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How to delete cookies on IOS18
Hello, I have encountered an issue with an iPhone 15PM with iOS 18.5. The NSHTTPCookieStorage failed to clear cookies, but even after clearing them, I was still able to retrieve them. However, on the same system It is normal on iPhone 14PM. I would like to know the specific reason and whether there are any adaptation related issues. Following code: NSHTTPCookie *cookie; NSHTTPCookieStorage *storage = [NSHTTPCookieStorage sharedHTTPCookieStorage]; for (cookie in [storage cookies]) { [storage deleteCookie:cookie]; }
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174
May ’25
Bonjour Connectivity Optimization
Hi folks, I'm building an iOS companion app to a local hosted server app (hosted on 0.0.0.0). The MacOS app locally connects to this server hosted, and I took the approach of advertising the server using a Daemon and BonjourwithTXT(for port) and then net service to resolve a local name. Unfortunately if there's not enough time given after the iPhone/iPad is plugged in (usb or ethernet), the app will cycle through attempts and disconnects many times before connecting and I'm trying to find a way to only connect when a viable en interface is available. I've run into a weird thing in which the en interface only becomes seen on the NWMonitor after multiple connection attempts have been made and failed. If I screen for en before connecting it simply never appears. Is there any way to handle this such that my app can intelligently wait for an en connection before trying to connect? Attaching my code although I have tried a few other setups but none has been perfect. func startMonitoringAndBrowse() { DebugLogger.shared.append("Starting Bonjour + Ethernet monitoring") if !browserStarted { let params = NWParameters.tcp params.includePeerToPeer = false params.requiredInterfaceType = .wiredEthernet browser = NWBrowser(for: .bonjourWithTXTRecord(type: "_mytcpapp._tcp", domain: nil), using: params) browser?.stateUpdateHandler = { state in if case .ready = state { DebugLogger.shared.append("Bonjour browser ready.") } } browser?.browseResultsChangedHandler = { results, _ in self.handleBrowseResults(results) } browser?.start(queue: .main) browserStarted = true } // Start monitoring for wired ethernet monitor = NWPathMonitor() monitor?.pathUpdateHandler = { path in let hasEthernet = path.availableInterfaces.contains { $0.type == .wiredEthernet } let ethernetInUse = path.usesInterfaceType(.wiredEthernet) DebugLogger.shared.append(""" NWPathMonitor: - Status: \(path.status) - Interfaces: \(path.availableInterfaces.map { "\($0.name)[\($0.type)]" }.joined(separator: ", ")) - Wired Ethernet: \(hasEthernet), In Use: \(ethernetInUse) """) self.tryToConnectIfReady() self.stopMonitoring() } monitor?.start(queue: monitorQueue) } // MARK: - Internal Logic private func handleBrowseResults(_ results: Set<NWBrowser.Result>) { guard !self.isResolving, !self.hasResolvedService else { return } for result in results { guard case let .bonjour(txtRecord) = result.metadata, let portString = txtRecord["actual_port"], let actualPort = Int(portString), case let .service(name, type, domain, _) = result.endpoint else { continue } DebugLogger.shared.append("Bonjour result — port: \(actualPort)") self.resolvedPort = actualPort self.isResolving = true self.resolveWithNetService(name: name, type: type, domain: domain) break } } private func resolveWithNetService(name: String, type: String, domain: String) { let netService = NetService(domain: domain, type: type, name: name) netService.delegate = self netService.includesPeerToPeer = false netService.resolve(withTimeout: 5.0) resolvingNetService = netService DebugLogger.shared.append("Resolving NetService: \(name).\(type)\(domain)") } private func tryToConnectIfReady() { guard hasResolvedService, let host = resolvedHost, let port = resolvedPort else { return } DebugLogger.shared.append("Attempting to connect: \(host):\(port)") discoveredIP = host discoveredPort = port connectionPublisher.send(.connecting(ip: host, port: port)) stopBrowsing() socketManager.connectToServer(ip: host, port: port) hasResolvedService = false } } // MARK: - NetServiceDelegate extension BonjourManager: NetServiceDelegate { func netServiceDidResolveAddress(_ sender: NetService) { guard let hostname = sender.hostName else { DebugLogger.shared.append("Resolved service with no hostname") return } DebugLogger.shared.append("Resolved NetService hostname: \(hostname)") resolvedHost = hostname isResolving = false hasResolvedService = true tryToConnectIfReady() } func netService(_ sender: NetService, didNotResolve errorDict: [String : NSNumber]) { DebugLogger.shared.append("NetService failed to resolve: \(errorDict)") } }
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300
May ’25
NETransparentProxyProvider stops intercepting flows after sleep/wake cycle on macOS intermittently
I am seeing an issue with NETransparentProxyProvider where the extension successfully transitions from sleep to wake, but stops receiving handleNewFlow(_:) calls. Only below two methods gets called, We don't apply rules in these methods: override func wake() override func sleep(completionHandler: @escaping () -> Void) This breaking complete proxy workflow as it stops intercepting traffics. We are not observing this issues always. FYI: com.apple.developer.endpoint-security.client is not present in .entitlement file. I am not sure adding this will help. Any possibilities nesessionmanager might fail to re-bind the traffic rules for this extensions? Any thing we can do to avoid this issues?
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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
test NEAppProxyProvider without MDM?
This discussion is for iOS/iPadOS. I've written an NEAppProxyProvider network extension. I'd like to test it. I thought that using the "NETestAppMapping" dictionary was a way to get there, but when I try to instantiate an NEAppProxyProviderManager to try to install stuff, the console tells me "must be MDM managed" and I get nowhere. So can someone tell me, can I at least test the idea without needing to first get MDM going? I'd like to know if how I'm approaching the core problem even makes sense. My custom application needs to stream video, via the SRT protocol, to some place like youtube or castr. The problem is that in the environment we are in (big convention centers), our devices are on a LAN, but the connection from the LAN out to the rest of the world just sucks. Surprisingly, cellular has better performance. So I am trying to do the perverse thing of forcing traffix that is NOT local to go out over cellular. And traffic that is completely local (i.e. talking to a purely local server/other devices on the LAN) happens over ethernet. [To simplify things, wifi is not connected.] Is an app proxy the right tool for this? Is there any other tool? Unfortunately, I cannot rewrite the code to force everything through Apple's Network framework, which is the one place I know we can say "use cellular." [E.g. URLSession() has absolutely no way of forcing cellular, and even so, the low level streaming library I use is written with raw sockets, and its not feasible for me to rewrite it.] Any other suggestions of how to accomplish this "send non-local traffic to cellular, all local traffic out over ethernet" gratefully welcomed!
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3w
Symbol not found: ___res_9_state
When running my app with Xcode16.4, it crashed with the error: dyld[1045]: Symbol not found: ___res_9_state Referenced from: <8B329554-5BEF-38D0-BFCD-1731FA6120CB> /private/var/containers/Bundle/Application/00C941BA-E397-4D0B-B280-E75583FF2890/xxx.app/xxx.debug.dylib Expected in: <7D74C679-8F55-3A01-9AA2-C205A4A19D3E> /usr/lib/libresolv.9.dylib The ___res_9_state related code in my app is: let state = __res_9_state() res_9_ninit(state) var servers = [res_9_sockaddr_union](repeating: res_9_sockaddr_union(), count: Int(MAXNS)) let found = Int(res_9_getservers(state, &servers, Int32(MAXNS))) res_9_nclose(state) if found > 0 { return Array(servers[0..<found]).filter() { $0.sin.sin_len > 0 } } else { return [] } Previously, __res_9_state() could run normally in Xcode 16.1 How to fix this problem?
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Jul ’25
iOS UDP Multicast: Receiving works but sending silently fails
Hi everyone, I’m working with UDP Multicasting on iOS (iOS 15+) using Network.framework and facing a confusing issue. Setup: Multicast IP: 239.255.0.1 Port: 45454 Using NWConnectionGroup / NWMulticastGroup NSLocalNetworkUsageDescription is present in Info.plist Devices are on the same Wi-Fi network Problem: Receiving multicast packets works perfectly Sending multicast packets does NOT work No errors are thrown send() completion handler reports success stateUpdateHandler sometimes doesn’t transition to .ready No packets are actually transmitted on the network Observations: The app can receive data from other multicast senders Sending appears to be silently blocked Reinstalling the app fixes the issue This points to a Local Network permission problem If permission was denied once, iOS does not re-prompt Inbound multicast works, outbound multicast is blocked Questions: Is it expected on iOS that receiving multicast works even when sending is blocked? Is reinstalling the app the only way to recover if Local Network permission was denied? Is there any reliable runtime way to detect that outbound multicast is blocked? Is NWConnectionGroup the correct and only supported way to send multicast on iOS? Any clarification or official guidance would really help. Thanks in advance!
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141
Feb ’26
iOS26 captive portal detection changes?
Hi all, I work on a smart product that, for setup, uses a captive portal to allow users to connect and configure the device. It emits a WiFi network and runs a captive portal - an HTTP server operates at 10.0.0.1, and a DNS server responds to all requests with 10.0.0.1 to direct "any and all" request to the server. When iOS devices connect, they send a request to captive.apple.com/hotspot-detect.html; if it returns success, that means they're on the internet; if not, the typical behavior in the past has been to assume you're connected to a captive portal and display what's being served. I serve any requests to /hotspot-detect.html with my captive portal page (index.html). This has worked reliably on iOS18 for a long time (user selects my products WiFi network, iOS detects portal and opens it). But almost everyone who's now trying with iOS26 is having the "automatic pop up" behavior fail - usually it says "Error opening page - Hotspot login cannot open the page because the network connection was lost." However, if opening safari and navigating to any URL (or 10.0.0.1) the portal loads - it's just the iOS auto-detect and open that's not working iOS18 always succeeds; iOS26 always fails. Anybody have any idea what changes may have been introduced in iOS26 on this front, or anything I can do to help prompt or coax iOS26 into loading the portal? It typically starts reading, but then stops mid-read.
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Oct ’25
NWPathMonitor Reports Unexpected satisfied→unsatisfied→satisfied Sequence After WiFi Re-enablement
I am developing an iOS application using NWPathMonitor for network connectivity monitoring. We discovered a reproducible issue where disabling and re-enabling WiFi triggers an unexpected network status sequence. ENVIRONMENT: iOS Version: 17.x Device: iPhone (various models tested) Network Framework: NWPathMonitor from iOS Network framework STEPS TO REPRODUCE: Device connected to WiFi normally Disable WiFi via Settings or Control Center Re-enable WiFi via Settings or Control Center EXPECTED BEHAVIOR: WiFi reconnects and NWPathMonitor reports stable satisfied status ACTUAL BEHAVIOR: T+0s: WiFi re-enables, NWPathMonitor reports path.status = .satisfied T+8s: NWPathMonitor unexpectedly reports path.status = .unsatisfied with unsatisfiedReason = .notAvailable T+9-10s: NWPathMonitor reports path.status = .satisfied again Connection becomes stable afterward NETWORK PATH TIMELINE: T+0s: satisfied (IPv4: true, DNS: false) T+140ms: satisfied (IPv4: true, DNS: true) T+8.0s: unsatisfied (reason: notAvailable, no interfaces available) T+10.0s: satisfied (IPv4: true, DNS: true) KEY OBSERVATIONS: Timing consistency: unsatisfied event always occurs ~8 seconds after reconnection resolution: "Reset Network Settings" eliminates this behavior TECHNICAL QUESTIONS: What causes the 8-second delayed unsatisfied status after WiFi re-enablement? Is this expected behavior that applications should handle? Why does reset network setting in iPhone fix this issue?
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Jul ’25
Intercept local connections with NETransparentProxyProvider
I am trying to intercept localhost connections within NETransparentProxyProvider system extension. As per NENetworkRule documentation If the address is a wildcard address (0.0.0.0 or ::) then the rule will match all destinations except for loopback (127.0.0.1 or ::1). To match loopback traffic set the address to the loopback address. I tried to add NWHostEndpoint *localhostv4 = [NWHostEndpoint endpointWithHostname:@"127.0.0.1" port:@""]; NENetworkRule *localhostv4Rule = [[NENetworkRule alloc] initWithDestinationNetwork:localhostv4 prefix:32 protocol:NENetworkRuleProtocolAny]; in the include network rules. I tried several variations of this rule like port 0, prefix 0 and some others. But the provider disregards the rule and the never receives any traffic going to localhost on any port. Is there any other configuration required to receive localhost traffic in NETransparentProxyProvider?
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Jul ’25
Networking Resources
General: Forums subtopic: App & System Services > Networking TN3151 Choosing the right networking API Networking Overview document — Despite the fact that this is in the archive, this is still really useful. TLS for App Developers forums post Choosing a Network Debugging Tool documentation WWDC 2019 Session 712 Advances in Networking, Part 1 — This explains the concept of constrained networking, which is Apple’s preferred solution to questions like How do I check whether I’m on Wi-Fi? TN3135 Low-level networking on watchOS TN3179 Understanding local network privacy Adapt to changing network conditions tech talk Understanding Also-Ran Connections forums post Extra-ordinary Networking forums post Foundation networking: Forums tags: Foundation, CFNetwork URL Loading System documentation — NSURLSession, or URLSession in Swift, is the recommended API for HTTP[S] on Apple platforms. Moving to Fewer, Larger Transfers forums post Testing Background Session Code forums post Network framework: Forums tag: Network Network framework documentation — Network framework is the recommended API for TCP, UDP, and QUIC on Apple platforms. Building a custom peer-to-peer protocol sample code (aka TicTacToe) Implementing netcat with Network Framework sample code (aka nwcat) Configuring a Wi-Fi accessory to join a network sample code Moving from Multipeer Connectivity to Network Framework forums post NWEndpoint History and Advice forums post Wi-Fi (general): How to modernize your captive network developer news post Wi-Fi Fundamentals forums post Filing a Wi-Fi Bug Report forums post Working with a Wi-Fi Accessory forums post — This is part of the Extra-ordinary Networking series. Wi-Fi (iOS): TN3111 iOS Wi-Fi API overview technote Wi-Fi Aware framework documentation WirelessInsights framework documentation iOS Network Signal Strength forums post Network Extension Resources Wi-Fi on macOS: Forums tag: Core WLAN Core WLAN framework documentation Secure networking: Forums tags: Security Apple Platform Security support document Preventing Insecure Network Connections documentation — This is all about App Transport Security (ATS). WWDC 2017 Session 701 Your Apps and Evolving Network Security Standards [1] — This is generally interesting, but the section starting at 17:40 is, AFAIK, the best information from Apple about how certificate revocation works on modern systems. Available trusted root certificates for Apple operating systems support article Requirements for trusted certificates in iOS 13 and macOS 10.15 support article About upcoming limits on trusted certificates support article Apple’s Certificate Transparency policy support article What’s new for enterprise in iOS 18 support article — This discusses new key usage requirements. Technote 2232 HTTPS Server Trust Evaluation Technote 2326 Creating Certificates for TLS Testing QA1948 HTTPS and Test Servers Miscellaneous: More network-related forums tags: 5G, QUIC, Bonjour On FTP forums post Using the Multicast Networking Additional Capability forums post Investigating Network Latency Problems forums post Share and Enjoy — Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com" [1] This video is no longer available from Apple, but the URL should help you locate other sources of this info.
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4.2k
Mar ’26
How to develop system extension if System Integrity Protection is enabled?
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 "&lt;&lt;complete name&gt;&gt;.pkttunnel" request for replacement from 102.3.1.4 to 201.202.0.101 Packet Tunnel SystemExtension "&lt;&lt;complete name&gt;&gt;.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?
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Apr ’25
AdHoc IPA: "permission denied" when installing DNS Proxy NetworkExtension (all entitlements and profiles seem correct)
Hi all! I’m having trouble distributing an iOS app with a DNS Proxy NetworkExtension via AdHoc. The app and extension work perfectly with development profiles, but when I export and install the AdHoc IPA, I get a “permission denied” error when trying to install/enable the DNS Proxy extension. What I’ve done: Both the app and the DNS Proxy extension have their own App IDs in the Apple Developer portal. Both App IDs have the same App Group enabled: group.com.irakai.SafeLinkApp2. The extension App ID has the NetworkExtension capability with dns-proxy enabled. I created two AdHoc provisioning profiles (one for the app, one for the extension), both including the same devices and the correct entitlements. I assigned the correct AdHoc profiles to each target in Xcode and exported the IPA via Organizer. I install the IPA on a registered device using Apple Configurator. Entitlements (extracted from the signed binaries on device): App: <key>application-identifier</key><string>6PBG234246.com.irakai.SafeLinkApp2</string> <key>com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension</key><array> <string>packet-tunnel-provider</string> <string>dns-proxy</string> </array> <key>com.apple.developer.team-identifier</key><string>6PBG234246</string> <key>com.apple.security.application-groups</key><array> <string>group.com.irakai.SafeLinkApp2</string> </array> <key>get-task-allow</key><false/> DNSProxy Extension: <key>application-identifier</key><string>6PBG234246.com.irakai.SafeLinkApp2.DNSProxy</string> <key>com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension</key><array> <string>dns-proxy</string> </array> <key>com.apple.developer.team-identifier</key><string>6PBG234246</string> <key>com.apple.security.application-groups</key><array> <string>group.com.irakai.SafeLinkApp2</string> </array> <key>get-task-allow</key><false/> Error message (from my app’s logs): Error instalando DNS Proxy: permission denied Usuario: Roberto AppGroup: group.com.irakai.SafeLinkApp2 AppGroupPath: /private/var/mobile/Containers/Shared/AppGroup/D8AD2DED-AD96-4915-9B7A-648C9504679B Entitlements: BundleId: com.irakai.SafeLinkApp2 Debug info: Error Domain=NEDNSProxyErrorDomain Code=1 "permission denied" UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=permission denied} Other details: The device is included in both AdHoc profiles. The App Group is present and identical in both entitlements. The extension’s bundle identifier matches the App ID in the portal. The extension is signed with the correct AdHoc profile. I have tried rebooting the device and reinstalling the IPA. The error only occurs with AdHoc; development builds work fine. Questions: Is there anything else I should check regarding AdHoc provisioning for NetworkExtension DNS Proxy? Are there any known issues with AdHoc and NetworkExtension on recent iOS versions? Is there a way to get more detailed diagnostics from the system about why the permission is denied? Could this be a bug in iOS, or am I missing a subtle configuration step? Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
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138
Jun ’25
Content Filters on devices without family controls authorisation.
I’m working on an iOS parental-control app that needs to block specific network traffic (e.g. certain domains or URLs). We’ve already obtained the Family Controls entitlement (since our app is explicitly a parental-control solution), but we do not use MDM to supervise devices. In testing, our NEFilterDataProvider extension only activates when the device is enrolled under a managed Family Controls profile. I am aware that we can use a PacketTunnel to achieve this but i was wondering if there is any simpler solution to this? Thanks for you time!
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230
Jun ’25
iOS VPN: Loss of Internet Connectivity on iOS Device post Packet Tunnel Crashes
Title: Loss of Internet Connectivity on iOS Device When Packet Tunnel Crashes Feedback ticket: https://feedbackassistant.apple.com/feedback/14162605 Product: iPhone 12 Version: iOS - 17.5.1 Configuration: NETunnelProviderManager Configuration Description: We are developing an iOS VPN client and have configured our packet tunnel provider according to Apple's guidelines. The configuration is as follows: includeAllNetworks = YES excludeLocalNetworks = NO enforceRoutes = NO This setup works as expected when the VPN successfully connects. However, we encounter a blocker issue where the device loses internet connectivity if the packet tunnel crashes. Steps to Reproduce: Configure the NETunnelProviderManager with the above settings. Connect the VPN, which successfully establishes a connection. Verify that resources are accessible and internet connectivity is functional. Packet tunnel to crash unexpectedly.Observe that the NE process (Packet Tunnel) restarts automatically, as expected and attempts to reconnect the VPN; however, the device now lacks internet connectivity, preventing VPN reconnection. Try accessing resources using Safari or any other internet-dependent app, resulting in an error indicating the device is not connected to the internet. Actual Results: The device loses internet connectivity after the packet tunnel crashes and fails to regain it automatically, preventing the VPN from reconnecting. Expected Results: The device should maintain internet connectivity or recover connectivity to allow the VPN to reconnect successfully after the packet tunnel process restarts. Workaround - iPhone device needs a restart to regain internet connectivity .
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Apr ’25
Port 5000 blocked by ControlCenter on M4 Pro Mac (403 from browser/Postman)
I'm running a Node.js server on my MacBook with Apple M4 Pro chip, macOS Sequoia 15.4, and Node.js v23.10.0. The server starts normally on port 5000 and logs show that it's listening correctly. However, when I try to access it via browser or Postman (http://localhost:5000/api/...), I get a 403 Forbidden error. After checking with lsof -i :5000, I noticed that the ControlCenter process is listening on port 5000 under the name commplex-main. Interestingly, this doesn't happen on M3 Pro machines. On those devices, Node.js runs fine on port 5000 and can be accessed from Postman and browsers. Is port 5000 now internally reserved by macOS or used by some system-level service in Sequoia or Apple Silicon (M4 Pro)? Should I avoid using this port going forward? Any official clarification would be appreciated.
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147
Apr ’25
Enhancing NEFilterPacketProvider with Process-Level Filtering
Our application currently uses NEFilterPacketProvider to filter network traffic based on Layer 4 rules (5-tuple: source IP, destination IP, source port, destination port, and protocol) on a packet-by-packet basis. We now want to extend this filtering to also consider the associated process—for example, allowing traffic from a specific source IP to a destination IP and port only if it's associated with a specific local process. That is, we’d like to make filtering decisions not just based on the 5-tuple, but also on the identity of the process either sending or receiving the traffic. We’ve looked into NEFilterSocketProvider, which does expose Layer 7 information such as process identifiers. However, it doesn’t seem to be tightly synchronized with the packet flow handled by NEFilterPacketProvider. As a result, there’s a risk that we might only get process information after the TCP handshake is complete, or before the socket is fully bound—at which point some of the 5-tuple fields (such as the local port) may still be unavailable. What we need is a way to correlate the 5-tuple with the relevant process name (either sender or receiver) at the time the first packet—e.g., a SYN packet—is about to be sent or received. Is there a recommended way to achieve this kind of early, process-aware filtering using NetworkExtension APIs?
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109
Jun ’25
Network Extension – Delayed Startup Time
I've implemented a custom VPN system extension for macOS, utilizing Packet Tunnel Provider. One of the users reported a problem: he was connected to the VPN, and then his Mac entered sleep mode. Upon waking, the VPN is supposed to connect automatically (because of the on-demand rules). The VPN's status changed to 'connecting', but it remained stuck in this status. From my extension logs, I can see that the 'startTunnelWithOption()' function was called 2 minutes after the user clicked the 'connect' button. From the system logs, I noticed some 'suspicious' logs, but I can't be sure if they are related to the problem. Some of them are: kernel: (Sandbox) Sandbox: nesessionmanager(562) deny(1) system-fsctl (_IO "h" 47) entitlement com.apple.developer.endpoint-security.client not present or not true (I don't need this entitlement at the extension) nesessionmanager: [com.apple.networkextension:] NESMVPNSession[Primary Tunnel:XXXXXX(null)]: Skip a start command from YYYYY:session in state connecting NetworkExtension.com.***: RunningBoard doesn't recognize submitted process - treating as a anonymous process sysextd: activateDecision found existing entry of same version: state activated_enabled, ID FAE... Are any of the logs related to the above problem? How can I debug such issues? What info should I get from the user?
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Oct ’25
How to delete cookies on IOS18
Hello, I have encountered an issue with an iPhone 15PM with iOS 18.5. The NSHTTPCookieStorage failed to clear cookies, but even after clearing them, I was still able to retrieve them. However, on the same system It is normal on iPhone 14PM. I would like to know the specific reason and whether there are any adaptation related issues. Following code: NSHTTPCookie *cookie; NSHTTPCookieStorage *storage = [NSHTTPCookieStorage sharedHTTPCookieStorage]; for (cookie in [storage cookies]) { [storage deleteCookie:cookie]; }
Replies
1
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0
Views
174
Activity
May ’25
URL Filter OHTTP Gateway
Hello team, We are using below example https://github.com/apple/pir-service-example as a starting point to setup PIR server for our backend, but I am not really understanding what else we need in this example to configure OHTTP gateway. Any help will be appreciated.
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
66
Activity
2w
Bonjour Connectivity Optimization
Hi folks, I'm building an iOS companion app to a local hosted server app (hosted on 0.0.0.0). The MacOS app locally connects to this server hosted, and I took the approach of advertising the server using a Daemon and BonjourwithTXT(for port) and then net service to resolve a local name. Unfortunately if there's not enough time given after the iPhone/iPad is plugged in (usb or ethernet), the app will cycle through attempts and disconnects many times before connecting and I'm trying to find a way to only connect when a viable en interface is available. I've run into a weird thing in which the en interface only becomes seen on the NWMonitor after multiple connection attempts have been made and failed. If I screen for en before connecting it simply never appears. Is there any way to handle this such that my app can intelligently wait for an en connection before trying to connect? Attaching my code although I have tried a few other setups but none has been perfect. func startMonitoringAndBrowse() { DebugLogger.shared.append("Starting Bonjour + Ethernet monitoring") if !browserStarted { let params = NWParameters.tcp params.includePeerToPeer = false params.requiredInterfaceType = .wiredEthernet browser = NWBrowser(for: .bonjourWithTXTRecord(type: "_mytcpapp._tcp", domain: nil), using: params) browser?.stateUpdateHandler = { state in if case .ready = state { DebugLogger.shared.append("Bonjour browser ready.") } } browser?.browseResultsChangedHandler = { results, _ in self.handleBrowseResults(results) } browser?.start(queue: .main) browserStarted = true } // Start monitoring for wired ethernet monitor = NWPathMonitor() monitor?.pathUpdateHandler = { path in let hasEthernet = path.availableInterfaces.contains { $0.type == .wiredEthernet } let ethernetInUse = path.usesInterfaceType(.wiredEthernet) DebugLogger.shared.append(""" NWPathMonitor: - Status: \(path.status) - Interfaces: \(path.availableInterfaces.map { "\($0.name)[\($0.type)]" }.joined(separator: ", ")) - Wired Ethernet: \(hasEthernet), In Use: \(ethernetInUse) """) self.tryToConnectIfReady() self.stopMonitoring() } monitor?.start(queue: monitorQueue) } // MARK: - Internal Logic private func handleBrowseResults(_ results: Set&lt;NWBrowser.Result&gt;) { guard !self.isResolving, !self.hasResolvedService else { return } for result in results { guard case let .bonjour(txtRecord) = result.metadata, let portString = txtRecord["actual_port"], let actualPort = Int(portString), case let .service(name, type, domain, _) = result.endpoint else { continue } DebugLogger.shared.append("Bonjour result — port: \(actualPort)") self.resolvedPort = actualPort self.isResolving = true self.resolveWithNetService(name: name, type: type, domain: domain) break } } private func resolveWithNetService(name: String, type: String, domain: String) { let netService = NetService(domain: domain, type: type, name: name) netService.delegate = self netService.includesPeerToPeer = false netService.resolve(withTimeout: 5.0) resolvingNetService = netService DebugLogger.shared.append("Resolving NetService: \(name).\(type)\(domain)") } private func tryToConnectIfReady() { guard hasResolvedService, let host = resolvedHost, let port = resolvedPort else { return } DebugLogger.shared.append("Attempting to connect: \(host):\(port)") discoveredIP = host discoveredPort = port connectionPublisher.send(.connecting(ip: host, port: port)) stopBrowsing() socketManager.connectToServer(ip: host, port: port) hasResolvedService = false } } // MARK: - NetServiceDelegate extension BonjourManager: NetServiceDelegate { func netServiceDidResolveAddress(_ sender: NetService) { guard let hostname = sender.hostName else { DebugLogger.shared.append("Resolved service with no hostname") return } DebugLogger.shared.append("Resolved NetService hostname: \(hostname)") resolvedHost = hostname isResolving = false hasResolvedService = true tryToConnectIfReady() } func netService(_ sender: NetService, didNotResolve errorDict: [String : NSNumber]) { DebugLogger.shared.append("NetService failed to resolve: \(errorDict)") } }
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10
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300
Activity
May ’25
NETransparentProxyProvider stops intercepting flows after sleep/wake cycle on macOS intermittently
I am seeing an issue with NETransparentProxyProvider where the extension successfully transitions from sleep to wake, but stops receiving handleNewFlow(_:) calls. Only below two methods gets called, We don't apply rules in these methods: override func wake() override func sleep(completionHandler: @escaping () -> Void) This breaking complete proxy workflow as it stops intercepting traffics. We are not observing this issues always. FYI: com.apple.developer.endpoint-security.client is not present in .entitlement file. I am not sure adding this will help. Any possibilities nesessionmanager might fail to re-bind the traffic rules for this extensions? Any thing we can do to avoid this issues?
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3
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107
Activity
3w
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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1
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72
Activity
Feb ’26
test NEAppProxyProvider without MDM?
This discussion is for iOS/iPadOS. I've written an NEAppProxyProvider network extension. I'd like to test it. I thought that using the "NETestAppMapping" dictionary was a way to get there, but when I try to instantiate an NEAppProxyProviderManager to try to install stuff, the console tells me "must be MDM managed" and I get nowhere. So can someone tell me, can I at least test the idea without needing to first get MDM going? I'd like to know if how I'm approaching the core problem even makes sense. My custom application needs to stream video, via the SRT protocol, to some place like youtube or castr. The problem is that in the environment we are in (big convention centers), our devices are on a LAN, but the connection from the LAN out to the rest of the world just sucks. Surprisingly, cellular has better performance. So I am trying to do the perverse thing of forcing traffix that is NOT local to go out over cellular. And traffic that is completely local (i.e. talking to a purely local server/other devices on the LAN) happens over ethernet. [To simplify things, wifi is not connected.] Is an app proxy the right tool for this? Is there any other tool? Unfortunately, I cannot rewrite the code to force everything through Apple's Network framework, which is the one place I know we can say "use cellular." [E.g. URLSession() has absolutely no way of forcing cellular, and even so, the low level streaming library I use is written with raw sockets, and its not feasible for me to rewrite it.] Any other suggestions of how to accomplish this "send non-local traffic to cellular, all local traffic out over ethernet" gratefully welcomed!
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9
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149
Activity
3w
Symbol not found: ___res_9_state
When running my app with Xcode16.4, it crashed with the error: dyld[1045]: Symbol not found: ___res_9_state Referenced from: <8B329554-5BEF-38D0-BFCD-1731FA6120CB> /private/var/containers/Bundle/Application/00C941BA-E397-4D0B-B280-E75583FF2890/xxx.app/xxx.debug.dylib Expected in: <7D74C679-8F55-3A01-9AA2-C205A4A19D3E> /usr/lib/libresolv.9.dylib The ___res_9_state related code in my app is: let state = __res_9_state() res_9_ninit(state) var servers = [res_9_sockaddr_union](repeating: res_9_sockaddr_union(), count: Int(MAXNS)) let found = Int(res_9_getservers(state, &servers, Int32(MAXNS))) res_9_nclose(state) if found > 0 { return Array(servers[0..<found]).filter() { $0.sin.sin_len > 0 } } else { return [] } Previously, __res_9_state() could run normally in Xcode 16.1 How to fix this problem?
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2
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184
Activity
Jul ’25
iOS UDP Multicast: Receiving works but sending silently fails
Hi everyone, I’m working with UDP Multicasting on iOS (iOS 15+) using Network.framework and facing a confusing issue. Setup: Multicast IP: 239.255.0.1 Port: 45454 Using NWConnectionGroup / NWMulticastGroup NSLocalNetworkUsageDescription is present in Info.plist Devices are on the same Wi-Fi network Problem: Receiving multicast packets works perfectly Sending multicast packets does NOT work No errors are thrown send() completion handler reports success stateUpdateHandler sometimes doesn’t transition to .ready No packets are actually transmitted on the network Observations: The app can receive data from other multicast senders Sending appears to be silently blocked Reinstalling the app fixes the issue This points to a Local Network permission problem If permission was denied once, iOS does not re-prompt Inbound multicast works, outbound multicast is blocked Questions: Is it expected on iOS that receiving multicast works even when sending is blocked? Is reinstalling the app the only way to recover if Local Network permission was denied? Is there any reliable runtime way to detect that outbound multicast is blocked? Is NWConnectionGroup the correct and only supported way to send multicast on iOS? Any clarification or official guidance would really help. Thanks in advance!
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1
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141
Activity
Feb ’26
iOS26 captive portal detection changes?
Hi all, I work on a smart product that, for setup, uses a captive portal to allow users to connect and configure the device. It emits a WiFi network and runs a captive portal - an HTTP server operates at 10.0.0.1, and a DNS server responds to all requests with 10.0.0.1 to direct "any and all" request to the server. When iOS devices connect, they send a request to captive.apple.com/hotspot-detect.html; if it returns success, that means they're on the internet; if not, the typical behavior in the past has been to assume you're connected to a captive portal and display what's being served. I serve any requests to /hotspot-detect.html with my captive portal page (index.html). This has worked reliably on iOS18 for a long time (user selects my products WiFi network, iOS detects portal and opens it). But almost everyone who's now trying with iOS26 is having the "automatic pop up" behavior fail - usually it says "Error opening page - Hotspot login cannot open the page because the network connection was lost." However, if opening safari and navigating to any URL (or 10.0.0.1) the portal loads - it's just the iOS auto-detect and open that's not working iOS18 always succeeds; iOS26 always fails. Anybody have any idea what changes may have been introduced in iOS26 on this front, or anything I can do to help prompt or coax iOS26 into loading the portal? It typically starts reading, but then stops mid-read.
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0
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374
Activity
Oct ’25
Local IP address does not work with MacOS Sequoia
Hi, after upgrading to MacOS Sequoia, my connection to my local IP address does not work. The issue is with the PF (MacOS advanced firewall), as I confirmed that my local application works disabling it temporarily. Does anyone know how can I do to solve this problem? As APP developer, this is a big problem for me. Thanks in advance.
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4
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263
Activity
Sep ’25
NWPathMonitor Reports Unexpected satisfied→unsatisfied→satisfied Sequence After WiFi Re-enablement
I am developing an iOS application using NWPathMonitor for network connectivity monitoring. We discovered a reproducible issue where disabling and re-enabling WiFi triggers an unexpected network status sequence. ENVIRONMENT: iOS Version: 17.x Device: iPhone (various models tested) Network Framework: NWPathMonitor from iOS Network framework STEPS TO REPRODUCE: Device connected to WiFi normally Disable WiFi via Settings or Control Center Re-enable WiFi via Settings or Control Center EXPECTED BEHAVIOR: WiFi reconnects and NWPathMonitor reports stable satisfied status ACTUAL BEHAVIOR: T+0s: WiFi re-enables, NWPathMonitor reports path.status = .satisfied T+8s: NWPathMonitor unexpectedly reports path.status = .unsatisfied with unsatisfiedReason = .notAvailable T+9-10s: NWPathMonitor reports path.status = .satisfied again Connection becomes stable afterward NETWORK PATH TIMELINE: T+0s: satisfied (IPv4: true, DNS: false) T+140ms: satisfied (IPv4: true, DNS: true) T+8.0s: unsatisfied (reason: notAvailable, no interfaces available) T+10.0s: satisfied (IPv4: true, DNS: true) KEY OBSERVATIONS: Timing consistency: unsatisfied event always occurs ~8 seconds after reconnection resolution: "Reset Network Settings" eliminates this behavior TECHNICAL QUESTIONS: What causes the 8-second delayed unsatisfied status after WiFi re-enablement? Is this expected behavior that applications should handle? Why does reset network setting in iPhone fix this issue?
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118
Activity
Jul ’25
Intercept local connections with NETransparentProxyProvider
I am trying to intercept localhost connections within NETransparentProxyProvider system extension. As per NENetworkRule documentation If the address is a wildcard address (0.0.0.0 or ::) then the rule will match all destinations except for loopback (127.0.0.1 or ::1). To match loopback traffic set the address to the loopback address. I tried to add NWHostEndpoint *localhostv4 = [NWHostEndpoint endpointWithHostname:@"127.0.0.1" port:@""]; NENetworkRule *localhostv4Rule = [[NENetworkRule alloc] initWithDestinationNetwork:localhostv4 prefix:32 protocol:NENetworkRuleProtocolAny]; in the include network rules. I tried several variations of this rule like port 0, prefix 0 and some others. But the provider disregards the rule and the never receives any traffic going to localhost on any port. Is there any other configuration required to receive localhost traffic in NETransparentProxyProvider?
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182
Activity
Jul ’25
Networking Resources
General: Forums subtopic: App & System Services > Networking TN3151 Choosing the right networking API Networking Overview document — Despite the fact that this is in the archive, this is still really useful. TLS for App Developers forums post Choosing a Network Debugging Tool documentation WWDC 2019 Session 712 Advances in Networking, Part 1 — This explains the concept of constrained networking, which is Apple’s preferred solution to questions like How do I check whether I’m on Wi-Fi? TN3135 Low-level networking on watchOS TN3179 Understanding local network privacy Adapt to changing network conditions tech talk Understanding Also-Ran Connections forums post Extra-ordinary Networking forums post Foundation networking: Forums tags: Foundation, CFNetwork URL Loading System documentation — NSURLSession, or URLSession in Swift, is the recommended API for HTTP[S] on Apple platforms. Moving to Fewer, Larger Transfers forums post Testing Background Session Code forums post Network framework: Forums tag: Network Network framework documentation — Network framework is the recommended API for TCP, UDP, and QUIC on Apple platforms. Building a custom peer-to-peer protocol sample code (aka TicTacToe) Implementing netcat with Network Framework sample code (aka nwcat) Configuring a Wi-Fi accessory to join a network sample code Moving from Multipeer Connectivity to Network Framework forums post NWEndpoint History and Advice forums post Wi-Fi (general): How to modernize your captive network developer news post Wi-Fi Fundamentals forums post Filing a Wi-Fi Bug Report forums post Working with a Wi-Fi Accessory forums post — This is part of the Extra-ordinary Networking series. Wi-Fi (iOS): TN3111 iOS Wi-Fi API overview technote Wi-Fi Aware framework documentation WirelessInsights framework documentation iOS Network Signal Strength forums post Network Extension Resources Wi-Fi on macOS: Forums tag: Core WLAN Core WLAN framework documentation Secure networking: Forums tags: Security Apple Platform Security support document Preventing Insecure Network Connections documentation — This is all about App Transport Security (ATS). WWDC 2017 Session 701 Your Apps and Evolving Network Security Standards [1] — This is generally interesting, but the section starting at 17:40 is, AFAIK, the best information from Apple about how certificate revocation works on modern systems. Available trusted root certificates for Apple operating systems support article Requirements for trusted certificates in iOS 13 and macOS 10.15 support article About upcoming limits on trusted certificates support article Apple’s Certificate Transparency policy support article What’s new for enterprise in iOS 18 support article — This discusses new key usage requirements. Technote 2232 HTTPS Server Trust Evaluation Technote 2326 Creating Certificates for TLS Testing QA1948 HTTPS and Test Servers Miscellaneous: More network-related forums tags: 5G, QUIC, Bonjour On FTP forums post Using the Multicast Networking Additional Capability forums post Investigating Network Latency Problems forums post Share and Enjoy — Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com" [1] This video is no longer available from Apple, but the URL should help you locate other sources of this info.
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4.2k
Activity
Mar ’26
How to develop system extension if System Integrity Protection is enabled?
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 "&lt;&lt;complete name&gt;&gt;.pkttunnel" request for replacement from 102.3.1.4 to 201.202.0.101 Packet Tunnel SystemExtension "&lt;&lt;complete name&gt;&gt;.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?
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155
Activity
Apr ’25
AdHoc IPA: "permission denied" when installing DNS Proxy NetworkExtension (all entitlements and profiles seem correct)
Hi all! I’m having trouble distributing an iOS app with a DNS Proxy NetworkExtension via AdHoc. The app and extension work perfectly with development profiles, but when I export and install the AdHoc IPA, I get a “permission denied” error when trying to install/enable the DNS Proxy extension. What I’ve done: Both the app and the DNS Proxy extension have their own App IDs in the Apple Developer portal. Both App IDs have the same App Group enabled: group.com.irakai.SafeLinkApp2. The extension App ID has the NetworkExtension capability with dns-proxy enabled. I created two AdHoc provisioning profiles (one for the app, one for the extension), both including the same devices and the correct entitlements. I assigned the correct AdHoc profiles to each target in Xcode and exported the IPA via Organizer. I install the IPA on a registered device using Apple Configurator. Entitlements (extracted from the signed binaries on device): App: <key>application-identifier</key><string>6PBG234246.com.irakai.SafeLinkApp2</string> <key>com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension</key><array> <string>packet-tunnel-provider</string> <string>dns-proxy</string> </array> <key>com.apple.developer.team-identifier</key><string>6PBG234246</string> <key>com.apple.security.application-groups</key><array> <string>group.com.irakai.SafeLinkApp2</string> </array> <key>get-task-allow</key><false/> DNSProxy Extension: <key>application-identifier</key><string>6PBG234246.com.irakai.SafeLinkApp2.DNSProxy</string> <key>com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension</key><array> <string>dns-proxy</string> </array> <key>com.apple.developer.team-identifier</key><string>6PBG234246</string> <key>com.apple.security.application-groups</key><array> <string>group.com.irakai.SafeLinkApp2</string> </array> <key>get-task-allow</key><false/> Error message (from my app’s logs): Error instalando DNS Proxy: permission denied Usuario: Roberto AppGroup: group.com.irakai.SafeLinkApp2 AppGroupPath: /private/var/mobile/Containers/Shared/AppGroup/D8AD2DED-AD96-4915-9B7A-648C9504679B Entitlements: BundleId: com.irakai.SafeLinkApp2 Debug info: Error Domain=NEDNSProxyErrorDomain Code=1 "permission denied" UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=permission denied} Other details: The device is included in both AdHoc profiles. The App Group is present and identical in both entitlements. The extension’s bundle identifier matches the App ID in the portal. The extension is signed with the correct AdHoc profile. I have tried rebooting the device and reinstalling the IPA. The error only occurs with AdHoc; development builds work fine. Questions: Is there anything else I should check regarding AdHoc provisioning for NetworkExtension DNS Proxy? Are there any known issues with AdHoc and NetworkExtension on recent iOS versions? Is there a way to get more detailed diagnostics from the system about why the permission is denied? Could this be a bug in iOS, or am I missing a subtle configuration step? Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
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1
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138
Activity
Jun ’25
Content Filters on devices without family controls authorisation.
I’m working on an iOS parental-control app that needs to block specific network traffic (e.g. certain domains or URLs). We’ve already obtained the Family Controls entitlement (since our app is explicitly a parental-control solution), but we do not use MDM to supervise devices. In testing, our NEFilterDataProvider extension only activates when the device is enrolled under a managed Family Controls profile. I am aware that we can use a PacketTunnel to achieve this but i was wondering if there is any simpler solution to this? Thanks for you time!
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4
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230
Activity
Jun ’25
iOS VPN: Loss of Internet Connectivity on iOS Device post Packet Tunnel Crashes
Title: Loss of Internet Connectivity on iOS Device When Packet Tunnel Crashes Feedback ticket: https://feedbackassistant.apple.com/feedback/14162605 Product: iPhone 12 Version: iOS - 17.5.1 Configuration: NETunnelProviderManager Configuration Description: We are developing an iOS VPN client and have configured our packet tunnel provider according to Apple's guidelines. The configuration is as follows: includeAllNetworks = YES excludeLocalNetworks = NO enforceRoutes = NO This setup works as expected when the VPN successfully connects. However, we encounter a blocker issue where the device loses internet connectivity if the packet tunnel crashes. Steps to Reproduce: Configure the NETunnelProviderManager with the above settings. Connect the VPN, which successfully establishes a connection. Verify that resources are accessible and internet connectivity is functional. Packet tunnel to crash unexpectedly.Observe that the NE process (Packet Tunnel) restarts automatically, as expected and attempts to reconnect the VPN; however, the device now lacks internet connectivity, preventing VPN reconnection. Try accessing resources using Safari or any other internet-dependent app, resulting in an error indicating the device is not connected to the internet. Actual Results: The device loses internet connectivity after the packet tunnel crashes and fails to regain it automatically, preventing the VPN from reconnecting. Expected Results: The device should maintain internet connectivity or recover connectivity to allow the VPN to reconnect successfully after the packet tunnel process restarts. Workaround - iPhone device needs a restart to regain internet connectivity .
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2
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663
Activity
Apr ’25
Port 5000 blocked by ControlCenter on M4 Pro Mac (403 from browser/Postman)
I'm running a Node.js server on my MacBook with Apple M4 Pro chip, macOS Sequoia 15.4, and Node.js v23.10.0. The server starts normally on port 5000 and logs show that it's listening correctly. However, when I try to access it via browser or Postman (http://localhost:5000/api/...), I get a 403 Forbidden error. After checking with lsof -i :5000, I noticed that the ControlCenter process is listening on port 5000 under the name commplex-main. Interestingly, this doesn't happen on M3 Pro machines. On those devices, Node.js runs fine on port 5000 and can be accessed from Postman and browsers. Is port 5000 now internally reserved by macOS or used by some system-level service in Sequoia or Apple Silicon (M4 Pro)? Should I avoid using this port going forward? Any official clarification would be appreciated.
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1
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147
Activity
Apr ’25
Enhancing NEFilterPacketProvider with Process-Level Filtering
Our application currently uses NEFilterPacketProvider to filter network traffic based on Layer 4 rules (5-tuple: source IP, destination IP, source port, destination port, and protocol) on a packet-by-packet basis. We now want to extend this filtering to also consider the associated process—for example, allowing traffic from a specific source IP to a destination IP and port only if it's associated with a specific local process. That is, we’d like to make filtering decisions not just based on the 5-tuple, but also on the identity of the process either sending or receiving the traffic. We’ve looked into NEFilterSocketProvider, which does expose Layer 7 information such as process identifiers. However, it doesn’t seem to be tightly synchronized with the packet flow handled by NEFilterPacketProvider. As a result, there’s a risk that we might only get process information after the TCP handshake is complete, or before the socket is fully bound—at which point some of the 5-tuple fields (such as the local port) may still be unavailable. What we need is a way to correlate the 5-tuple with the relevant process name (either sender or receiver) at the time the first packet—e.g., a SYN packet—is about to be sent or received. Is there a recommended way to achieve this kind of early, process-aware filtering using NetworkExtension APIs?
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1
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109
Activity
Jun ’25
Network Extension – Delayed Startup Time
I've implemented a custom VPN system extension for macOS, utilizing Packet Tunnel Provider. One of the users reported a problem: he was connected to the VPN, and then his Mac entered sleep mode. Upon waking, the VPN is supposed to connect automatically (because of the on-demand rules). The VPN's status changed to 'connecting', but it remained stuck in this status. From my extension logs, I can see that the 'startTunnelWithOption()' function was called 2 minutes after the user clicked the 'connect' button. From the system logs, I noticed some 'suspicious' logs, but I can't be sure if they are related to the problem. Some of them are: kernel: (Sandbox) Sandbox: nesessionmanager(562) deny(1) system-fsctl (_IO "h" 47) entitlement com.apple.developer.endpoint-security.client not present or not true (I don't need this entitlement at the extension) nesessionmanager: [com.apple.networkextension:] NESMVPNSession[Primary Tunnel:XXXXXX(null)]: Skip a start command from YYYYY:session in state connecting NetworkExtension.com.***: RunningBoard doesn't recognize submitted process - treating as a anonymous process sysextd: activateDecision found existing entry of same version: state activated_enabled, ID FAE... Are any of the logs related to the above problem? How can I debug such issues? What info should I get from the user?
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5
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313
Activity
Oct ’25