Our flags combination is: includeAllNetworks = false enforceRoutes = true excludeLocalNetworks = true Interestingly, music content can be AirPlayed with the same conditions. Also, video AirPlay from iOS device to the macOS works flawlessly. Do you know if this is a known issue? Do you have any advice if we can fix this problem on our side, while keeping enforcRoutes flag enabled?
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77
Activity
3w
Validation error with Network Extension due to square brackets in Product Name
Hello, I am facing a validation error when uploading a macOS app with a Network Extension. The Error: Invalid system extension. The system extension at “[T] TEXT.app/Contents/Library/SystemExtensions/company_name.network-extension.systemextension” resides in an unexpected location. The Problem: Validation fails only when the app's Product Name contains square brackets: [T] TEXT. If I remove the brackets from the Product Name, validation passes. What I've tried: Setting Product Name to TEXT (without brackets) and CFBundleDisplayName to [T] TEXT. Cleaning Derived Data and rebuilding the archive. Verified that the extension is physically located at Contents/Library/SystemExtensions/. It seems the Apple validation tool fails to parse the bundle path correctly when it contains characters like [ or ]. Question: How can I keep the app name with brackets for the user (in System Settings and Menu Bar) while ensuring the Network Extension passes validation? Is there a way to escape these characters or a specific Info.plist configuration to satisfy the validator?"
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105
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2w
Validation error with Network Extension due to square brackets in Product Name
Hello, I am facing a validation error when uploading a macOS app with a Network Extension. The Error: Invalid system extension. The system extension at “[T] TEXT.app/Contents/Library/SystemExtensions/company_name.network-extension.systemextension” resides in an unexpected location. The Problem: Validation fails only when the app's Product Name contains square brackets: [T] TEXT. If I remove the brackets from the Product Name, validation passes. What I've tried: Setting Product Name to TEXT (without brackets) and CFBundleDisplayName to [T] TEXT. Cleaning Derived Data and rebuilding the archive. Verified that the extension is physically located at Contents/Library/SystemExtensions/. It seems the Apple validation tool fails to parse the bundle path correctly when it contains characters like [ or ]. Question: How can I keep the app name with brackets for the user (in System Settings and Menu Bar) while ensuring the Network Extension passes validation? Is there a way to escape these characters or a specific Info.plist configuration to satisfy the validator?"
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124
Activity
3w
NEPacketTunnelFlow: large UDP DNS responses (~893 bytes) silently dropped despite writePacketObjects() returning success
I'm using NEPacketTunnelProvider to intercept DNS queries, forward them upstream, and inject the responses back via writePacketObjects(). This works correctly for responses under ~500 bytes. For larger responses (~893 bytes, e.g. DNS CERT records), writePacketObjects() returns without error but mDNSResponder never receives the packet — it retries 3–4 times and then times out. What I have verified: IP and UDP checksums are correct UDP length and IP total length fields are correct Maximum packet size (MTU) set to 1500 in NEIPv4Settings/NEIPv6Settings Approaches tried: Injecting the full 921-byte packet — writePacketObjects() succeeds but the packet never reaches mDNSResponder IP-level fragmentation — fragments appear to be silently dropped Setting the TC (truncation) bit — mDNSResponder does not retry over TCP Truncating the response to ≤512 bytes — the packet arrives but the data is incomplete Questions: Is there a supported way to deliver a DNS response larger than 512 bytes through NEPacketTunnelFlow? Does NEPacketTunnelProvider impose an undocumented packet size limit below the configured MTU? Does mDNSResponder silently discard responses larger than 512 bytes when the original query had no EDNS0 OPT record? Is there a way to signal that larger responses are supported? Are IP-level fragments reliably delivered through writePacketObjects()? Tested on iOS 26.3, physical device.
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99
Activity
3w
Push notifications not delivered over Wi-Fi with includeAllNetworks = true regardless of excludeAPNS setting
We have a VPN app that uses NEPacketTunnelProvider with includeAllNetworks = true. We've encountered an issue where push notifications are not delivered over Wi-Fi while the tunnel is active in a pre-MFA quarantine state (tunnel is up but traffic is blocked on server side), regardless of whether excludeAPNS is set to true or false. Observed behavior Wi-Fi excludeAPNS = true - Notifications not delivered Wi-Fi excludeAPNS = false - Notifications not delivered Cellular excludeAPNS = true - Notifications delivered Cellular excludeAPNS = false - Notifications not delivered On cellular, the behavior matches our expectations: setting excludeAPNS = true allows APNS traffic to bypass the tunnel and notifications arrive; setting it to false routes APNS through the tunnel and notifications are blocked (as expected for a non-forwarding tunnel). On Wi-Fi, notifications fail to deliver in both cases. Our question Is this expected behavior when includeAllNetworks is enabled on Wi-Fi, or is this a known issue / bug with APNS delivery? Is there something else in the Wi-Fi networking path that includeAllNetworks affects beyond routing, which could prevent APNS from functioning even when the traffic is excluded from the tunnel? Sample Project Below is the minimal code that reproduces this issue. The project has two targets: a main app and a Network Extension. The tunnel provider captures all IPv4 and IPv6 traffic via default routes but does not forward packets — simulating a pre-MFA quarantine state. The main app configures the tunnel with includeAllNetworks = true and provides a UI toggle for excludeAPNS. PacketTunnelProvider.swift (Network Extension target): import NetworkExtension class PacketTunnelProvider: NEPacketTunnelProvider { override func startTunnel(options: [String : NSObject]?, completionHandler: @escaping (Error?) -> Void) { let settings = NEPacketTunnelNetworkSettings(tunnelRemoteAddress: "127.0.0.1") let ipv4 = NEIPv4Settings(addresses: ["198.51.100.1"], subnetMasks: ["255.255.255.0"]) ipv4.includedRoutes = [NEIPv4Route.default()] settings.ipv4Settings = ipv4 let ipv6 = NEIPv6Settings(addresses: ["fd00::1"], networkPrefixLengths: [64]) ipv6.includedRoutes = [NEIPv6Route.default()] settings.ipv6Settings = ipv6 let dns = NEDNSSettings(servers: ["198.51.100.1"]) settings.dnsSettings = dns settings.mtu = 1400 setTunnelNetworkSettings(settings) { error in if let error = error { completionHandler(error) return } self.readPackets() completionHandler(nil) } } private func readPackets() { packetFlow.readPackets { [weak self] packets, protocols in self?.readPackets() } } override func stopTunnel(with reason: NEProviderStopReason, completionHandler: @escaping () -> Void) { completionHandler() } override func handleAppMessage(_ messageData: Data, completionHandler: ((Data?) -> Void)?) { if let handler = completionHandler { handler(messageData) } } override func sleep(completionHandler: @escaping () -> Void) { completionHandler() } override func wake() { } } ContentView.swift (Main app target) — trimmed to essentials: import SwiftUI import NetworkExtension struct ContentView: View { @State private var excludeAPNs = false @State private var manager: NETunnelProviderManager? var body: some View { VStack { Toggle("Exclude APNs", isOn: $excludeAPNs) .onChange(of: excludeAPNs) { Task { await saveAndReload() } } Button("Connect") { Task { await toggleVPN() } } } .padding() .task { await loadManager() } } private func loadManager() async { let managers = try? await NETunnelProviderManager.loadAllFromPreferences() if let existing = managers?.first { manager = existing } else { let m = NETunnelProviderManager() let proto = NETunnelProviderProtocol() proto.providerBundleIdentifier = "<your-extension-bundle-id>" proto.serverAddress = "127.0.0.1" proto.includeAllNetworks = true proto.excludeAPNs = excludeAPNs m.protocolConfiguration = proto m.localizedDescription = "TestVPN" m.isEnabled = true try? await m.saveToPreferences() try? await m.loadFromPreferences() manager = m } if let proto = manager?.protocolConfiguration as? NETunnelProviderProtocol { excludeAPNs = proto.excludeAPNs } } private func saveAndReload() async { guard let manager else { return } if let proto = manager.protocolConfiguration as? NETunnelProviderProtocol { proto.includeAllNetworks = true proto.excludeAPNs = excludeAPNs } manager.isEnabled = true try? await manager.saveToPreferences() try? await manager.loadFromPreferences() } private func toggleVPN() async { guard let manager else { return } if manager.connection.status == .connected { manager.connection.stopVPNTunnel() } else { await saveAndReload() try? manager.connection.startVPNTunnel() } } } Steps to reproduce Build and run the sample project with above code on a physical iOS device. Connect to a Wi-Fi network. Set excludeAPNS = true using the toggle and tap Connect. Send a push notification to the device to a test app with remote notification capability (e.g., via a test push service or the push notification console). Observe that the notification is not delivered. Disconnect. Switch to cellular. Reconnect with the same settings. Send the same push notification — observe that it is delivered. Environment iOS 26.2 Xcode 26.2 Physical device (iPhone 15 Pro)
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240
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3w
Random global network outage triggered by NEFilterDataProvider extension – only reboot helps, reinstall doesn't
I’m encountering a persistent issue with my Network Extension (specifically NEFilterDataProvider) and would really appreciate any insights. The extension generally works as expected, but after some time — especially after sleep/wake cycles or network changes — a global network outage occurs. During this state, no network traffic works: pings fail, browsers can’t load pages, etc. As soon as I stop the extension (by disabling it in System Preferences), the network immediately recovers. If I re-enable it, the outage returns instantly. I’ve also noticed that once this happens, the extension stops receiving callbacks like handleNewFlow(), and reinstalling the app or restarting the extension doesn’t help. The only thing that resolves the issue is rebooting the system. After reboot, the extension works fine again — until the problem reoccurs later. I asked AI about this behavior, and it suggested the possibility that the kernel might have marked the extension as untrusted, causing the system to intentionally block all network traffic as a safety mechanism. Has anyone experienced similar behavior with NEFilterDataProvider? Could there be a way to detect or prevent this state without rebooting? Is there any logging or diagnostic data I should collect when it happens again? Any guidance or pointers would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
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185
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5h
Question Regarding peekOutboundBytes Limit in NEFilterDataProvider When Using SMB
Dear Apple Developer Technical Support, I am currently developing a macOS network filtering solution using NetworkExtension with NEFilterDataProvider. During implementation of the handleOutboundData logic, we are using the following verdict: NEFilterNewFlowVerdict.filterDataVerdict( withFilterInbound: true, peekInboundBytes: InboundPeekBytes, filterOutbound: true, peekOutboundBytes: OutboundPeekBytes ) However, we have encountered an issue when SMB traffic is involved. When SMB protocol communication occurs, the network connection occasionally becomes unresponsive or appears to stall when peekOutboundBytes is set to a large value. Through testing, we observed the following behavior: On some systems, reducing the peekOutboundBytes value allows SMB communication to proceed normally. On other systems, even relatively small values can still cause the SMB connection to stall. This behavior appears inconsistent across different macOS environments. Because of this, we would like to clarify the following: Is there a documented or recommended maximum value for peekOutboundBytes when using NEFilterNewFlowVerdict.filterDataVerdict? Are there any internal limits or constraints within NetworkExtension that could cause SMB traffic to stall when the peek buffer size is too large? Are there best practices for selecting appropriate peekInboundBytes / peekOutboundBytes values when filtering high-throughput protocols such as SMB? If necessary, we can provide additional information such as macOS version, test environment details, and logs. Thank you for your assistance. Best regards, sangho
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68
Activity
Feb ’26
`sysextd` rejects new `NEFilterDataProvider` activation with "no policy" on macOS 26 — despite valid Developer ID + notarization
I'm building a macOS network monitor using NEFilterDataProvider as a system extension, distributed with Developer ID signing. On macOS 26.3 (Tahoe), sysextd consistently rejects the activation request with "no policy, cannot allow apps outside /Applications" — despite the app being in /Applications and passing every verification check. I'm aware of the known Xcode NE signing bug (r. 108838909) and have followed the manual signing process from Exporting a Developer ID Network Extension. I've also tried both xcodebuild build and xcodebuild archive workflows — identical failure. Environment macOS 26.3 (25D125), SIP enabled Xcode 26.3 (17C529) Hardware Apple M2 Pro Certificate Developer ID Application (issued Jan 30, 2026 — 27 days old) MDM/Profiles None installed Signing & Verification (all pass) $ spctl -a -vv /Applications/Chakshu.app /Applications/Chakshu.app: accepted source=Notarized Developer ID origin=Developer ID Application: ROBIN SHARMA (R65679C4F3) $ codesign --verify --deep --strict -vv /Applications/Chakshu.app /Applications/Chakshu.app: valid on disk /Applications/Chakshu.app: satisfies its Designated Requirement $ xcrun stapler validate /Applications/Chakshu.app The validate action worked! App signing: Authority=Developer ID Application: ROBIN SHARMA (R65679C4F3) Authority=Developer ID Certification Authority Authority=Apple Root CA TeamIdentifier=R65679C4F3 Runtime Version=26.2.0 Notarization Ticket=stapled App entitlements: com.apple.application-identifier = R65679C4F3.dev.indrasvat.chakshu com.apple.developer.team-identifier = R65679C4F3 com.apple.developer.system-extension.install = true com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension = [content-filter-provider-systemextension] keychain-access-groups = [R65679C4F3.*] Extension signing: Same Developer ID authority, same team, same timestamp. Extension entitlements match (minus system-extension.install). Developer ID provisioning profiles are embedded in both app and extension. What sysextd logs Captured Feb 26, 2026 from log stream --predicate 'process == "sysextd"': sysextd [com.apple.sx:XPC] client activation request for dev.indrasvat.chakshu.filter sysextd attempting to realize extension with identifier dev.indrasvat.chakshu.filter sysextd (Security) SecKeyVerifySignature ← pass (×2) sysextd (Security) SecTrustEvaluateIfNecessary ← pass (×2) sysextd [com.apple.xpc:connection] activating connection: name=com.apple.CodeSigningHelper sysextd [com.apple.xpc:connection] invalidated after the last release sysextd no policy, cannot allow apps outside /Applications sysextd [com.apple.sx:XPC] client connection invalidated Signature and trust evaluation pass. CodeSigningHelper completes. Then the policy check fails. The app receives OSSystemExtensionError code 4 (extensionNotFound). What I've tried and ruled out Build process: Approach Result xcodebuild build -configuration Release + manual re-sign Same failure xcodebuild archive + export from archive + manual re-sign (per thread/737894) Same failure Minimal hand-crafted Xcode project (no xcodegen, trivial code) Same failure Both workflows follow Quinn's process exactly: build with Apple Development → copy app → embed Developer ID provisioning profiles → re-sign inside-out (extension first, then app) with -systemextension suffix entitlements → notarize → staple → install to /Applications. System-level checks: Rebooting — no change Killing sysextd — no change Removing com.apple.quarantine xattr — no change chown root:wheel on app bundle — no change lsregister -r (reset Launch Services) — no change Waiting 27 days for certificate propagation — no change Reinstalling via Finder drag-to-Applications — no change No MDM or configuration profiles installed /Library/SystemExtensions/db.plist shows extensionPolicies: [] (empty) Key observation Pre-existing network extensions activated before macOS 26 work fine on this machine. For example, Tailscale's NEPacketTunnelProvider shows state: activated_enabled in the system extensions database — it was activated on a prior macOS version and is still running. Only new system extension activations fail. I've seen similar Tahoe-specific reports from LuLu (same NEFilterDataProvider type, Developer ID distribution): LuLu #825 LuLu #831 Questions Is this a known regression in macOS 26's sysextd policy evaluation for new Developer ID system extension activations? sysextd's policy check fails after all signature and trust evaluation succeeds. Is there a separate trust/policy path that sysextd consults beyond what spctl, codesign, and CodeSigningHelper verify? Is there anything else I should be checking? I have a sysdiagnose captured immediately after the failure, a minimal reproducer project, and full raw sysextd logs available on request.
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180
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Mar ’26
Network extension caused network access to slow down or fail.
Hi, On macOS 26.4 Beta (25E5218f) (macOS Tahoe 26 Developer Beta ), the network filter causes network failures or slowdowns. This manifests as Chrome failing to access websites, while Safari can access the same websites without issue. The affected websites can be pinged locally. My situation is similar to this situation.The same question link is: https://github.com/objective-see/LuLu/issues/836 Have you been paying attention to this issue? Hopefully, it can be fixed in the official release. Thank you.
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199
Activity
Feb ’26
Request for Guidance on Approval Process for Network Extension Entitlement
Dear Apple Developer Support Team, I am writing to inquire about the process for obtaining approval for the following entitlement in my iOS/macOS app: <key>com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension</key> <array> <string>content-filter-provider</string> </array> Specifically, I would like guidance on: The steps required to submit a request for this entitlement. Any necessary documentation or justification that needs to be provided to Apple. Typical review timelines and approval criteria. Any restrictions or compliance requirements associated with this entitlement. Our app intends to implement a content filtering functionality to enhance network security and user safety. We want to ensure full compliance with Apple’s policies and guidelines. Could you please provide detailed instructions or point us to the relevant resources to initiate this approval process? Thank you for your assistance.
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233
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3w
Issue with XPC communication between Network Extension and host application
Hello, I need to develop a Network Extension (Transparent Proxy) that sends data to the host application for analysis. Network Extension - XPC client Host application - XPC service I am trying to implement it with XPC. However, when attempting to connect, I see the following error in the system logs on client side. [0x1015a2050] failed to do a bootstrap look-up: xpc_error=[3: No such process] I assume the problem occurs because the Network Extension cannot find the registered XPC service. On the service side, I see the following message in the logs: 2026-02-24 13:15:36.419345+0300 localhost fgstnehost[58884]: (libxpc.dylib) [com.apple.xpc:connection] [0x100bdee70] activating connection: mach=true listener=true peer=false name=TEAM_ID.group.app_id.netfilter.xpc Entitlements Network Extension: <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd"> <plist version="1.0"> <dict> <key>com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension</key> <array> <string>app-proxy-provider-systemextension</string> </array> <key>com.apple.security.application-groups</key> <array> <string>TEAM_ID.group.app_id.netfilter</string> </array> <key>com.apple.security.app-sandbox</key> <true/> <key>com.apple.security.xpc.mach-lookup.global-name</key> <array> <string>TEAM_ID.group.app_id.netfilter.xpc</string> </array> </dict> </plist> Entitlements host application: <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd"> <plist version="1.0"> <dict> <key>com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension</key> <array> <string>app-proxy-provider-systemextension</string> </array> <key>com.apple.developer.system-extension.install</key> <true/> <key>com.apple.security.application-groups</key> <array> <string>TEAM_ID.group.app_id.netfilter</string> </array> <key>com.apple.security.app-sandbox</key> <true/> <key>com.apple.security.xpc.mach-service.name</key> <array> <string>TEAM_ID.group.app_id.netfilter.xpc</string> </array> </dict> </plist> Server.m @interface XPCServer () @property (nonatomic, strong) NSXPCListener *listener; @end @implementation XPCServer - (instancetype) init { self = [super init]; if (self != nil) { _listener = [[NSXPCListener alloc] initWithMachServiceName: XPC_SERVICE_ID]; _listener.delegate = self; } return self; } - (void) start { [self.listener resume]; } - (BOOL) listener:(NSXPCListener *) listener shouldAcceptNewConnection:(NSXPCConnection *) newConnection { return YES; } @end Client.m @interface XPCClient () @property (nonatomic, strong) NSXPCConnection *connection; @end @implementation XPCClient - (void) connect { self.connection = [[NSXPCConnection alloc] initWithMachServiceName: XPC_SERVICE_ID options: NSXPCConnectionPrivileged]; self.connection.invalidationHandler = ^{ [[OSLogger sharedInstance] error: "XPCClient: connection can not be formed or the connection has terminated and may not be re-established"]; }; self.connection.interruptionHandler = ^{ [[OSLogger sharedInstance] error: "XPCClient: the remote process exits or crashes"]; }; [self.connection resume]; } @end What could be the root cause of this issue? Are there any recommendations for implementing IPC between a Network Extension and aß Host Application? Thank you in advance.
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Feb ’26
NEURLFilter Not Blocking URLs
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7h
Unable to detect Network Extension configuration change while pushing MDM profile
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119
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Feb ’26