Unable to Open HTTP Site B from HTTP Site A in WKWebView – Stuck on Spinning Wheel (Xcode 15.2 and above, VPN Enabled, Cross-Domain)

After upgrading to Xcode 15.2 or above(Till Xcode 16.2), users are unable to open Site B (HTTP URL) from Site A (HTTP URL) within our Browser app when loaded in WKWebView. Clicking the link to Site B results in a spinning wheel, but the site does not load. This issue is not present when the app is built with Xcode 15.0.1.

Additionally: Users are connected to a VPN, which is required to access the sites. Site A and Site B are on different domains (cross-domain request).

Expected Behavior: Clicking the link to Site B should successfully load the site with user information passed from Site A.

Current Behavior: Clicking the link results in a spinning wheel, but Site B does not load inside WKWebView.

Technical Details:

• Both Site A and Site B use HTTP (not HTTPS).
• Site A and Site B have different domains (cross-domain request).
• Do not use location.href for transitions. Instead, we temporarily set about:blank in an iframe and then submit data via a form to the target system’s URL within the iframe.
• This approach worked in Xcode 15.0.1 but fails in Xcode 15.2 or above.
• Users are connected to a VPN, which is required to access the sites.
• WKWebview is not receiving navigation delegate callback for Site B

Steps to Reproduce:

1. Ensure the device is connected to a VPN.
2. Open the app (using WKWebView) built with Xcode 15.2 or above.
3. Load Site A (HTTP) within the app in WKWebView.
4. Click the link to Site B (HTTP), which should open in an iframe.
5. Observe that a spinning wheel appears, but Site B does not load.

Environment:

• Xcode Versions Affected: 15.2 or above (issue present), 15.0.1 (no issue)
• iOS Version: All iOS versions
• Devices: iPad

Questions: Has there been any change in WKWebView’s handling of HTTP URLs or VPN-related network traffic in Xcode 15.2? Are there any new security policies, iframe restrictions, or VPN-related changes in this version that might be affecting this behavior?

Request for Assistance: Can you confirm if this is a known issue or an intended change? Are there any workarounds available?