Why do two content filters with the same name exist

​ I developed a Content Filter using the Network Extension, and when deployed to a batch of hosts (50 +), the installation worked for most of them, but there were six exceptions: five of them were macOS 10.15 and one of them was macOS 12.5.

​ The phenomenon of these 6 hosts is: in the System Settings->Network, two content filters with the same name appear. When one of the content filters with the same name is clicked, shows "Please use 'X Agent Extension' to control this content filter configuration" ('X Agent Extension' is the program I developed, this content filter can be deleted by clicking the minus sign in the lower left corner). Click on another content filter with the same name, shows 'Please use 'null' to control this content filter configuration', (but this content filter can't be removed by clicking the minus sign in the bottom left corner).

​ These systems are clean, use CLI 'systemextensionsctl list', and have only one systemextension in the output (this systemextension is my content filter). Online reference "https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/how-to-delete-custom-dns-profile-from-network-preference.2293322/" this paper, by closing the SIP, and delete file '/Library/Preferences/com.apple.networkextension.plist', then restart the system can remove the abnormal content filters with the same name. After restarting the system and reinstalling my content filter, the two content filters with the same name disappear (only the Content Filter I reinstalled) and the exception scenario cannot be repeated.

​ I would like to know, why do I have two content filters with the same name, how can I avoid this phenomenon, is there a way to remove the wrong content filter without closing SIP.

Written by OH-Coffee in 772435021
why do I have two content filters with the same name

At first blush this looks like a bug, one that’s resolved on later systems.

You’re only seeing this on old versions of macOS. Are all the Macs you deployed to running these old systems?

If, say, half of them are running something modern, like macOS 14 or later, and none of those had the problem, that’d strongly suggest that this is tied to the older OS versions.

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Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple
let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com"

It’s better if you reply as a reply, rather than in the comments. See Quinn’s Top Ten DevForums Tips for this and other titbits.

I in this article

Oh hey, that’s some good spelunking!

your colleagues open a Bug Report.

No, Matt ask the developer to file a bug report. Unfortunately the developer didn’t post their bug number, so it’s hard to say whether or not they did this.

Fifty of these hosts were macOS 10.15

Which means that pretty much all your Macs are running an ancient version of macOS. Thus, this bug could still exist, but you wouldn’t be able to tell because you’re not deploying this filter on a sufficient number of modern Macs to tell whether it’s a problem there.

Right?

Share and Enjoy

Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple
let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com"

Thanks for your reply

Yes, there aren't a sufficient number of modern Macs for me to test.

But, I'v upgraded an abnormal macOS 10.15 to macOS 13.0, two content filter with the same name still exists, must by removing the file '/Library/Preferences/com.apple.networkextension.plist' way to clean up.

You can ask me for more info, and I must figure out these questions:

  1. Is this a System-Level Bug?
  2. Why do I have 2 content filter with the same name and how can I avoid this problem?
  3. Is there a way to remove the wrong content filter without closing SIP and delete the file?
Why do two content filters with the same name exist
 
 
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