My personal project is a bit further along however after not being able to get this to work in my app I fell back to a much simpler/proven implementation out there. There is this project on GitHub with a guide that implements a barebones app extension with packet tunneling. I figure this can give us common ground.
After changing the bundle and group identifiers to all end with -Caleb and or match up I tried running the app. The app extension does not work whatsoever and seemingly for reasons that are similar to my personal project.
If I pull up the console and filter for the subsystem (com.github.kean.vpn-client-caleb.vpn-tunnel) I see the following.
First you see installd installing it
0x16ba5f000 -[MIUninstaller _uninstallBundleWithIdentity:linkedToChildren:waitForDeletion:uninstallReason:temporaryReference:deleteDataContainers:wasLastReference:error:]: Destroying container com.github.kean.vpn-client-caleb.vpn-tunnel with persona 54D15361-A614-4E0D-931A-0953CDB50CE8 at /private/var/mobile/Containers/Data/PluginKitPlugin/2D0AE485-BB56-4E3E-B59E-48424CD4FD65
And then installd says this (No idea what it means)
0x16b9d3000 -[MIInstallationJournalEntry _refreshUUIDForContainer:withError:]: Data container for com.github.kean.vpn-client-caleb.vpn-tunnel is now at /private/var/mobile/Containers/Data/PluginKitPlugin/2D0AE485-BB56-4E3E-B59E-48424CD4FD65
Concerningly runningboardd seems to immediately try and stop it?
Executing termination request for: <RBSProcessPredicate <RBSProcessBundleIdentifiersPredicate| {(
"com.github.kean.vpn-client-caleb",
"com.github.kean.vpn-client-caleb.vpn-tunnel"
)}>>
[app<com.github.kean.vpn-client-caleb(54D15361-A614-4E0D-931A-0953CDB50CE8)>:1054] Terminating with context: <RBSTerminateContext| explanation:installcoordinationd app:[com.github.kean.vpn-client-caleb/54D15361-A614-4E0D-931A-0953CDB50CE8] uuid:963149FA-F712-460B-9B5C-5CE1C309B2FC isPlaceholder:Y reportType:None maxTerminationResistance:Absolute attrs:[
<RBSPreventLaunchLimitation| <RBSProcessPredicate <RBSProcessBundleIdentifiersPredicate| {(
"com.github.kean.vpn-client-caleb",
"com.github.kean.vpn-client-caleb.vpn-tunnel"
)}>> allow:(null)>
]>
Then runningboardd leaves a cryptic message
Acquiring assertion targeting system from originator [osservice<com.apple.installcoordinationd>:244] with description <RBSAssertionDescriptor| "installcoordinationd app:[com.github.kean.vpn-client-caleb/54D15361-A614-4E0D-931A-0953CDB50CE8] uuid:963149FA-F712-460B-9B5C-5CE1C309B2FC isPlaceholder:Y" ID:33-244-5222 target:system attributes:[
<RBSPreventLaunchLimitation| <RBSProcessPredicate <RBSProcessBundleIdentifiersPredicate| {(
"com.github.kean.vpn-client-caleb",
"com.github.kean.vpn-client-caleb.vpn-tunnel"
)}>> allow:(null)>
]>
And that seems to be all I have to go off of.... If I widen my search a bit I can see backboardd saying things like
Connection removed: IOHIDEventSystemConnection uuid:57E97E5D-8CDE-467B-81CA-36A93C7684AD pid:1054 process:vpn-client type:Passive entitlements:0x0 caller:BackBoardServices: <redacted> + 280 attributes:{
HighFrequency = 1;
bundleID = "com.github.kean.vpn-client-caleb";
pid = 1054;
} state:0x1 events:119 mask:0x800 dropped:0 dropStatus:0 droppedMask:0x0 lastDroppedTime:NONE
Or
Removing client connection <BKHIDClientConnection: 0xbf9828cd0; IOHIDEventSystemConnectionRef: 0xbf96d9600; vpid: 1054(vAF7); taskPort: 0x5D777; bundleID: com.github.kean.vpn-client-caleb> for client: IOHIDEventSystemConnection uuid:57E97E5D-8CDE-467B-81CA-36A93C7684AD pid:1054 process:vpn-client type:Passive entitlements:0x0 caller:BackBoardServices: <redacted> + 280 attributes:{
HighFrequency = 1;
bundleID = "com.github.kean.vpn-client-caleb";
pid = 1054;
} state:0x1 events:119 mask:0x800 dropped:0 dropStatus:0 droppedMask:0x0 lastDroppedTime:NONE source:HID
There's really nothing in the sysdiagnose either. No crash no nothing.
I am stumped. Any idea what might be going wrong for me here? Has something about the way app extensions or sandbox rules work changed in later OSes?
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Hi everyone,
I'm currently experimenting with building a simple DNS filter using Apple's Packet Tunnel framework. Here's the flow I'm trying to implement:
Create a TUN interface
Set up a UDP socket
Read packets via packetFlow.readPackets
Parse the raw IP packet
Forward the UDP payload through the socket
Receive the response from the server
Reconstruct the IP packet with the response
Write it back to the TUN interface using packetFlow.writePackets
Here’s an example of an intercepted IP packet (DNS request):
45 00 00 3c 15 c4 00 00 40 11 93 d1 c0 a8 00 64 08 08 08 08 ed 6e 00 35 00 28 e5 c9 7f da 01 00 00 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 04 74 69 6d 65 05 61 70 70 6c 65 03 63 6f 6d 00 00 01 00 01
And here’s the IP packet I tried writing back into the TUN interface (DNS response):
45 00 00 89 5e 37 40 00 40 11 0b 11 08 08 08 08 c0 a8 00 64 00 35 ed 6e 00 75 91 e8 7f da 81 80 00 01 00 04 00 00 00 00 04 74 69 6d 65 05 61 70 70 6c 65 03 63 6f 6d 00 00 01 00 01 c0 0c 00 05 00 01 00 00 0c fb 00 11 04 74 69 6d 65 01 67 07 61 61 70 6c 69 6d 67 c0 17 c0 2c 00 01 00 01 00 00 03 04 00 04 11 fd 74 fd c0 2c 00 01 00 01 00 00 03 04 00 04 11 fd 74 7d c0 2c 00 01 00 01 00 00 03 04 00 04 11 fd 54 fb
Unfortunately, it seems the packet is not being written back correctly to the TUN interface. I'm not seeing any expected DNS response behavior on the device.
Also, I noticed that after creating the TUN, the interface address shows up as 0.0.0.0:0 in Xcode. The system log includes this message when connecting the VPN:
NWPath does not have valid interface: satisfied (Path is satisfied), interface: utun20[endc_sub6], ipv4, dns, expensive, uses cellular
Does anyone know how to properly initialize the TUN so that the system recognizes it with a valid IP configuration? Or why my written-back packet might be getting ignored?
Any help would be appreciated!
We have a Java application built for macOS. On the first launch, the application prompts the user to allow local network access. We've correctly added the NSLocalNetworkUsageDescription key to the Info.plist, and the provided description appears in the system prompt.
After the user grants permission, the application can successfully connect to a local server using its hostname. However, the issue arises after the system is rebooted. When the application is launched again, macOS does not prompt for local network access a second time—which is expected, as the permission was already granted.
Despite this, the application is unable to connect to the local server. It appears the previously granted permission is being ignored after a reboot. A temporary workaround is to manually toggle the Local Network permission off and back on via System Settings > Privacy & Security, which restores connectivity—until the next reboot.
This behavior is highly disruptive, both for us and for a significant number of our users. We can reproduce this on multiple systems...
The issues started from macOS Sequoia 15.0
By opening the application bundle using "Show Package Contents," we can launch the application via "JavaAppLauncher" without any issues. Once started, the application is able to connect to our server over the local network. This seems to bypass the granted permissions? "JavaAppLauncher" is also been used in our Info.plist file
Removing the following plist in Recovery Mode seems to resolve the issue
rm "/Volumes/Macintosh HD/Library/Preferences/com.apple.networkextension.plist"
Is this safe to do?
Topic:
App & System Services
SubTopic:
Networking
When I make a local network HTTP request, an error occurs. I'm sure I've granted wireless data permissions and local network permissions, and I'm connected to the correct Wi-Fi. This problem is intermittent, but once it happens, it will keep happening, and the only way to fix it is to restart the phone. Here is the error log:
sessionTaskFailed(error: Error Domain=NSURLErrorDomain Code=-1009 "似乎已断开与互联网的连接。" UserInfo={_kCFStreamErrorCodeKey=50, NSUnderlyingError=0x30398a5b0 {Error Domain=kCFErrorDomainCFNetwork Code=-1009 "(null)" UserInfo={_NSURLErrorNWPathKey=unsatisfied (Local network prohibited), interface: en0[802.11], uses wifi, _kCFStreamErrorCodeKey=50, _kCFStreamErrorDomainKey=1}}, _NSURLErrorFailingURLSessionTaskErrorKey=LocalDataTask .<63>, _NSURLErrorRelatedURLSessionTaskErrorKey=(
"LocalDataTask .<63>"
), NSLocalizedDescription=似乎已断开与互联网的连接。, NSErrorFailingURLStringKey=http://192.168.2.1:80/v1/parameters, NSErrorFailingURLKey=http://192.168.2.1:80/v1/parameters, _kCFStreamErrorDomainKey=1})
On "Accessory Interface Specification CarPlay Addendum R10", it says that it is recommended that the accessory uses a MIMO (2x2) hardware configuration, does this imply that WiFi 5 and SISO (1X1) will be phased out in the near future?
When will WiFi 6 MIMO (2x2) become mandatory?
On "Accessory Interface Specification CarPlay Addendum R10", it says that Spatial Audio is mandatory. However, for aftermarket in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) system due to the number of speakers are less than 6, is it allowed not to support spatial audio for this type of aftermarket IVI system?
Hi! I've noticed that the IP_RECVIF socket option, i.e.:
int y = 1;
setsockopt(fd, IPPROTO_IP, IP_RECVIF, &y, sizeof(y));
does not seem to work if the socket is proxied by a NETransparentProxyProvider type network extension: there's no ancillary data in messages received with recvmsg. As soon as I disable the network extension, recvmsg starts returning ancillary data containing the interface name.
This seems to break some applications which rely on IP_RECVIF in the presence of a transparent proxy, making it, in fact, not transparent. One such example is Apple's own libresolv, which relies on IP_RECVIF and breaks if there's no ancillary data in the recvmsg result.
I don't think that this is the intended behaviour, since IPV6_PKTINFO seems to work fine. I've filed a bug report (FB17586550) about this, however, I would greatly appreciate if someone could point me in the direction of a workaround.
I'm able to discover a service with Bonjour, which gets me an nw_browse_result_t from which I can get an nw_endpoint_t and then an nw_connection_t. That's all fine. But this particular service runs on 3 ports. The port numbers of the other 2 ports are in the txt record (but they are well-known and stable anyway).
How can I create 2 more nw_connection_t to the same host/IP but on a different port?
I already have this working with NSNetService, but am trying to update to Network.framework.
I've found nw_endpoint_get_address() but the docs say it returns null "if the endpoint is not of type nw_endpoint_type_address" and indeed nw_browse_result_t gives me an nw_endpoint_type_bonjour_service.
Topic:
App & System Services
SubTopic:
Networking
I have an iPhone app which relies heavily on TCP/IP communication in the local network. Therefore, the application starts a server socket and accepts incoming connections. This worked flawlessly for a long time and we had no problems with this.
Problem
In the last days however, we observed that for some iPhones with the server role other devices cannot connect to the server of our app. The server does not accept incoming connections on the devices IP address and the client times out.
Environment
Both iPhones (the server and the client) are in the same network with 192.168.1.0 address range and 255.255.255.0 subnet mask. The server has the IP 192.168.1.11 and the client has 192.168.1.22. This is a normal home WiFi network with no special firewall rules. Both devices have mobile data disabled and the "access local network" permission is granted. The server socket is bound to all interfaces (0.0.0.0).
More technical symptoms
When the server iPhone is in this faulty state, it seems like it somehow has two ip addresses:
192.168.2.123 and 192.168.1.11
The WiFi preferences show the (correct) .1.11 ip address. The Apps however see the (wrong) .2.123 ip address. I cannot explain where the other ip address comes from and why the device thinks it has this ip address.
I've collected interface diagnosis information on a faulty iPhone and it listed the following interfaces and IPs:
en0 -> 192.168.2.123
lo0 -> 127.0.0.1
pdp_ip0 (cellular) -> 192.0.0.2
pdp_ip1 to pdp_ip6 (cellular) -> -/-
ipsec0 to ipsec6 (vpn) -> -/-
llw0 (vpn) -> -/-
awdl0 -> -/-
anpi0 -> -/-
ap1 -> -/-
XHC0 -> -/-
en1 and en2 (wired) -> -/-
utun0 to utun2 (vpn) -> -/-
The correct ip of the device is not listed anywhere in this list.
A reboot helped to temporarily fix this problem. One user reported the same issue again a few hours later after a reboot. Switching off WiFi and reconnecting does not solve the problem.
This issue occurred on several iPhones with the following specs:
iOS Version 18.1.1, 18.3.1
iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPhone 15 Pro
The problem must be on the server side as the client can successfully connect to any other device in the same network.
Question(s)
Where does this second IP come from and why does the server not accept connections to either ip even though it is bound to 0.0.0.0?
Are there any iOS system settings which could lead to this problem? (privacy setting, vpn, ...)
What could be done to permanently fix this issue?
We are developers of an app, we found that there's no LN prompt for users to install the app for the 1st time on ios18.
We used the following method to prompt the "allow/not allow" alert:
// Attempts to trigger the local network privacy alert.
///
/// This builds a list of link-local IPv6 addresses and then creates a connected
/// UDP socket to each in turn. Connecting a UDP socket triggers the local
/// network alert without actually sending any traffic.
///
/// This is a ‘best effort’ approach, and it handles errors by ignoring them.
/// There’s no guarantee that it’ll actually trigger the alert (FB8711182).
func triggerLocalNetworkPrivacyAlert() {
let addresses = selectedLinkLocalIPv6Addresses()
for address in addresses {
let sock6 = socket(AF_INET6, SOCK_DGRAM, 0)
guard sock6 >= 0 else { return }
defer { close(sock6) }
withUnsafePointer(to: address) { sa6 in
sa6.withMemoryRebound(to: sockaddr.self, capacity: 1) { sa in
_ = connect(sock6, sa, socklen_t(sa.pointee.sa_len)) >= 0
}
}
}
}
Topic:
App & System Services
SubTopic:
Networking
Is it possible using the network framework to retrieve the list of certificates presented by the host alone, and not the reconstructed chain assembled by the system?
For example, in OpenSSL one can call SSL_get_peer_cert_chain which will return exactly this - a list of the certificates presented by the server. This is useful for when you may want to manually reconstruct the chain, or if the server is misconfigured (for example, is missing an intermediate cert).
Is something like this possible with the network framework?
If I connect to a host that I know only returns 1 certificate, the trust ref already has the reconstructed chain by the time my code is called:
sec_protocol_options_set_verify_block(tlsOptions.securityProtocolOptions, { metadata, trustRef, verifyComplete in
let trust = sec_trust_copy_ref(trustRef).takeRetainedValue()
let numberOfCertificates = SecTrustGetCertificateCount(trust) // Returns 3 even though the server only sent 1
Hi,
I’m urgently seeking assistance with an issue in my app development.
The app allows users to control which domains are routed through my relay servers (six server URLs).
However, I’ve encountered a problem:
When a single relay configuration (for a single server URL) contains more than 70 domains, only one configuration can be active at a time. If I manually activate another relay configuration (for another server URL), the previously activated one automatically deactivates.
Is there a way to overcome this limitation?
Also, is there a maximum amount of domains that can exist across the per-app relays?
I’m referencing the Apple documentation here:
https://developer.apple.com/documentation/networkextension/relays
Any guidance or insights into resolving this issue would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you in advance :)
On my macOS 15.x device, frequently encountering the error:
Error Domain=com.apple.wifi.apple80211API.error Code=-528342014 "tmpErr"
when connecting to an EAP WiFi network using CWWiFiClient. Restarting the device temporarily resolves the issue, but it reoccurs after some time.
What could be causing this, and how can it be resolved programmatically?
Hi, I’m trying out my app with Xcode 26, running on an iOS 26 simulator. I'm having issues with URLSessions, it crashes when I set the URLSessionConfiguration to default, and if I don’t use the URLSessionConfiguration, it crashes if I use URLSession.shared. When running in a real device, it doesn't crash, but any network request will hang and time out after a while.
Is it a known issue in the latest beta versions?
I have a question regarding /etc/pf.conf.
If I use this rule,
rdr pass on bridge100 inet proto tcp from 192.168.2.104 to any port {80, 443, 8883} -> 127.0.0.1 port 8080
all other traffic on bridge100 will not function properly, even the traffic that is not destined for 192.168.2.104.
Additionally, the hotspot generated through bridge100 will also become unavailable.
Even if I comment out this rule and run sudo pfctl -e -f /etc/pf.conf, the problem still persists. The situation will only return to normal when I restart my Mac.
my macos:15.3.2
my /etc/pf.conf
#
scrub-anchor "com.apple/*"
nat-anchor "com.apple/*"
rdr-anchor "com.apple/*"
rdr pass on bridge100 inet proto tcp from 192.168.2.104 to any port {80, 443, 8883} -> 127.0.0.1 port 8080
dummynet-anchor "com.apple/*"
anchor "com.apple/*"
load anchor "com.apple" from "/etc/pf.anchors/com.apple"
Topic:
App & System Services
SubTopic:
Networking
So it seems the NetworkFramework is still not able to support Broastcast Mode am I correct?
As soon as I switch broadcast mode to On in my game I receive console messages instead of receiving data.
nw_path_evaluator_create_flow_inner failed NECP_CLIENT_ACTION_ADD_FLOW (null) evaluator parameters: udp, definite, server, attribution: developer, reuse local address, context: Default Network Context (private), proc: 2702288D-96FB-37DD-8610-A68CC526EA0F, local address: 0.0.0.0:20778
nw_path_evaluator_create_flow_inner NECP_CLIENT_ACTION_ADD_FLOW 1FB68D7E-7C9B-47B2-B6AC-E5710CD9C9CD [17: File exists]
nw_endpoint_flow_setup_channel [C2 192.168.178.221:52716 initial channel-flow (satisfied (Path is satisfied), interface: en0[802.11], ipv4, ipv6, dns, uses wifi)] failed to request add nexus flow
nw_endpoint_flow_failed_with_error [C2 192.168.178.221:52716 initial channel-flow (satisfied (Path is satisfied), interface: en0[802.11], ipv4, ipv6, dns, uses wifi)] already failing, returning
nw_endpoint_handler_create_from_protocol_listener [C2 192.168.178.221:52716 failed channel-flow (satisfied (Path is satisfied), interface: en0[802.11], ipv4, ipv6, dns, uses wifi)] nw_endpoint_flow_pre_attach_protocols
nw_connection_create_from_protocol_on_nw_queue [C2] Failed to create connection from listener
nw_ip_channel_inbox_handle_new_flow nw_connection_create_from_protocol_on_nw_queue failed
I won't be able to receive data which is a real shame, so I guess I am stuck with the lower level code:
// Enable broadcast
var enableBroadcast: Int32 = 1
if setsockopt(socketDescriptor, SOL_SOCKET, SO_BROADCAST, &enableBroadcast, socklen_t(MemoryLayout<Int32>.size)) == -1 {
let errorMessage = String(cString: strerror(errno))
throw UDPSocketError.cannotEnableBroadcast(errorMessage)
}
Question: Best Practice for NEFilterRule and NENetworkRule Initializers with Deprecated NEHostEndpoint?
Hi all,
I'm looking for guidance on the right way to construct an NEFilterRule that takes a NENetworkRule parameter. Reading the latest documentation, it looks like:
All initializers for NENetworkRule that accept an NEHostEndpoint are now deprecated, including initWithDestinationHost:protocol: and those using the various *Network:prefix: forms. NEHostEndpoint itself is also deprecated; Apple recommends using the nw_endpoint_t type from the Network framework instead.
However, NEFilterRule still requires a NENetworkRule for its initializer (docs).
With all NENetworkRule initializers that take NEHostEndpoint deprecated, it’s unclear what the recommended way is to create a NENetworkRule (and thus an NEFilterRule) that matches host/domain or network traffic.
What’s the proper way to construct these objects now—should we create the endpoints using nw_endpoint_t and use new/undocumented initializers, or is there an updated approach that’s considered best practice?
Helpful doc links for reference:
NEFilterRule docs
NENetworkRule docs
NWHostEndpoint (now deprecated)
Question:
What is the standard, most reliable way to manage temporary files associated with a URLSessionDownloadTask that has been terminated abnormally due to a network error or other issues?
Details
Hello,
I'm currently developing a feature to download multiple files concurrently on iOS using URLSessionDownloadTask, and I have a question regarding the lifecycle of the temporary files created during this process.
As I understand it, URLSessionDownloadTask stores incoming data in a temporary file within the tmp directory, typically with a name like CFNetworkDownload_*.tmp.
In my testing, temporary files are managed correctly in the normal scenario. For instance, when I call the cancel() method on an active downloadTask and then release all references to it, the corresponding temporary file is automatically cleaned up from the tmp directory shortly after.
However, the problem occurs when a download is interrupted abnormally due to external factors, such as a lost network connection. In this situation, the urlSession(_:task:didCompleteWithError:) delegate method is called, but the associated temporary file is not deleted and remains in the tmp directory.
I've observed a particularly interesting behavior related to this. Immediately after the error occurs, if I check my app's storage usage in the iOS Settings app, the data size appears to have decreased momentarily. However, the tmp file has not actually been deleted, and after a short while, the storage usage is recalculated to include the size of this orphaned temporary file.
Since my app does not support resuming interrupted downloads, these leftover files become orphaned and unnecessarily consume storage. Therefore, I want to ensure they are all reliably deleted.
With this context, I'd like to ask the community:
What is the standard, most reliable way to manage temporary files associated with a URLSessionDownloadTask that has been terminated abnormally due to a network error or other issues?
I am wondering if there is an official guide or a framework-level API to handle these orphaned files.
I would appreciate any advice from those with experience in this area. Thank you.
Apple's Wi-Fi Aware demo shows that pairing is required before establishing a connection. Is this pairing mandatory? Can Android devices pair with Apple devices? My Android device strictly supports Wi-Fi Aware 4.0 and I want to achieve interoperability with Apple devices.
Hello everyone,
I'm trying to figure out how to transmit a UIImage (png or tiff) securely to an application running in my desktop browser (Mac or PC). The desktop application and iOS app would potentially be running on the same local network (iOS hotspot or something) or have no internet connection at all.
I'm trying to securely send over an image that the running desktop app could ingest. I was thinking something like a local server securely accepting image data from an iPhone.
Any suggestions ideas or where to look for more info would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you for your help.
Hi
I am developing the packet tunnel extension on a SIP enabled device.
If I build the app and notarize and install it on the device, it works fine.
If I modify, build and execute the App (which contains the system extension), it fails with below error. 102.3.1.4 is production build. And 201.202.0.101 is for XCode build.
SystemExtension "<<complete name>>.pkttunnel" request for replacement from 102.3.1.4 to 201.202.0.101
Packet Tunnel SystemExtension "<<complete name>>.pkttunnel" activation request did fail: Error Domain=OSSystemExtensionErrorDomain Code=8 "(null)"
If SIP is disabled, it works fine.
Is there a way the system extension can be developed even if SIP remains enabled?