Hi guys,
I try to create a content filter app by using network extension api. When it comes to a https/tls remote endpoint, the remoteEndpoint.hostname will always be "" instead of the actual hostname. How can I extract the actual hostname?
private func filterTraffic(flow: NEFilterSocketFlow)
-> NEFilterNewFlowVerdict
{
// Default action from settings will be used if no rules match
logger.error("filter traffic...")
guard let remoteEndpoint = flow.remoteEndpoint as? NWHostEndpoint
else {
logger.error("not a NWHostEndpoint)")
return .allow()
}
logger.error("host name: \(remoteEndpoint.hostname)")
if remoteEndpoint.hostname.hasSuffix("google.com"){
logger.error("google.com")
return .drop()
}
return .allow()
}
code-block
Networking
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Could anyone teach me how to ask iOS 18 to have a prompt during set-up process of a new APP if user accidentally turns off Local Network ?
Hi, I am making a AI-Powered app that makes api requests to the openai API. However, for security, I set up a vercel backend that handles the API calls securely, while my frontend makes a call to my vercel-hosted https endpoint. Interestingly, whenever I try to make that call on my device, an iPhone, I get this error:
Task <91AE4DE0-2845-4348-89B4-D3DD1CF51B65>.<10> finished with error [-1003] Error Domain=NSURLErrorDomain Code=-1003 "A server with the specified hostname could not be found." UserInfo={_kCFStreamErrorCodeKey=-72000, NSUnderlyingError=0x1435783f0 {Error Domain=kCFErrorDomainCFNetwork Code=-1003 "(null)" UserInfo={_kCFStreamErrorDomainKey=10, _kCFStreamErrorCodeKey=-72000, _NSURLErrorNWResolutionReportKey=Resolved 0 endpoints in 3ms using unknown from query, _NSURLErrorNWPathKey=satisfied (Path is satisfied), interface: pdp_ip0[lte], ipv4, ipv6, dns, expensive, uses cell}}, _NSURLErrorFailingURLSessionTaskErrorKey=LocalDataTask <91AE4DE0-2845-4348-89B4-D3DD1CF51B65>.<10>, _NSURLErrorRelatedURLSessionTaskErrorKey=(
"LocalDataTask <91AE4DE0-2845-4348-89B4-D3DD1CF51B65>.<10>"
), NSLocalizedDescription=A server with the specified hostname could not be found., NSErrorFailingURLStringKey=https://[my endpoint], NSErrorFailingURLKey=https://[my endpoint], _kCFStreamErrorDomainKey=10}
I'm completely stuck because when I directly make https requests to other api's like openai's endpoint, without the proxy, it finds the server completely fine. Running my endpoint on terminal with curl also works as intended, as I see api key usages. But for some reason, on my project, it does not work. I've looked through almost every single post I could find online, but a lot all of the solutions are outdated and unhelpful.
I'm willing to schedule a call, meeting, whatever to resolve this issue and get help more in depth as well.
I'm currently testing URLFilter for use in a macOS product. After calling loadFromPreferences, I set the following configuration parameters:
pirServerURL = URL(string: "http://localhost:8080")!
pirAuthenticationToken = "AAAA"
controlProviderBundleIdentifier = "{extension app bundle identifier}"
However, when I call saveToPreferences, I get an Invalid Configuration error.
Is there a way to determine which parameter is invalid or incorrectly set?
Also, I would appreciate any macOS-specific examples of using NEURLFilterManager, as most of the documentation I’ve found seems to focus on iOS.
Thank you.
when i set the flag false to the usesClassicLoadingMode, then the application is getting crashed
Ex:
let config = URLSessionConfiguration.default
if #available(iOS 18.4, *) {
config.usesClassicLoadingMode = false
}
Crash log :
*** Terminating app due to uncaught exception 'NSInvalidArgumentException', reason: '-[__NSCFBoolean objectForKeyedSubscript:]: unrecognized selector sent to instance 0x1f655c390' *** First throw call stack: (0x188ae52ec 0x185f69a7c 0x188b4f67c 0x1889fcb84 0x1889fc4f0 0x191393bc8 0x1889ec8a0 0x1889ec6e4 0x191393ad0 0x191344dac 0x191344b58 0x107cfa064 0x107ce36d0 0x191343fcc 0x1891b3b18 0x1892dae58 0x189235c60 0x18921e270 0x18921d77c 0x18921a8ac 0x107ce0584 0x107cfa064 0x107ce891c 0x107ce95d8 0x107ceabcc 0x107cf5894 0x107cf4eb0 0x212f51660 0x212f4e9f8) terminating due to uncaught exception of type NSException
Hi,
I am trying to create an App which connects to a Device via Wifi and then has to do some HTTP Requests. Connecting to the Wifi is working properly but when I try to make an HTTP API Call I get the response that the Domain is unavailable (No Internet Connection). I created the App in Flutter on Android everything works perfectly. The packages are all iOS Compatible. But in Safari the URL works so it is probably a permission Issue. I have the Following permissions granted:
NSAppTransportSecurity
NSBonjourServices
NSLocalNetworkUsageDescription
I even have Multicast Networking
When I test the App I get asked to grant the access to local Network which I am granting.
I don´t know what I should do next can somebody help?
Feel free to ask for more Information
I am trying to create an application extension which provides vpn functionality over network extension with packet-tunnel. But when I enable vpn it doesn't call related callbacks.
Currently, i didn't find any example in qt documentation. So I read the documents of ios and qt and trying to find the right path.
Here is the CMakeLists.txt
add_executable(overlay-service MACOSX_BUNDLE main.cpp tunnel_provider.h tunnel_provider.mm)
set_target_properties(overlay-service PROPERTIES
MACOSX_BUNDLE_IDENTIFIER org.zenarmor.zenoverlay.network-extension
BUNDLE YES
XCODE_PRODUCT_TYPE com.apple.product-type.app-extension
# XCODE_EMBED_FRAMEWORKS /System/Library/Frameworks/NetworkExtension.framework
)
target_link_libraries(
overlay-service
PUBLIC
Qt6::CorePrivate
overlay-lib
)
tunnel_provider.h
#ifndef _TUNNEL_PROVIDER_H
#define _TUNNEL_PROVIDER_H
#import <Foundation/Foundation.h>
#import <NetworkExtension/NetworkExtension.h>
@interface ZenTunnelProvider : NEPacketTunnelProvider {
int fd;
}
- (void) startTunnelWithOptions:(NSDictionary<NSString *,NSObject *> *) options
completionHandler:(void (^)(NSError * error)) completionHandler;
- (void) stopTunnelWithReason:(NEProviderStopReason) reason
completionHandler:(void (^)()) completionHandler;
@end
#endif
tunnel_provider.mm
#import <Foundation/Foundation.h>
#import <os/log.h>
@implementation ZenTunnelProvider
- (void) startTunnelWithOptions:(NSDictionary<NSString *,NSObject *> *) options
completionHandler:(void (^)(NSError * error)) completionHandler {
NSLog(@"===================== Tunnel Started, x=%i, %@", 5, self.protocolConfiguration);
completionHandler(nil);
}
- (void) stopTunnelWithReason:(NEProviderStopReason) reason
completionHandler:(void (^)()) completionHandler{
NSLog(@"===================== Tunnel Stopped");;
completionHandler();
}
@end
How I create configuration is:
provider_protocol.providerBundleIdentifier = @"org.zenarmor.zenoverlay.packet-tunnel";
provider_protocol.serverAddress = @"0.0.0.0";
provider_protocol.providerConfiguration = @{
@"helloString" : @"Hello, World!",
@"magicNumber" : @42
};
NSLog(@"===================== Vpn configuration is written, x=%i", 5);
vpn_manager.protocolConfiguration = provider_protocol;
vpn_manager.localizedDescription = @"ZenOverlayTunnel";
vpn_manager.enabled = true;
[vpn_manager saveToPreferencesWithCompletionHandler:^(NSError * _Nullable error) {
if (error)
{
NSLog(@"err: %@", error);
}
else
{
NSLog(@"Successfully saved");
}
}];
main.cpp
#include <QCoreApplication>
#include <iostream>
int main(int argc, char **argv)
{
QCoreApplication app(argc, argv);
std::cout << "Hello world" << std::endl;
return app.exec();
}
startTunnelWithOptions is not triggered when I enable vpn from settings on IOS. Could anyone. help to identify the issue?
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
We have a setup where the system uses proxy settings configured via a PAC file. We are investigating how NWConnection behaves inside a Network Extension (NETransparentProxyProvider) with a transparent proxy configuration based on this PAC file.
Scenario:
The browser makes a connection which the PAC file resolves as "DIRECT" (bypassing the proxy)
Our Network Extension intercepts this traffic for analysis
The extension creates a new connection using NWConnection to the original remote address.
The issue: despite the PAC file’s "DIRECT" decision, NWConnection still respects the system proxy settings and routes the connection through the proxy.
Our questions:
Is it correct that NWConnection always uses the system proxy if configured ?
Does setting preferNoProxies = true guarantee bypassing the system proxy?
Additionally:
Whitelisting IPs in the Network Extension to avoid interception is not a viable solution because IPs may correspond to multiple services, and the extension only sees IP addresses, not domains (e.g., we want to skip scanning meet.google.com traffic but still scan other Google services on the same IP range).
Are there any recommended approaches or best practices to ensure that connections initiated from a Network Extension can truly bypass the proxy (for example, for specific IP ranges or domains)?
My app sent a network request to the backend. The backend returns a 200, but the front end received a -1001 or -1005 NSURLError. Any clue why this could be happening?
We are developing an iOS application with a key feature designed to enhance user safety: real-time assessment of Wi-Fi network security. The "Safe Wi-Fi" feature aims to inform users about the security level of the Wi-Fi network they are currently connected to. Our goal is to provide this information seamlessly and continuously, even when the user isn't actively using the app.
Currently, we've implemented this feature using a NWPathMonitor. The limitation of NWPathMonitor is that it doesn't function when the app is in a kill state.
We are looking for guidance on how to achieve persistent Wi-Fi security monitoring in the background or when the app is killed.
Is there any API (Public, Special API, etc) or a recommended approach that allows for real-time Wi-Fi connection monitoring (including connection changes and network details) even when the app is not actively running or is in a kill state.
Thank you in advance for your help.
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})
We are currently working on a zero-configuration networking compliant device thru avahi-daemon.
Our Device want to have multiple Instance name for different services.
Example
InstanceA._ipps._tcp.local.
InstanceA._ipp._tcp.local.
InstanceB._ipps._tcp.local.
InstanceB._ipp._tcp.local.
Will BCT confuse this as multiple device connected in the network and cause it to fail? Does Bonjour only allows only a Single Instance name with multiple services?
Hello,
I have a question about developing an iOS app for general public. Can such an app use DNS Proxy Provider?
The TN3134: Network Extension provider deployment article states that DNS Proxy Provider has the following restriction: "per-app on managed devices".
Does this imply that a DNS Proxy Provider that can be used in a regular iOS App Store app?
On the other hand, NEDNSProxyProvider only works with NEAppProxyFlow, is it possible to make it NOT per-app?
Hello, we are developing hardware that needs to connect to an iPhone via Wi-Fi to send requests to a server. On Android, we have managed to create a programmatic local hotspot within the app to facilitate connection and improve the user experience.
On iOS, however, Personal Hotspot must be manually enabled from the system settings, and the user must manually enter the SSID and password, which significantly degrades the UX.
My questions are:
Is there a workaround, unofficial method, or private API to generate a local hotspot from an app on iOS, similar to what can be done on Android?
Is there an alternative within the MFi program or through specific frameworks to facilitate a quick and automatic connection between the hardware and the iPhone without relying on the manual Personal Hotspot?
Are there any best practices for improving the local Wi-Fi connection experience between an accessory and an iPhone in the absence of hotspot controls?
I would appreciate any guidance, experience, or resources that would help me better understand the feasible options in iOS for scenarios where fast and direct communication between hardware and mobile devices via Wi-Fi is required.
Hello Apple Developer Community,
We are developing a full-tunnel VPN app for macOS that utilizes a packet tunnel network system extension (via NEPacketTunnelProvider). We're committed to using a system extension for this purpose, as it aligns with our requirements for system-wide tunneling. The app is sandboxed and intended for distribution on the Mac App Store.
Here's the workflow:
The app (running in user context) downloads a VPN profile from our server.
It generates private keys, appends them to the profile, and attempts to save this enhanced profile securely in the keychain.
The packet tunnel system extension (running in root context) needs to access this profile, including the private keys, to establish the VPN connection.
We've encountered challenges in securely sharing this data across the user-root boundary due to sandbox restrictions and keychain access limitations. Here's what we've tried so far, along with the issues:
Writing from the App to the System Keychain:
Attempted to store the profile in the system keychain for root access. This fails because the sandboxed app lacks permissions to write to the system keychain. (We're avoiding non-sandboxed approaches for App Store compliance.)
Extension Reading Directly from the User Login Keychain:
Tried having the extension access the user's login keychain by its path.
We manually added the network extension (located in /Library/SystemExtensions//bundle.systemextension) to the keychain item's Access Control List (ACL) via Keychain Access.app for testing.
This results in "item not found" errors, likely due to the root context not seamlessly accessing user-keychain items without additional setup.
Using Persistent References in NETunnelProviderProtocol:
The app stores the profile in the user keychain and saves a persistent reference (as Data) in the NETunnelProviderProtocol's identityReference or similar fields. The extension then attempts to retrieve the item using this reference.
We manually added the network extension (located in /Library/SystemExtensions//bundle.systemextension) to the keychain item's Access Control List (ACL) via Keychain Access.app for testing.
However, this leads to error -25308 (errSecInteractionNotAllowed) when the extension tries to access it, possibly because of the root-user context mismatch or interaction requirements.
Programmatically Adding the Extension to the ACL:
Explored using SecAccess and SecACL APIs to add the extension as a trusted application. This requires SecTrustedApplicationCreateFromPath to create a SecTrustedApplicationRef from the extension's path.
Issue 1: The sandboxed app can't reliably obtain the installed extension's path (e.g., via scanning /Library/SystemExtensions or systemextensionsctl), as sandbox restrictions block access.
Issue 2: SecTrustedApplicationCreateFromPath is deprecated since macOS 10.15, and we're hesitant to rely on it for future compatibility.
We've reviewed documentation on keychain sharing, access groups (including com.apple.managed.vpn.shared, but we're not using managed profiles/MDM) as the profiles are download from a server, and alternatives like XPC for on-demand communication, but we're unsure if XPC is suitable for sensitive data like private keys during tunnel creation. And if this is recommended what is going to be the approach here.
What is the recommended, modern approach for this scenario? Is there a non-deprecated way to handle ACLs or share persistent references across contexts? Should we pursue a special entitlement for a custom access group, or is there a better pattern using NetworkExtension APIs?
Any insights, code snippets, or references to similar implementations would be greatly appreciated. We're targeting macOS 15+.
Thanks in advance!
I have a question. I work for a mobile operator, and when you insert the SIM, the default APN is automatically configured. However, afterward, using the internal Device Manager platform, we send the corresponding APN of an MVNO to that MSISDN. However, the iPhone device (any model, recent iOS versions) receives the notification of the APN change, but it doesn't reflect the change in the APN settings menu. Do you know how we could make the iPhone device reflect the APN change?
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.
I'm working on enabling a content filter in my iOS app using NEFilterManager and NEFilterProviderConfiguration. The setup works perfectly in debug builds when running via Xcode, but fails on TestFlight builds with the following error:
**Failed to save filter settings: permission denied
**
**Here is my current implementation:
**
(void)startContentFilter {
NSUserDefaults *userDefaults = [NSUserDefaults standardUserDefaults];
[userDefaults synchronize];
[[NEFilterManager sharedManager] loadFromPreferencesWithCompletionHandler:^(NSError * _Nullable error) {
dispatch_async(dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^{
if (error) {
NSLog(@"Failed to load filter: %@", error.localizedDescription);
[self showAlertWithTitle:@"Error" message:[NSString stringWithFormat:@"Failed to load content filter: %@", error.localizedDescription]];
return;
}
NEFilterProviderConfiguration *filterConfig = [[NEFilterProviderConfiguration alloc] init];
filterConfig.filterSockets = YES;
filterConfig.filterBrowsers = YES;
NEFilterManager *manager = [NEFilterManager sharedManager];
manager.providerConfiguration = filterConfig;
manager.enabled = YES;
[manager saveToPreferencesWithCompletionHandler:^(NSError * _Nullable error) {
dispatch_async(dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^{
if (error) {
NSLog(@"Failed to save filter settings: %@", error.localizedDescription);
[self showAlertWithTitle:@"Error" message:[NSString stringWithFormat:@"Failed to save filter settings: %@", error.localizedDescription]];
} else {
NSLog(@"Content filter enabled successfully!");
[self showAlertWithTitle:@"Success" message:@"Content filter enabled successfully!"];
}
});
}];
});
}];
}
**What I've tried:
**
Ensured the com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension entitlement is set in both the app and system extension.
The Network extension target includes content-filter-provider.
Tested only on physical devices.
App works in development build, but not from TestFlight.
**My questions: **
Why does saveToPreferencesWithCompletionHandler fail with “permission denied” on TestFlight?
Are there special entitlements required for using NEFilterManager in production/TestFlight builds?
Is MDM (Mobile Device Management) required to deploy apps using content filters?
Has anyone successfully implemented NEFilterProviderConfiguration in production, and if so, how?
Topic:
App & System Services
SubTopic:
Networking
Tags:
Extensions
Swift
Network Extension
Objective-C
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)
}