USBDriverKit

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Develop drivers for USB-based devices using USBDriverKit.

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[iPadOS / USBDriverKit] Communicating with RP2040: Avoiding OS preemption of standard CDC-ACM?
Hello everyone, I am currently working on an iPadOS application that requires communicating with a custom hardware board based on the Raspberry Pi RP2040 microcontroller via USB. My initial thought was to use the standard CDC-ACM (virtual serial port) profile on the RP2040. However, my understanding is that iPadOS's built-in system drivers will automatically claim any standard CDC-ACM interfaces, preempting my custom USBDriverKit driver from matching and taking control of the device. Is my assumption correct that iPadOS will strictly preempt a standard CDC-ACM device, making a custom DriverKit implementation impossible for that specific class?
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14h
ESP32 USB-C to iPhone 16 USB-C communication
Hi everyone, I am seeking clarification regarding the communication capabilities between an ESP32 microcontroller and Apple's latest devices, specifically the iPhone 16 Pro Max and iPad Pro, both equipped with USB-C ports. Background: MFi Certification: Historically, establishing communication between external devices and iOS devices required MFi (Made for iPhone/iPad) certification. But I remember this being necessary in the Lightning Cable to USB era. With the introduction of USB-C ports in recent iPhone and iPad models, there is an indication that MFi certification may no longer be necessary for certain peripherals. Perhaps I'm not confident on the terminology here: https://mfi.apple.com/en/who-should-join Project Requirements: I am working on a sensor research project that necessitates the collection of low-latency time-series data from an ESP32 microcontroller, which features a USB-C port. The data needs to be transmitted to an iPhone 16 Pro Max or iPad Pro. Bluetooth communication has proven insufficient due to its limited data transfer rates (~1.2 Mbps with L2CAP). While NEHotspot could be an alternative, it restricts the iPad's internet connectivity. Therefore, establishing a direct USB-C connection between the ESP32 and the iOS device appears to be the most viable solution. Questions: MFi Certification Necessity: Is MFi certification still required for an ESP32 microcontroller to communicate with iPhone 16 Pro Max or iPad Pro via USB-C? USB-C Communication Support: Do the iPhone 16 Pro Max and iPad Pro natively support serial communication over USB-C with microcontrollers like the ESP32? If not, are there recommended protocols or interfaces to facilitate this communication? App Development Considerations: Would developing a custom iOS application be necessary to handle data transmission from the ESP32 over USB-C? If so, are there specific APIs or frameworks provided by Apple to support this functionality? Data Transfer Rates: Considering the need for high-speed data transfer, are there any limitations or considerations regarding the data transfer rates achievable through a USB-C connection between the ESP32 and iOS devices? Thank you!
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14h
IOServiceOpen returns kIOReturnError (0xE00002BC) before NewUserClient — DEXT matches and opens pipes successfully
I'm hitting a kernel-side rejection on IOServiceOpen from a host app against my DEXT's IOUserService, before any code in my DEXT's NewUserClient runs. DEXT activation and USB matching succeed; only the user-client connection fails. What works DEXT activates and shows as [activated enabled] in systemextensionsctl list. DEXT matches IOUSBHostInterface for the target device and Start() runs to completion. Inside Start(), CopyInterface() returns successfully and CopyPipe() for the expected endpoints all succeed. Host app receives the matching notification for the DEXT's IOUserService and calls IOServiceOpen(service, mach_task_self(), 0, &connect). What fails IOServiceOpen returns kIOReturnError (0xE00002BC). My DEXT's NewUserClient override is never reached — verified by the absence of any breadcrumb log and by stepping through under lldb (no entry on the DEXT side). This reproduces both with: The original com.apple.developer.driverkit.userclient-access entitlement listing the host bundle ID. The dev fallback com.apple.developer.driverkit.allow-any-userclient-access = true on host + DEXT. (Background: the App ID portal has the bundle-ID list for userclient-access stored as a single newline-joined string instead of separate array entries — see Support Thread 822652 — so I've been using allow-any-userclient-access = true for now. The IOServiceOpen failure persists either way.) Diagnostics I can't get I'd like to confirm the kernel-side rejection reason, but DEXT os_log output is suppressed in Console and: sudo log config --process <dext-pid> --mode "level:debug" log: Unable to set mode for pid <dext-pid> I've tried by PID and by subsystem; both refuse. SIP is in its default state. Any pointer to the correct invocation (or a Configuration Profile to enable DriverKit verbose logging) would unblock me. Environment macOS 26.3.1 (build 25D2128) Xcode 26.3 (build 17C529) Host app: AppKit, sandboxed, Mac App Store distribution DEXT: matches IOUSBHostInterface on idVendor: 0x1452 (DNP) and (pending capability approval) 0x1343 (Citizen) Entitlements on host: com.apple.developer.driverkit, com.apple.developer.driverkit.userclient-access (or allow-any-userclient-access = true for dev) Entitlements on DEXT: com.apple.developer.driverkit, com.apple.developer.driverkit.transport.usb, com.apple.developer.driverkit.allow-any-userclient-access for dev Questions Is IOServiceOpen → kIOReturnError before NewUserClient always an entitlement/sandbox check failure, or are there other kernel-side reasons (matching score, IOService class hierarchy mismatch) that produce the same generic code? What's the correct way to enable DEXT os_log capture so I can see the rejection reason? Is there a known interaction between a malformed userclient-access array on the App ID (Forums Thread 822652) and the kernel's user-client authorization path that would persist even after switching to allow-any-userclient-access = true? Sample profiles, codesign output, and the exact matching dictionary available on request. Thanks.
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macOS Preview appears to hold MTP devices open indefinitely
I am developing a USB MTP device for use with macOS. When the device is connected while Preview is running, I observe the host send OpenSession, then GetDeviceInfo, and then no further MTP commands. I do not see a later CloseSession. Problem is that once this happens, exclusive access to the USB interface is retained, so another application cannot connect to the device. From the device side, there is no obvious way to recover except forcing a USB disconnect/reset or shutting down the USB interface. My questions are: Is this expected behavior for Preview, or for a Preview-related macOS helper? Is it expected on macOS that a client may open an MTP session and then leave it idle without sending CloseSession? I am mainly trying to understand whether this is expected macOS behavior, or whether this should be considered a bug.
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174
2w
HID Device Access / Mode Switch
I might be trying to achieve the impossible here, but if there's another way to go about it any advice would be appreciated. I've got an older Linux application that reflashes firmware on a connected USB HID device that I'm trying to port to macOS. Essentially the device starts as an HID interface (0x03/0x01/0x01) but to update firmware receives a simple control payload and then restarts and connects as a different (non-HID) device. However I can't open the HID device at all, I'm guessing this is some sort of permission error (SIP?). AppleUSBHostUserClient::openGated: failed to open IOUSBHostDevice... provider is already opened for exclusive access by AppleUSB20Hub hid_open_path: failed to open IOHIDDevice from mach entry: (0xE00002E2) not permitted AppleUSBXHCICommandRing::setAddress: completed with result code 4 AppleUSBHostPort::createDevice: failed to create device (0xe00002bc) AppleUSBIORequest ... transaction error ... 0xe00002ed Is there any way at all to do this on macOS? Interestingly if you run a Windows VM in VMWare or similar and connect the device to that VM it works, so there's obviously some way but I'd like to create a simple standalone tool.
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3w
Driverkit driver hangs on macOS
Hello, I have crated a DriverKit driver for macOS and iPad M-series if I ever get the mac driver working. I have the correct entittlements, and matching provisioning profile downloaded manually. The driver loads (no errors!), and is visible in ioreg below the usb device (when plugged). The issue is that I never get any log from the driver, have reduced to minimal working code (below). When I debug with lldb, I load the symbols for my driver and break on init and Start - but lldb never triggers == never calls start or init. This is also why no logs. When I unplug the device, the driver process (ps aux) keeps running, causes a hard crash of the Mac with dext remove/or kill driver.dext process. I have asked Claude - but its just running in circles: check Info.plist=ok, check entitlements=ok, check code (minimal)=ok, check iig=ok, check provisioning profile=ok, check build settings=ok, check ioreg=ok, check code signature=ok, start over I don't get any log from my driver, which is consistent with init() not being called. All logs from kernel & friends (AMFI) do show the driver loading - no errors. Any tips appreciated! // USBDriver.iig #ifndef USBDriver_h #define USBDriver_h #include <USBDriverKit/IOUSBHostInterface.iig> class USBDriver: public IOService { public: virtual bool init() override; virtual void free() override; virtual kern_return_t Start(IOService * provider) override; virtual kern_return_t Stop(IOService * provider) override; }; // USBDriver.cpp #include <os/log.h> #include <DriverKit/DriverKit.h> #include "USBDriver.h" bool USBDriver::init() { if (!super::init()) return false; os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "terminal.driver: init()"); return true; } kern_return_t IMPL(USBDriver, Start) { os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "terminal.driver: Start()"); kern_return_t ret = super::Start(provider); if (ret != kIOReturnSuccess) { os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "terminal.driver: super::Start failed: 0x%08x", ret); return ret; } os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "terminal.driver: Start() success"); return super::Start(provider); } kern_return_t IMPL(USBDriver, Stop) { os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "terminal.driver: Stop()"); return super::Stop(provider); } void USBDriver::free() { os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "terminal.driver: free()"); super::free(); }
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248
3w
Can a third-party DriverKit HID dext seize raw HID reports from an external mouse via a top case–related path?
We are trying to determine whether a third-party DriverKit HID dext can seize or intercept raw HID input reports from an external mouse through any top case–related path in the HID stack. Our dext is based on IOUserHIDEventDriver, and the goal is to receive raw input reports before they are translated into higher-level pointer events. Apple’s public HIDDriverKit documentation describes IOUserHIDEventDriver as the driver object responsible for dispatching pointer, digitizer, scrolling, and related HID-originated events, but it is not clear to us whether any “top case” path is actually exposed or supported for third-party matching in DriverKit. What we want to clarify is specifically about external mouse devices, not the built-in trackpad itself. Questions: Is there any officially supported way for a third-party DriverKit HID dext to bind through a top case–related path and receive raw HID input reports from an external mouse? Is “top case” something that third-party DriverKit drivers can meaningfully target for matching/attachment, or is it only an internal Apple implementation detail? If such a path exists, can it be used to seize raw reports before they are converted into higher-level pointer events? If not, what is the officially supported boundary for third-party DriverKit access to raw reports from external mouse-class HID devices? To be clear, we are not asking about synthesizing pointer events. We are asking whether a third-party DriverKit dext can directly observe or seize the original HID input reports from an external mouse by attaching through any top case–related portion of the HID stack. If “top case” is not a public DriverKit concept that third parties can target, confirmation of that would also be very helpful.
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175
Mar ’26
Driver Activation failure error code 9. Maybe Entitlements? Please help
This is my first driver and I have had the devil of a time trying to find any information to help me with this. I beg help with this, since I cannot find any tutorials that will get me over this problem. I am attempting to write a bridging driver for an older UPS that only communicates via RPC-over-USB rather than the HID Power Device class the OS requires. I have written the basic framework for the driver (details below) and am calling OSSystemExtensionRequest.submitRequest with a request object created by OSSystemExtensionRequest.activationRequest, but the didFailWithError callback is called with OSSystemExtensionErrorDomain of a value of 9, which appears to be a general failure to activate the driver. I can find no other information on how to address this issue, but I presume the issue is one of entitlements in either the entitlements file or Info.plist. I will have more code-based details below. For testing context, I am testing this on a 2021 iMac (M1) running Sequoia 15.7, and this iMac is on MDM, specifically Jamf. I have disabled SIP and set systemextensionsctl developer on, per the instructions here, and I have compiled and am attempting to debug the app using xcode 26.2. The driver itself targets DriverKit 25, as 26 does not appear to be available in xcode despite hints on google that it's out. For the software, I have a two-target structure in my xcode project, the main Manager app, which is a swift-ui app that both handles installation/activation of the driver and (if that finally manages to work) handles communication from the driver via its UserClient, and the driver which compiles as a dext. Both apps compile and use automated signing attached to our Apple Development team. I won't delve into the Manager app much, as it runs even though activation fails, except to include its entitlements file in case it proves relevant <dict> <key>com.apple.developer.driverkit.communicates-with-drivers</key> <true/> <key>com.apple.developer.system-extension.install</key> <true/> <key>com.apple.security.app-sandbox</key> <true/> <key>com.apple.security.files.user-selected.read-only</key> <true/> </dict> and the relevant activation code: func request(_ request: OSSystemExtensionRequest, didFailWithError error: any Error) { // handling the error, which is always code value 9 } func activateDriver() { let request = OSSystemExtensionRequest.activationRequest(forExtensionWithIdentifier: "com.mycompany.driver.bundle.identifier", queue: .main) request.delegate = self OSSystemExtensionManager.shared.submitRequest(request) //... } And finally the Manager app has the following capabilities requested for its matching identifier in our Apple Developer Account: DriverKit Communicates with Drivers System Extension On the Driver side, I have two major pieces, the main driver class MyDriver, and UserClient class, StatusUserClient. MyDriver derives from IDriverKit/IOService.iig but (in case this is somehow important) does not have the same name as the project/target name MyBatteryDriver. StatusUserClient derives from DriverKit/IOUserClient.iig. I have os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "trace messages") code in every method of both classes, including the initializers and Start implementations, and the log entries never seem to show up in Console, so I presume that means the OS never tried to load the driver. Unless I'm looking in the wrong place? Because I don't think the driver code is the current issue, I won't go into it unless it becomes necessary. As I mentioned above, I think this is a code signing / entitlements issue, but I don't know how to resolve it. In our Apple Developer account, the Driver's matching identifier has the following capabilities requested: DriverKit (development) DriverKit Allow Any UserClient (development) DriverKit Family HID Device (development) -- NOTE: this is planned for future use, but not yet implemented by my driver code. Could that be part of the problem? DriverKit Transport HID (development) DriverKit USB Transport (development) DriverKit USB Transport - VendorID -- submitted, no response from Apple yet HID Virtual Device -- submitted, no response from Apple. yet. This is vestigial from an early plan to build the bridge via shared memory funneling to a virtual HID device. I think I've found a way to do it with one Service, but... not sure yet. Still, that's a problem for tomorrow. Apparently I've gone over the 7000 character maximum so I will add my entitlements and info.plist contents in a reply.
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518
Mar ’26
Can't enable an iOS Driverkit driver when using an older app ID
Hi there, We've discovered a problem with our iOS app. We've been attempting to add a Driverkit driver to it, but any time we run the app through Testflight, the driver installs fine, but when we go to enable the driver toggle in the app's settings, the toggle stays on, but in the device logs I can see: could not insert bundle at <private> into manager: <private> As you would expect - this means the driver is not actually enabled and does not respond to a device being connected to the iPad. This does not happen when building & running the app locally, nor does it happen when installing an Ad Hoc build. We also have a different app, not yet shipped. We are able to add the driver to that app without issue. It works after going through Testflight. What we have discovered now is that everything works fine even if we just create an entirely new app with it's own bundle IDs. I should point out that in all cases, we're keeping the capabilities the same for each of these apps/IDs - including the managed capabilities. The bundle IDs that have this problem are older (5 years old or more). It seems like any newer ID will work, but trying to add the driver (and the associated managed capabilities) to an older app/ID results in this vague error message, with no further details. If we inspect the resulting dexts, we can also see that the "Internal requirements code size" is different on the ones that fail. The failing ones have a size of 204 bytes, whereas the working ones all have a size of 220 bytes. Not sure if that's related but it's strikingly consistent. Does this mean there is an issue with older app IDs, and we need Apple to manually refresh them in some way before the driverkit capabilities will work after going through Testflight? We have two apps in this state, both are of the same vintage (~5 years+). We've been battling this issue for months on and off, so would appreciate some help.
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735
Mar ’26
Can't get USBSerialDriverKit driver loaded
I am writing a DriverKit driver for the first that uses the USBSerialDriverKit. The driver its purpose is to expose the device as serial interface (/dev/cu.tetra-pei0 or something like this). My problem: I don't see any logs from that driver in the console and I tried like 40 different approaches and checked everything. The last message I see is that the driver get successfully added to the system it is in the list of active and enabled system driver extensions but when I plug the device in none of my logs appear and it doesn't show up in ioreg. So without my driver the target device looks like this: +-o TETRA PEI interface@02120000 <class IOUSBHostDevice, id 0x10000297d, registered, matched, active, busy 0 (13 ms), retain 30> | { | "sessionID" = 268696051410 | "USBSpeed" = 3 | "UsbLinkSpeed" = 480000000 | "idProduct" = 36886 | "iManufacturer" = 1 | "bDeviceClass" = 0 | "IOPowerManagement" = {"PowerOverrideOn"=Yes,"DevicePowerState"=2,"CurrentPowerState"=2,"CapabilityFlags"=32768,"MaxPowerState"=2,"DriverPowerState"=0} | "bcdDevice" = 9238 | "bMaxPacketSize0" = 64 | "iProduct" = 2 | "iSerialNumber" = 0 | "bNumConfigurations" = 1 | "UsbDeviceSignature" = <ad0c16901624000000ff0000> | "USB Product Name" = "TETRA PEI interface" | "locationID" = 34734080 | "bDeviceSubClass" = 0 | "bcdUSB" = 512 | "USB Address" = 6 | "kUSBCurrentConfiguration" = 1 | "IOCFPlugInTypes" = {"9dc7b780-9ec0-11d4-a54f-000a27052861"="IOUSBHostFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/IOUSBLib.bundle"} | "UsbPowerSinkAllocation" = 500 | "bDeviceProtocol" = 0 | "USBPortType" = 0 | "IOServiceDEXTEntitlements" = (("com.apple.developer.driverkit.transport.usb")) | "USB Vendor Name" = "Motorola Solutions, Inc." | "Device Speed" = 2 | "idVendor" = 3245 | "kUSBProductString" = "TETRA PEI interface" | "kUSBAddress" = 6 | "kUSBVendorString" = "Motorola Solutions, Inc." | } | +-o AppleUSBHostCompositeDevice <class AppleUSBHostCompositeDevice, id 0x100002982, !registered, !matched, active, busy 0, retain 5> | { | "IOProbeScore" = 50000 | "CFBundleIdentifier" = "com.apple.driver.usb.AppleUSBHostCompositeDevice" | "IOProviderClass" = "IOUSBHostDevice" | "IOClass" = "AppleUSBHostCompositeDevice" | "IOPersonalityPublisher" = "com.apple.driver.usb.AppleUSBHostCompositeDevice" | "bDeviceSubClass" = 0 | "CFBundleIdentifierKernel" = "com.apple.driver.usb.AppleUSBHostCompositeDevice" | "IOMatchedAtBoot" = Yes | "IOMatchCategory" = "IODefaultMatchCategory" | "IOPrimaryDriverTerminateOptions" = Yes | "bDeviceClass" = 0 | } | +-o lghub_agent <class AppleUSBHostDeviceUserClient, id 0x100002983, !registered, !matched, active, busy 0, retain 7> | { | "IOUserClientCreator" = "pid 1438, lghub_agent" | "IOUserClientDefaultLocking" = Yes | } | +-o IOUSBHostInterface@0 <class IOUSBHostInterface, id 0x100002986, registered, matched, active, busy 0 (5 ms), retain 9> | | { | | "USBPortType" = 0 | | "IOCFPlugInTypes" = {"2d9786c6-9ef3-11d4-ad51-000a27052861"="IOUSBHostFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/IOUSBLib.bundle"} | | "USB Vendor Name" = "Motorola Solutions, Inc." | | "bcdDevice" = 9238 | | "USBSpeed" = 3 | | "idProduct" = 36886 | | "IOServiceDEXTEntitlements" = (("com.apple.developer.driverkit.transport.usb")) | | "bInterfaceSubClass" = 0 | | "bConfigurationValue" = 1 | | "locationID" = 34734080 | | "USB Product Name" = "TETRA PEI interface" | | "bInterfaceProtocol" = 0 | | "iInterface" = 0 | | "bAlternateSetting" = 0 | | "idVendor" = 3245 | | "bInterfaceNumber" = 0 | | "bInterfaceClass" = 255 | | "bNumEndpoints" = 2 | | } | | | +-o lghub_agent <class AppleUSBHostInterfaceUserClient, id 0x100002988, !registered, !matched, active, busy 0, retain 6> | { | "UsbUserClientBufferStatistics" = {"IOMemoryDescriptor"=0,"IOBufferMemoryDescriptor"=0,"IOSubMemoryDescriptor"=0} | "IOUserClientCreator" = "pid 1438, lghub_agent" | "UsbUserClientBufferAllocations" = {"Bytes"=0,"Descriptors"=0} | "IOUserClientDefaultLocking" = Yes | } | +-o IOUSBHostInterface@1 <class IOUSBHostInterface, id 0x100002987, registered, matched, active, busy 0 (5 ms), retain 9> | { | "USBPortType" = 0 | "IOCFPlugInTypes" = {"2d9786c6-9ef3-11d4-ad51-000a27052861"="IOUSBHostFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/IOUSBLib.bundle"} | "USB Vendor Name" = "Motorola Solutions, Inc." | "bcdDevice" = 9238 | "USBSpeed" = 3 | "idProduct" = 36886 | "IOServiceDEXTEntitlements" = (("com.apple.developer.driverkit.transport.usb")) | "bInterfaceSubClass" = 0 | "bConfigurationValue" = 1 | "locationID" = 34734080 | "USB Product Name" = "TETRA PEI interface" | "bInterfaceProtocol" = 0 | "iInterface" = 0 | "bAlternateSetting" = 0 | "idVendor" = 3245 | "bInterfaceNumber" = 1 | "bInterfaceClass" = 255 | "bNumEndpoints" = 2 | } | +-o lghub_agent <class AppleUSBHostInterfaceUserClient, id 0x10000298a, !registered, !matched, active, busy 0, retain 6> { "UsbUserClientBufferStatistics" = {"IOMemoryDescriptor"=0,"IOBufferMemoryDescriptor"=0,"IOSubMemoryDescriptor"=0} "IOUserClientCreator" = "pid 1438, lghub_agent" "UsbUserClientBufferAllocations" = {"Bytes"=0,"Descriptors"=0} "IOUserClientDefaultLocking" = Yes } more details in my comment.
6
0
439
Mar ’26
DriverKit - IOUSBHostDevice::SetProperties
I am trying to add a few properties to an IOUSBHostDevice but the SetProperties is returning kIOReturnUnsupported. The reason I am trying to modify the IOUSBHostDevice's properties is so we can support a MacBook Air SuperDrive when it is attached to our docking station devices. The MacBook Air SuperDrive needs a high powered port to run and this driver will help the OS realize that our dock can support it. I see that the documentation for SetProperties says: The default implementation of this method returns kIOReturnUnsupported. You can override this method and use it to modify the set of properties and values as needed. The changes you make apply only to the current service. Do I need to override IOUSBHostDevice? This is my current Start implementation (you can also see if in the Xcode project): kern_return_t IMPL(MyUserUSBHostDriver, Start) { kern_return_t ret = kIOReturnSuccess; OSDictionary * prop = NULL; OSDictionary * mergeProperties = NULL; bool success = true; os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "&gt; %s", __FUNCTION__); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "%s:%d", __FUNCTION__, __LINE__); ret = Start(provider, SUPERDISPATCH); __Require(kIOReturnSuccess == ret, Exit); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "%s:%d", __FUNCTION__, __LINE__); ivars-&gt;host = OSDynamicCast(IOUSBHostDevice, provider); __Require_Action(NULL != ivars-&gt;host, Exit, ret = kIOReturnNoDevice); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "%s:%d", __FUNCTION__, __LINE__); ret = ivars-&gt;host-&gt;Open(this, 0, 0); __Require(kIOReturnSuccess == ret, Exit); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "%s:%d", __FUNCTION__, __LINE__); ret = CopyProperties(&amp;prop); __Require(kIOReturnSuccess == ret, Exit); __Require_Action(NULL != prop, Exit, ret = kIOReturnError); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "%s:%d", __FUNCTION__, __LINE__); mergeProperties = OSDynamicCast(OSDictionary, prop-&gt;getObject("IOProviderMergeProperties")); mergeProperties-&gt;retain(); __Require_Action(NULL != mergeProperties, Exit, ret = kIOReturnError); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "%s:%d", __FUNCTION__, __LINE__); OSSafeReleaseNULL(prop); ret = ivars-&gt;host-&gt;CopyProperties(&amp;prop); __Require(kIOReturnSuccess == ret, Exit); __Require_Action(NULL != prop, Exit, ret = kIOReturnError); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "%s:%d", __FUNCTION__, __LINE__); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "%s : %s", "USB Product Name", ((OSString *) prop-&gt;getObject("USB Product Name"))-&gt;getCStringNoCopy()); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "%s : %s", "USB Vendor Name", ((OSString *) prop-&gt;getObject("USB Vendor Name"))-&gt;getCStringNoCopy()); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "%s:%d", __FUNCTION__, __LINE__); success = prop-&gt;merge(mergeProperties); __Require_Action(success, Exit, ret = kIOReturnError); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "%s:%d", __FUNCTION__, __LINE__); ret = ivars-&gt;host-&gt;SetProperties(prop); // this is no working __Require(kIOReturnSuccess == ret, Exit); Exit: OSSafeReleaseNULL(mergeProperties); OSSafeReleaseNULL(prop); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "err ref %d", kIOReturnUnsupported); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "&lt; %s %d", __FUNCTION__, ret); return ret; }
2
0
1.4k
Jan ’26
DriverKit Dext fails to load with "Exec format error" (POSIX 8) on macOS 26.2 (Apple Silicon) when SIP is enabled
1. 环境描述 (Environment) OS: macOS 26.2 Hardware: Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3) DriverKit SDK: DriverKit 19.0 / 20.0 Arch: Universal (x86_64, arm64, arm64e) SIP Status: Enabled (Works perfectly when Disabled) 2. 问题现象 (Problem Description) 在开启 SIP 的环境下,USB 驱动扩展(Dext)能安装,但插入设备时无法连接设备(驱动的Start方法未被调用)。 驱动状态: MacBook-Pro ~ % systemextensionsctl list 1 extension(s) --- com.apple.system_extension.driver_extension (Go to 'System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions > Driver Extensions' to modify these system extension(s)) enabled active teamID bundleID (version) name [state] * * JK9U78YRLU com.ronganchina.usbapp.MyUserUSBInterfaceDriver (1.3/4) com.ronganchina.usbapp.MyUserUSBInterfaceDriver [activated enabled] 关键日志证据 (Key Logs) KernelManagerd: Error Domain=NSPOSIXErrorDomain Code=8 "Exec format error" Syspolicyd: failed to fetch ... /_CodeSignature/CodeRequirements-1 error=-10 AppleSystemPolicy: ASP: Security policy would not allow process DriverKit Kernel: DK: MyUserUSBInterfaceDriver user server timeout dext的 embedded.provisionprofile 已包含: com.apple.developer.driverkit com.apple.developer.driverkit.transport.usb (idVendor: 11977)
2
0
441
Jan ’26
Assistance Needed: Accessing Smartcard Certificates for Document Signing on iOS
We are preparing to implement document signing using USB tokens on iOS and macOS. Several other applications already support this feature. From my testing and development efforts, I've been unable to reliably access or utilize certificates stored on a smartcard through the iOS APIs. Here are the specifics: Environment iOS: 15 and later Xcode: Versions 18 and 26 Smartcard/Token: ePass 2003 (eMudhra), Feitien token (Capricorn) Observed Issue : The token is recognized at the system level, with certificates visible in Keychain Access. However, programmatic access to the private keys on the smartcard from within the app is not working. Signing attempts result in Error 6985 and CACC errors. Approaches Tried: Updated provisioning profiles with the following entitlements: com.apple.developer.smartcard com.apple.security.device.usb TKSmartCard Employed TKSmartCard and TKSmartCardSession for interaction. The token is detected successfully. A session can be established, but there's no straightforward method to leverage it for certificate-based signing. Access to signing functions is unavailable; operations yield Error 6985 or CACC errors. if let smartCard = TKSmartCard(slot: someSlot) { smartCard.openSession { session, error in if let session = session { let command: [UInt8] = [0x00, 0xA4, 0x04, 0x00] session.transmit(Data(command)) { response, error in print("Response: \(String(describing: response))") print("Error: \(String(describing: error))") } } } } TokenKit (macOS/iOS) - Utilized TKTokenWatcher to identify available tokens on macOS (not available on iOS). watcher.setInsertionHandler { tokenID in print("Token detected: \(tokenID)") } CryptoKit / Security Framework - Attempted to retrieve SecCertificate using SecItemCopyMatching queries, which succeeded on macOS but failed on iOS. let query: [CFString: Any] = [ kSecClass: kSecClassCertificate, kSecReturnRef: true, kSecMatchLimit: kSecMatchLimitAll ] var items: CFTypeRef? let status = SecItemCopyMatching(query as CFDictionary, &items) print("Status: \(status)") // macOS succeeds, iOS fails ExternalAccessory Framework (EAAccessory) * Investigated using EAAccessory and EASession for external token communication, but it did not function as expected. This functionality is critical for my project. Has anyone successfully implemented smartcard-based signing on iOS? Any guidance, sample code, or references to relevant Apple documentation would be greatly appreciated.
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384
Nov ’25
FTDI USB-serial driver on iPadOS
Hello, We have developed a hardware product that embeds an FTDI USB-serial converter, and an application on MacOS that communicates with this device. We would like to port our application to iPadOS. I can see that when I plug the device into the iPad, it is recognized as a serial port, based on its console logs. When I attempt to enumerate serial ports on iPadOS using IOKit, I can see matching IOSerialBSDClient services, but the properties are sandboxed, including the IOCalloutDevice property, for example: 0 error 16:36:10.922450-0700 kernel Sandbox: ***(662) deny(1) iokit-get-properties iokit-class:IOUserSerial property:IOTTYSuffix Is there an entitlement that can be applied that allows access to the serial port properties of an attached USB device? Or do I need to implement my own USBDriverKit driver for this device, as seems to be implied in these forum threads: https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/795202 https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/655527
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541
Oct ’25
limitations of UserSendCDB in SCSIPeripheralsDriverKit?
I've made a dext and a user client that overrides IOUserSCSIPeripheralDeviceType00, with the object of writing device firmware to the driver. I can gain and relinquish exclusive access to the device, I can call UserReportMediumBlockSize and get back a sensible answer (512). I can build command parameters with the INQUIRY macro from IOUserSCSIPeripheralDeviceHelper.h and send that command successfully using UserSendCB, and I receive sensible-looking Inquiry data from the device. However, what I really want to do is send a WriteBuffer command (opcode 0x3B), and that doesn't work. I have yet to put a bus analyzer on it, but I don't think the command goes out on the bus - there's no valid sense data, and the error returned is 0xe00002bc, or kIOReturnError, which isn't helpful. This is the code I have which doesn't work. kern_return_t driver::writeChunk(const char * buf, size_t atOffset, size_t length, bool lastOne) { DebugMsg("writeChunk %p at %ld for %ld", buf, atOffset, length); SCSIType00OutParameters outParameters; SCSIType00InParameters response; memset(&outParameters, 0, sizeof(outParameters)); memset(&response, 0, sizeof(response)); SetCommandCDB(&outParameters.fCommandDescriptorBlock, 0x3B, // byte 0, opcode WriteBuffer command lastOne ? 0x0E : 0x0F, // byte 1 mode: E=save deferred, F = download and defer save 0, // byte 2 bufferID (atOffset >> 16), // byte 3 (atOffset >> 8), // byte 4 atOffset, // byte 5 (length >> 16), // byte 6 (length >> 8), // byte 7 length, // byte 8 0, // control, byte 9 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0); // bytes 10..15 outParameters.fLogicalUnitNumber = 0; outParameters.fBufferDirection = kIOMemoryDirectionOut; outParameters.fDataTransferDirection = kSCSIDataTransfer_FromInitiatorToTarget; outParameters.fTimeoutDuration = 1000; // milliseconds outParameters.fRequestedByteCountOfTransfer = length; outParameters.fDataBufferAddr = reinterpret_cast<uint64_t>(buf); uint8_t senseBuffer[255] = {0}; outParameters.fSenseBufferAddr = reinterpret_cast<uint64_t>(senseBuffer); outParameters.fSenseLengthRequested = sizeof(senseBuffer); kern_return_t retVal = UserSendCDB(outParameters, &response); return retVal; }
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530
Sep ’25
Blocking USB Devices on macOS – DriverKit or Other Recommended Approach
Hi Apple, We are working on a general USB device management solution on macOS for enterprise security. Our goal is to enforce policy-based restrictions on USB devices, such as: For USB storage devices: block mount, read, or write access. For other peripherals (e.g., USB headsets or microphones, raspberry pi, etc): block usage entirely. We know in past, kernel extension would be the way to go, but as kext has been deprecated. And DriverKit is the new advertised framework. At first, DriverKit looked like the right direction. However, after reviewing the documentation more closely, we noticed that using DriverKit for USB requires specific entitlements: DriverKit USB Transport – VendorID DriverKit USB Transport – VendorID and ProductID This raises a challenge: if our solution is meant to cover all types of USB devices, we would theoretically need entitlements for every VendorID/ProductID in existence. My questions are: Is DriverKit actually the right framework for this kind of general-purpose USB device control? If not, what framework or mechanism should we be looking at for enforcing these kinds of policies? We also developed an Endpoint Security product, but so far we haven’t found a relevant Endpoint Security event type that would allow us to achieve this. Any guidance on the correct technical approach would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance for your help.
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348
Sep ’25
IOS alternatives to DriverKit
Hi, We were planning on using DriverKit to develop a USB Driver on IOS for iPhone. Within the DriverKit website, it say 'IOS16.0+' which lead us to believe it was compatible with iPhones running IOS16.0+. However, it appears DriverKit is only available for iPads running iPadOS, and computers running macOS. Are there any alternatives that would allow us to create a device specific USB driver for an iPhone running IOS?
1
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271
Sep ’25
driverkit.transport.usb
I’m creating my first DriverKit extension and I ran into an entitlement issue when trying to load my driver. Error 0x0 8397 7 taskgated-helper: (ConfigurationProfiles) [com.apple.ManagedClient:ProvisioningProfiles] App.Dext: Unsatisfied entitlements: com.apple.developer.driverkit.transport.usb I have already registered the entitlement com.apple.developer.driverkit.transport.usb with my vendor ID in the Apple Developer portal. However, when I download the provisioning profile, it doesn’t include the idVendor value. Screenshot from the developer portal (provisioning profile without idVendor) ? <key>com.apple.developer.driverkit.transport.usb</key> <array> <dict> <key>idVendor</key> <integer>1356</integer> </dict> </array> -Is this error caused by me registering the vendor ID incorrectly? -Or is there an issue with how the entitlement is reflected in the provisioning profile? Any guidance would be appreciated.
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259
Aug ’25
Unable to localize driver name or description
I am trying to localize the CFBundleDisplayName and OSBundleUsageDescription of a driver that is part of an app. I am able to use InfoPlist.strings files to localize the Bundle display name for the app, but when I try to use the same file as part of the driver, the name displayed in settings for the app does not change correctly. In fact, it seems to follow the default language set in the xcode project. If the default language is not included in the suite of InfoPlist.strings files, it seems to take the string from the info.plist file. sometimes it just seems to take the English version regardless of the default language or tablet language. Has anyone had success with this?
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282
Aug ’25
[iPadOS / USBDriverKit] Communicating with RP2040: Avoiding OS preemption of standard CDC-ACM?
Hello everyone, I am currently working on an iPadOS application that requires communicating with a custom hardware board based on the Raspberry Pi RP2040 microcontroller via USB. My initial thought was to use the standard CDC-ACM (virtual serial port) profile on the RP2040. However, my understanding is that iPadOS's built-in system drivers will automatically claim any standard CDC-ACM interfaces, preempting my custom USBDriverKit driver from matching and taking control of the device. Is my assumption correct that iPadOS will strictly preempt a standard CDC-ACM device, making a custom DriverKit implementation impossible for that specific class?
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33
Activity
14h
ESP32 USB-C to iPhone 16 USB-C communication
Hi everyone, I am seeking clarification regarding the communication capabilities between an ESP32 microcontroller and Apple's latest devices, specifically the iPhone 16 Pro Max and iPad Pro, both equipped with USB-C ports. Background: MFi Certification: Historically, establishing communication between external devices and iOS devices required MFi (Made for iPhone/iPad) certification. But I remember this being necessary in the Lightning Cable to USB era. With the introduction of USB-C ports in recent iPhone and iPad models, there is an indication that MFi certification may no longer be necessary for certain peripherals. Perhaps I'm not confident on the terminology here: https://mfi.apple.com/en/who-should-join Project Requirements: I am working on a sensor research project that necessitates the collection of low-latency time-series data from an ESP32 microcontroller, which features a USB-C port. The data needs to be transmitted to an iPhone 16 Pro Max or iPad Pro. Bluetooth communication has proven insufficient due to its limited data transfer rates (~1.2 Mbps with L2CAP). While NEHotspot could be an alternative, it restricts the iPad's internet connectivity. Therefore, establishing a direct USB-C connection between the ESP32 and the iOS device appears to be the most viable solution. Questions: MFi Certification Necessity: Is MFi certification still required for an ESP32 microcontroller to communicate with iPhone 16 Pro Max or iPad Pro via USB-C? USB-C Communication Support: Do the iPhone 16 Pro Max and iPad Pro natively support serial communication over USB-C with microcontrollers like the ESP32? If not, are there recommended protocols or interfaces to facilitate this communication? App Development Considerations: Would developing a custom iOS application be necessary to handle data transmission from the ESP32 over USB-C? If so, are there specific APIs or frameworks provided by Apple to support this functionality? Data Transfer Rates: Considering the need for high-speed data transfer, are there any limitations or considerations regarding the data transfer rates achievable through a USB-C connection between the ESP32 and iOS devices? Thank you!
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1.8k
Activity
14h
IOServiceOpen returns kIOReturnError (0xE00002BC) before NewUserClient — DEXT matches and opens pipes successfully
I'm hitting a kernel-side rejection on IOServiceOpen from a host app against my DEXT's IOUserService, before any code in my DEXT's NewUserClient runs. DEXT activation and USB matching succeed; only the user-client connection fails. What works DEXT activates and shows as [activated enabled] in systemextensionsctl list. DEXT matches IOUSBHostInterface for the target device and Start() runs to completion. Inside Start(), CopyInterface() returns successfully and CopyPipe() for the expected endpoints all succeed. Host app receives the matching notification for the DEXT's IOUserService and calls IOServiceOpen(service, mach_task_self(), 0, &connect). What fails IOServiceOpen returns kIOReturnError (0xE00002BC). My DEXT's NewUserClient override is never reached — verified by the absence of any breadcrumb log and by stepping through under lldb (no entry on the DEXT side). This reproduces both with: The original com.apple.developer.driverkit.userclient-access entitlement listing the host bundle ID. The dev fallback com.apple.developer.driverkit.allow-any-userclient-access = true on host + DEXT. (Background: the App ID portal has the bundle-ID list for userclient-access stored as a single newline-joined string instead of separate array entries — see Support Thread 822652 — so I've been using allow-any-userclient-access = true for now. The IOServiceOpen failure persists either way.) Diagnostics I can't get I'd like to confirm the kernel-side rejection reason, but DEXT os_log output is suppressed in Console and: sudo log config --process <dext-pid> --mode "level:debug" log: Unable to set mode for pid <dext-pid> I've tried by PID and by subsystem; both refuse. SIP is in its default state. Any pointer to the correct invocation (or a Configuration Profile to enable DriverKit verbose logging) would unblock me. Environment macOS 26.3.1 (build 25D2128) Xcode 26.3 (build 17C529) Host app: AppKit, sandboxed, Mac App Store distribution DEXT: matches IOUSBHostInterface on idVendor: 0x1452 (DNP) and (pending capability approval) 0x1343 (Citizen) Entitlements on host: com.apple.developer.driverkit, com.apple.developer.driverkit.userclient-access (or allow-any-userclient-access = true for dev) Entitlements on DEXT: com.apple.developer.driverkit, com.apple.developer.driverkit.transport.usb, com.apple.developer.driverkit.allow-any-userclient-access for dev Questions Is IOServiceOpen → kIOReturnError before NewUserClient always an entitlement/sandbox check failure, or are there other kernel-side reasons (matching score, IOService class hierarchy mismatch) that produce the same generic code? What's the correct way to enable DEXT os_log capture so I can see the rejection reason? Is there a known interaction between a malformed userclient-access array on the App ID (Forums Thread 822652) and the kernel's user-client authorization path that would persist even after switching to allow-any-userclient-access = true? Sample profiles, codesign output, and the exact matching dictionary available on request. Thanks.
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38
Activity
1d
macOS Preview appears to hold MTP devices open indefinitely
I am developing a USB MTP device for use with macOS. When the device is connected while Preview is running, I observe the host send OpenSession, then GetDeviceInfo, and then no further MTP commands. I do not see a later CloseSession. Problem is that once this happens, exclusive access to the USB interface is retained, so another application cannot connect to the device. From the device side, there is no obvious way to recover except forcing a USB disconnect/reset or shutting down the USB interface. My questions are: Is this expected behavior for Preview, or for a Preview-related macOS helper? Is it expected on macOS that a client may open an MTP session and then leave it idle without sending CloseSession? I am mainly trying to understand whether this is expected macOS behavior, or whether this should be considered a bug.
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3
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174
Activity
2w
HID Device Access / Mode Switch
I might be trying to achieve the impossible here, but if there's another way to go about it any advice would be appreciated. I've got an older Linux application that reflashes firmware on a connected USB HID device that I'm trying to port to macOS. Essentially the device starts as an HID interface (0x03/0x01/0x01) but to update firmware receives a simple control payload and then restarts and connects as a different (non-HID) device. However I can't open the HID device at all, I'm guessing this is some sort of permission error (SIP?). AppleUSBHostUserClient::openGated: failed to open IOUSBHostDevice... provider is already opened for exclusive access by AppleUSB20Hub hid_open_path: failed to open IOHIDDevice from mach entry: (0xE00002E2) not permitted AppleUSBXHCICommandRing::setAddress: completed with result code 4 AppleUSBHostPort::createDevice: failed to create device (0xe00002bc) AppleUSBIORequest ... transaction error ... 0xe00002ed Is there any way at all to do this on macOS? Interestingly if you run a Windows VM in VMWare or similar and connect the device to that VM it works, so there's obviously some way but I'd like to create a simple standalone tool.
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312
Activity
3w
Driverkit driver hangs on macOS
Hello, I have crated a DriverKit driver for macOS and iPad M-series if I ever get the mac driver working. I have the correct entittlements, and matching provisioning profile downloaded manually. The driver loads (no errors!), and is visible in ioreg below the usb device (when plugged). The issue is that I never get any log from the driver, have reduced to minimal working code (below). When I debug with lldb, I load the symbols for my driver and break on init and Start - but lldb never triggers == never calls start or init. This is also why no logs. When I unplug the device, the driver process (ps aux) keeps running, causes a hard crash of the Mac with dext remove/or kill driver.dext process. I have asked Claude - but its just running in circles: check Info.plist=ok, check entitlements=ok, check code (minimal)=ok, check iig=ok, check provisioning profile=ok, check build settings=ok, check ioreg=ok, check code signature=ok, start over I don't get any log from my driver, which is consistent with init() not being called. All logs from kernel & friends (AMFI) do show the driver loading - no errors. Any tips appreciated! // USBDriver.iig #ifndef USBDriver_h #define USBDriver_h #include <USBDriverKit/IOUSBHostInterface.iig> class USBDriver: public IOService { public: virtual bool init() override; virtual void free() override; virtual kern_return_t Start(IOService * provider) override; virtual kern_return_t Stop(IOService * provider) override; }; // USBDriver.cpp #include <os/log.h> #include <DriverKit/DriverKit.h> #include "USBDriver.h" bool USBDriver::init() { if (!super::init()) return false; os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "terminal.driver: init()"); return true; } kern_return_t IMPL(USBDriver, Start) { os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "terminal.driver: Start()"); kern_return_t ret = super::Start(provider); if (ret != kIOReturnSuccess) { os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "terminal.driver: super::Start failed: 0x%08x", ret); return ret; } os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "terminal.driver: Start() success"); return super::Start(provider); } kern_return_t IMPL(USBDriver, Stop) { os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "terminal.driver: Stop()"); return super::Stop(provider); } void USBDriver::free() { os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "terminal.driver: free()"); super::free(); }
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248
Activity
3w
Can a third-party DriverKit HID dext seize raw HID reports from an external mouse via a top case–related path?
We are trying to determine whether a third-party DriverKit HID dext can seize or intercept raw HID input reports from an external mouse through any top case–related path in the HID stack. Our dext is based on IOUserHIDEventDriver, and the goal is to receive raw input reports before they are translated into higher-level pointer events. Apple’s public HIDDriverKit documentation describes IOUserHIDEventDriver as the driver object responsible for dispatching pointer, digitizer, scrolling, and related HID-originated events, but it is not clear to us whether any “top case” path is actually exposed or supported for third-party matching in DriverKit. What we want to clarify is specifically about external mouse devices, not the built-in trackpad itself. Questions: Is there any officially supported way for a third-party DriverKit HID dext to bind through a top case–related path and receive raw HID input reports from an external mouse? Is “top case” something that third-party DriverKit drivers can meaningfully target for matching/attachment, or is it only an internal Apple implementation detail? If such a path exists, can it be used to seize raw reports before they are converted into higher-level pointer events? If not, what is the officially supported boundary for third-party DriverKit access to raw reports from external mouse-class HID devices? To be clear, we are not asking about synthesizing pointer events. We are asking whether a third-party DriverKit dext can directly observe or seize the original HID input reports from an external mouse by attaching through any top case–related portion of the HID stack. If “top case” is not a public DriverKit concept that third parties can target, confirmation of that would also be very helpful.
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175
Activity
Mar ’26
Driver Activation failure error code 9. Maybe Entitlements? Please help
This is my first driver and I have had the devil of a time trying to find any information to help me with this. I beg help with this, since I cannot find any tutorials that will get me over this problem. I am attempting to write a bridging driver for an older UPS that only communicates via RPC-over-USB rather than the HID Power Device class the OS requires. I have written the basic framework for the driver (details below) and am calling OSSystemExtensionRequest.submitRequest with a request object created by OSSystemExtensionRequest.activationRequest, but the didFailWithError callback is called with OSSystemExtensionErrorDomain of a value of 9, which appears to be a general failure to activate the driver. I can find no other information on how to address this issue, but I presume the issue is one of entitlements in either the entitlements file or Info.plist. I will have more code-based details below. For testing context, I am testing this on a 2021 iMac (M1) running Sequoia 15.7, and this iMac is on MDM, specifically Jamf. I have disabled SIP and set systemextensionsctl developer on, per the instructions here, and I have compiled and am attempting to debug the app using xcode 26.2. The driver itself targets DriverKit 25, as 26 does not appear to be available in xcode despite hints on google that it's out. For the software, I have a two-target structure in my xcode project, the main Manager app, which is a swift-ui app that both handles installation/activation of the driver and (if that finally manages to work) handles communication from the driver via its UserClient, and the driver which compiles as a dext. Both apps compile and use automated signing attached to our Apple Development team. I won't delve into the Manager app much, as it runs even though activation fails, except to include its entitlements file in case it proves relevant <dict> <key>com.apple.developer.driverkit.communicates-with-drivers</key> <true/> <key>com.apple.developer.system-extension.install</key> <true/> <key>com.apple.security.app-sandbox</key> <true/> <key>com.apple.security.files.user-selected.read-only</key> <true/> </dict> and the relevant activation code: func request(_ request: OSSystemExtensionRequest, didFailWithError error: any Error) { // handling the error, which is always code value 9 } func activateDriver() { let request = OSSystemExtensionRequest.activationRequest(forExtensionWithIdentifier: "com.mycompany.driver.bundle.identifier", queue: .main) request.delegate = self OSSystemExtensionManager.shared.submitRequest(request) //... } And finally the Manager app has the following capabilities requested for its matching identifier in our Apple Developer Account: DriverKit Communicates with Drivers System Extension On the Driver side, I have two major pieces, the main driver class MyDriver, and UserClient class, StatusUserClient. MyDriver derives from IDriverKit/IOService.iig but (in case this is somehow important) does not have the same name as the project/target name MyBatteryDriver. StatusUserClient derives from DriverKit/IOUserClient.iig. I have os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "trace messages") code in every method of both classes, including the initializers and Start implementations, and the log entries never seem to show up in Console, so I presume that means the OS never tried to load the driver. Unless I'm looking in the wrong place? Because I don't think the driver code is the current issue, I won't go into it unless it becomes necessary. As I mentioned above, I think this is a code signing / entitlements issue, but I don't know how to resolve it. In our Apple Developer account, the Driver's matching identifier has the following capabilities requested: DriverKit (development) DriverKit Allow Any UserClient (development) DriverKit Family HID Device (development) -- NOTE: this is planned for future use, but not yet implemented by my driver code. Could that be part of the problem? DriverKit Transport HID (development) DriverKit USB Transport (development) DriverKit USB Transport - VendorID -- submitted, no response from Apple yet HID Virtual Device -- submitted, no response from Apple. yet. This is vestigial from an early plan to build the bridge via shared memory funneling to a virtual HID device. I think I've found a way to do it with one Service, but... not sure yet. Still, that's a problem for tomorrow. Apparently I've gone over the 7000 character maximum so I will add my entitlements and info.plist contents in a reply.
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518
Activity
Mar ’26
Can't enable an iOS Driverkit driver when using an older app ID
Hi there, We've discovered a problem with our iOS app. We've been attempting to add a Driverkit driver to it, but any time we run the app through Testflight, the driver installs fine, but when we go to enable the driver toggle in the app's settings, the toggle stays on, but in the device logs I can see: could not insert bundle at <private> into manager: <private> As you would expect - this means the driver is not actually enabled and does not respond to a device being connected to the iPad. This does not happen when building & running the app locally, nor does it happen when installing an Ad Hoc build. We also have a different app, not yet shipped. We are able to add the driver to that app without issue. It works after going through Testflight. What we have discovered now is that everything works fine even if we just create an entirely new app with it's own bundle IDs. I should point out that in all cases, we're keeping the capabilities the same for each of these apps/IDs - including the managed capabilities. The bundle IDs that have this problem are older (5 years old or more). It seems like any newer ID will work, but trying to add the driver (and the associated managed capabilities) to an older app/ID results in this vague error message, with no further details. If we inspect the resulting dexts, we can also see that the "Internal requirements code size" is different on the ones that fail. The failing ones have a size of 204 bytes, whereas the working ones all have a size of 220 bytes. Not sure if that's related but it's strikingly consistent. Does this mean there is an issue with older app IDs, and we need Apple to manually refresh them in some way before the driverkit capabilities will work after going through Testflight? We have two apps in this state, both are of the same vintage (~5 years+). We've been battling this issue for months on and off, so would appreciate some help.
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6
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735
Activity
Mar ’26
Can't get USBSerialDriverKit driver loaded
I am writing a DriverKit driver for the first that uses the USBSerialDriverKit. The driver its purpose is to expose the device as serial interface (/dev/cu.tetra-pei0 or something like this). My problem: I don't see any logs from that driver in the console and I tried like 40 different approaches and checked everything. The last message I see is that the driver get successfully added to the system it is in the list of active and enabled system driver extensions but when I plug the device in none of my logs appear and it doesn't show up in ioreg. So without my driver the target device looks like this: +-o TETRA PEI interface@02120000 <class IOUSBHostDevice, id 0x10000297d, registered, matched, active, busy 0 (13 ms), retain 30> | { | "sessionID" = 268696051410 | "USBSpeed" = 3 | "UsbLinkSpeed" = 480000000 | "idProduct" = 36886 | "iManufacturer" = 1 | "bDeviceClass" = 0 | "IOPowerManagement" = {"PowerOverrideOn"=Yes,"DevicePowerState"=2,"CurrentPowerState"=2,"CapabilityFlags"=32768,"MaxPowerState"=2,"DriverPowerState"=0} | "bcdDevice" = 9238 | "bMaxPacketSize0" = 64 | "iProduct" = 2 | "iSerialNumber" = 0 | "bNumConfigurations" = 1 | "UsbDeviceSignature" = <ad0c16901624000000ff0000> | "USB Product Name" = "TETRA PEI interface" | "locationID" = 34734080 | "bDeviceSubClass" = 0 | "bcdUSB" = 512 | "USB Address" = 6 | "kUSBCurrentConfiguration" = 1 | "IOCFPlugInTypes" = {"9dc7b780-9ec0-11d4-a54f-000a27052861"="IOUSBHostFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/IOUSBLib.bundle"} | "UsbPowerSinkAllocation" = 500 | "bDeviceProtocol" = 0 | "USBPortType" = 0 | "IOServiceDEXTEntitlements" = (("com.apple.developer.driverkit.transport.usb")) | "USB Vendor Name" = "Motorola Solutions, Inc." | "Device Speed" = 2 | "idVendor" = 3245 | "kUSBProductString" = "TETRA PEI interface" | "kUSBAddress" = 6 | "kUSBVendorString" = "Motorola Solutions, Inc." | } | +-o AppleUSBHostCompositeDevice <class AppleUSBHostCompositeDevice, id 0x100002982, !registered, !matched, active, busy 0, retain 5> | { | "IOProbeScore" = 50000 | "CFBundleIdentifier" = "com.apple.driver.usb.AppleUSBHostCompositeDevice" | "IOProviderClass" = "IOUSBHostDevice" | "IOClass" = "AppleUSBHostCompositeDevice" | "IOPersonalityPublisher" = "com.apple.driver.usb.AppleUSBHostCompositeDevice" | "bDeviceSubClass" = 0 | "CFBundleIdentifierKernel" = "com.apple.driver.usb.AppleUSBHostCompositeDevice" | "IOMatchedAtBoot" = Yes | "IOMatchCategory" = "IODefaultMatchCategory" | "IOPrimaryDriverTerminateOptions" = Yes | "bDeviceClass" = 0 | } | +-o lghub_agent <class AppleUSBHostDeviceUserClient, id 0x100002983, !registered, !matched, active, busy 0, retain 7> | { | "IOUserClientCreator" = "pid 1438, lghub_agent" | "IOUserClientDefaultLocking" = Yes | } | +-o IOUSBHostInterface@0 <class IOUSBHostInterface, id 0x100002986, registered, matched, active, busy 0 (5 ms), retain 9> | | { | | "USBPortType" = 0 | | "IOCFPlugInTypes" = {"2d9786c6-9ef3-11d4-ad51-000a27052861"="IOUSBHostFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/IOUSBLib.bundle"} | | "USB Vendor Name" = "Motorola Solutions, Inc." | | "bcdDevice" = 9238 | | "USBSpeed" = 3 | | "idProduct" = 36886 | | "IOServiceDEXTEntitlements" = (("com.apple.developer.driverkit.transport.usb")) | | "bInterfaceSubClass" = 0 | | "bConfigurationValue" = 1 | | "locationID" = 34734080 | | "USB Product Name" = "TETRA PEI interface" | | "bInterfaceProtocol" = 0 | | "iInterface" = 0 | | "bAlternateSetting" = 0 | | "idVendor" = 3245 | | "bInterfaceNumber" = 0 | | "bInterfaceClass" = 255 | | "bNumEndpoints" = 2 | | } | | | +-o lghub_agent <class AppleUSBHostInterfaceUserClient, id 0x100002988, !registered, !matched, active, busy 0, retain 6> | { | "UsbUserClientBufferStatistics" = {"IOMemoryDescriptor"=0,"IOBufferMemoryDescriptor"=0,"IOSubMemoryDescriptor"=0} | "IOUserClientCreator" = "pid 1438, lghub_agent" | "UsbUserClientBufferAllocations" = {"Bytes"=0,"Descriptors"=0} | "IOUserClientDefaultLocking" = Yes | } | +-o IOUSBHostInterface@1 <class IOUSBHostInterface, id 0x100002987, registered, matched, active, busy 0 (5 ms), retain 9> | { | "USBPortType" = 0 | "IOCFPlugInTypes" = {"2d9786c6-9ef3-11d4-ad51-000a27052861"="IOUSBHostFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/IOUSBLib.bundle"} | "USB Vendor Name" = "Motorola Solutions, Inc." | "bcdDevice" = 9238 | "USBSpeed" = 3 | "idProduct" = 36886 | "IOServiceDEXTEntitlements" = (("com.apple.developer.driverkit.transport.usb")) | "bInterfaceSubClass" = 0 | "bConfigurationValue" = 1 | "locationID" = 34734080 | "USB Product Name" = "TETRA PEI interface" | "bInterfaceProtocol" = 0 | "iInterface" = 0 | "bAlternateSetting" = 0 | "idVendor" = 3245 | "bInterfaceNumber" = 1 | "bInterfaceClass" = 255 | "bNumEndpoints" = 2 | } | +-o lghub_agent <class AppleUSBHostInterfaceUserClient, id 0x10000298a, !registered, !matched, active, busy 0, retain 6> { "UsbUserClientBufferStatistics" = {"IOMemoryDescriptor"=0,"IOBufferMemoryDescriptor"=0,"IOSubMemoryDescriptor"=0} "IOUserClientCreator" = "pid 1438, lghub_agent" "UsbUserClientBufferAllocations" = {"Bytes"=0,"Descriptors"=0} "IOUserClientDefaultLocking" = Yes } more details in my comment.
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Mar ’26
How to get a IOSerialBSDClient attached?
I have a driver extending IOUserUSBSerial and I want the device to show up as /dev/tty.mycustombasename-123 and /dev/cu. respectively. How can I achieve that?
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Feb ’26
DriverKit - IOUSBHostDevice::SetProperties
I am trying to add a few properties to an IOUSBHostDevice but the SetProperties is returning kIOReturnUnsupported. The reason I am trying to modify the IOUSBHostDevice's properties is so we can support a MacBook Air SuperDrive when it is attached to our docking station devices. The MacBook Air SuperDrive needs a high powered port to run and this driver will help the OS realize that our dock can support it. I see that the documentation for SetProperties says: The default implementation of this method returns kIOReturnUnsupported. You can override this method and use it to modify the set of properties and values as needed. The changes you make apply only to the current service. Do I need to override IOUSBHostDevice? This is my current Start implementation (you can also see if in the Xcode project): kern_return_t IMPL(MyUserUSBHostDriver, Start) { kern_return_t ret = kIOReturnSuccess; OSDictionary * prop = NULL; OSDictionary * mergeProperties = NULL; bool success = true; os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "&gt; %s", __FUNCTION__); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "%s:%d", __FUNCTION__, __LINE__); ret = Start(provider, SUPERDISPATCH); __Require(kIOReturnSuccess == ret, Exit); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "%s:%d", __FUNCTION__, __LINE__); ivars-&gt;host = OSDynamicCast(IOUSBHostDevice, provider); __Require_Action(NULL != ivars-&gt;host, Exit, ret = kIOReturnNoDevice); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "%s:%d", __FUNCTION__, __LINE__); ret = ivars-&gt;host-&gt;Open(this, 0, 0); __Require(kIOReturnSuccess == ret, Exit); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "%s:%d", __FUNCTION__, __LINE__); ret = CopyProperties(&amp;prop); __Require(kIOReturnSuccess == ret, Exit); __Require_Action(NULL != prop, Exit, ret = kIOReturnError); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "%s:%d", __FUNCTION__, __LINE__); mergeProperties = OSDynamicCast(OSDictionary, prop-&gt;getObject("IOProviderMergeProperties")); mergeProperties-&gt;retain(); __Require_Action(NULL != mergeProperties, Exit, ret = kIOReturnError); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "%s:%d", __FUNCTION__, __LINE__); OSSafeReleaseNULL(prop); ret = ivars-&gt;host-&gt;CopyProperties(&amp;prop); __Require(kIOReturnSuccess == ret, Exit); __Require_Action(NULL != prop, Exit, ret = kIOReturnError); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "%s:%d", __FUNCTION__, __LINE__); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "%s : %s", "USB Product Name", ((OSString *) prop-&gt;getObject("USB Product Name"))-&gt;getCStringNoCopy()); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "%s : %s", "USB Vendor Name", ((OSString *) prop-&gt;getObject("USB Vendor Name"))-&gt;getCStringNoCopy()); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "%s:%d", __FUNCTION__, __LINE__); success = prop-&gt;merge(mergeProperties); __Require_Action(success, Exit, ret = kIOReturnError); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "%s:%d", __FUNCTION__, __LINE__); ret = ivars-&gt;host-&gt;SetProperties(prop); // this is no working __Require(kIOReturnSuccess == ret, Exit); Exit: OSSafeReleaseNULL(mergeProperties); OSSafeReleaseNULL(prop); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "err ref %d", kIOReturnUnsupported); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "&lt; %s %d", __FUNCTION__, ret); return ret; }
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Jan ’26
DriverKit Dext fails to load with "Exec format error" (POSIX 8) on macOS 26.2 (Apple Silicon) when SIP is enabled
1. 环境描述 (Environment) OS: macOS 26.2 Hardware: Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3) DriverKit SDK: DriverKit 19.0 / 20.0 Arch: Universal (x86_64, arm64, arm64e) SIP Status: Enabled (Works perfectly when Disabled) 2. 问题现象 (Problem Description) 在开启 SIP 的环境下,USB 驱动扩展(Dext)能安装,但插入设备时无法连接设备(驱动的Start方法未被调用)。 驱动状态: MacBook-Pro ~ % systemextensionsctl list 1 extension(s) --- com.apple.system_extension.driver_extension (Go to 'System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions > Driver Extensions' to modify these system extension(s)) enabled active teamID bundleID (version) name [state] * * JK9U78YRLU com.ronganchina.usbapp.MyUserUSBInterfaceDriver (1.3/4) com.ronganchina.usbapp.MyUserUSBInterfaceDriver [activated enabled] 关键日志证据 (Key Logs) KernelManagerd: Error Domain=NSPOSIXErrorDomain Code=8 "Exec format error" Syspolicyd: failed to fetch ... /_CodeSignature/CodeRequirements-1 error=-10 AppleSystemPolicy: ASP: Security policy would not allow process DriverKit Kernel: DK: MyUserUSBInterfaceDriver user server timeout dext的 embedded.provisionprofile 已包含: com.apple.developer.driverkit com.apple.developer.driverkit.transport.usb (idVendor: 11977)
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Activity
Jan ’26
Assistance Needed: Accessing Smartcard Certificates for Document Signing on iOS
We are preparing to implement document signing using USB tokens on iOS and macOS. Several other applications already support this feature. From my testing and development efforts, I've been unable to reliably access or utilize certificates stored on a smartcard through the iOS APIs. Here are the specifics: Environment iOS: 15 and later Xcode: Versions 18 and 26 Smartcard/Token: ePass 2003 (eMudhra), Feitien token (Capricorn) Observed Issue : The token is recognized at the system level, with certificates visible in Keychain Access. However, programmatic access to the private keys on the smartcard from within the app is not working. Signing attempts result in Error 6985 and CACC errors. Approaches Tried: Updated provisioning profiles with the following entitlements: com.apple.developer.smartcard com.apple.security.device.usb TKSmartCard Employed TKSmartCard and TKSmartCardSession for interaction. The token is detected successfully. A session can be established, but there's no straightforward method to leverage it for certificate-based signing. Access to signing functions is unavailable; operations yield Error 6985 or CACC errors. if let smartCard = TKSmartCard(slot: someSlot) { smartCard.openSession { session, error in if let session = session { let command: [UInt8] = [0x00, 0xA4, 0x04, 0x00] session.transmit(Data(command)) { response, error in print("Response: \(String(describing: response))") print("Error: \(String(describing: error))") } } } } TokenKit (macOS/iOS) - Utilized TKTokenWatcher to identify available tokens on macOS (not available on iOS). watcher.setInsertionHandler { tokenID in print("Token detected: \(tokenID)") } CryptoKit / Security Framework - Attempted to retrieve SecCertificate using SecItemCopyMatching queries, which succeeded on macOS but failed on iOS. let query: [CFString: Any] = [ kSecClass: kSecClassCertificate, kSecReturnRef: true, kSecMatchLimit: kSecMatchLimitAll ] var items: CFTypeRef? let status = SecItemCopyMatching(query as CFDictionary, &items) print("Status: \(status)") // macOS succeeds, iOS fails ExternalAccessory Framework (EAAccessory) * Investigated using EAAccessory and EASession for external token communication, but it did not function as expected. This functionality is critical for my project. Has anyone successfully implemented smartcard-based signing on iOS? Any guidance, sample code, or references to relevant Apple documentation would be greatly appreciated.
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Activity
Nov ’25
FTDI USB-serial driver on iPadOS
Hello, We have developed a hardware product that embeds an FTDI USB-serial converter, and an application on MacOS that communicates with this device. We would like to port our application to iPadOS. I can see that when I plug the device into the iPad, it is recognized as a serial port, based on its console logs. When I attempt to enumerate serial ports on iPadOS using IOKit, I can see matching IOSerialBSDClient services, but the properties are sandboxed, including the IOCalloutDevice property, for example: 0 error 16:36:10.922450-0700 kernel Sandbox: ***(662) deny(1) iokit-get-properties iokit-class:IOUserSerial property:IOTTYSuffix Is there an entitlement that can be applied that allows access to the serial port properties of an attached USB device? Or do I need to implement my own USBDriverKit driver for this device, as seems to be implied in these forum threads: https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/795202 https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/655527
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Oct ’25
limitations of UserSendCDB in SCSIPeripheralsDriverKit?
I've made a dext and a user client that overrides IOUserSCSIPeripheralDeviceType00, with the object of writing device firmware to the driver. I can gain and relinquish exclusive access to the device, I can call UserReportMediumBlockSize and get back a sensible answer (512). I can build command parameters with the INQUIRY macro from IOUserSCSIPeripheralDeviceHelper.h and send that command successfully using UserSendCB, and I receive sensible-looking Inquiry data from the device. However, what I really want to do is send a WriteBuffer command (opcode 0x3B), and that doesn't work. I have yet to put a bus analyzer on it, but I don't think the command goes out on the bus - there's no valid sense data, and the error returned is 0xe00002bc, or kIOReturnError, which isn't helpful. This is the code I have which doesn't work. kern_return_t driver::writeChunk(const char * buf, size_t atOffset, size_t length, bool lastOne) { DebugMsg("writeChunk %p at %ld for %ld", buf, atOffset, length); SCSIType00OutParameters outParameters; SCSIType00InParameters response; memset(&outParameters, 0, sizeof(outParameters)); memset(&response, 0, sizeof(response)); SetCommandCDB(&outParameters.fCommandDescriptorBlock, 0x3B, // byte 0, opcode WriteBuffer command lastOne ? 0x0E : 0x0F, // byte 1 mode: E=save deferred, F = download and defer save 0, // byte 2 bufferID (atOffset >> 16), // byte 3 (atOffset >> 8), // byte 4 atOffset, // byte 5 (length >> 16), // byte 6 (length >> 8), // byte 7 length, // byte 8 0, // control, byte 9 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0); // bytes 10..15 outParameters.fLogicalUnitNumber = 0; outParameters.fBufferDirection = kIOMemoryDirectionOut; outParameters.fDataTransferDirection = kSCSIDataTransfer_FromInitiatorToTarget; outParameters.fTimeoutDuration = 1000; // milliseconds outParameters.fRequestedByteCountOfTransfer = length; outParameters.fDataBufferAddr = reinterpret_cast<uint64_t>(buf); uint8_t senseBuffer[255] = {0}; outParameters.fSenseBufferAddr = reinterpret_cast<uint64_t>(senseBuffer); outParameters.fSenseLengthRequested = sizeof(senseBuffer); kern_return_t retVal = UserSendCDB(outParameters, &response); return retVal; }
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Activity
Sep ’25
Blocking USB Devices on macOS – DriverKit or Other Recommended Approach
Hi Apple, We are working on a general USB device management solution on macOS for enterprise security. Our goal is to enforce policy-based restrictions on USB devices, such as: For USB storage devices: block mount, read, or write access. For other peripherals (e.g., USB headsets or microphones, raspberry pi, etc): block usage entirely. We know in past, kernel extension would be the way to go, but as kext has been deprecated. And DriverKit is the new advertised framework. At first, DriverKit looked like the right direction. However, after reviewing the documentation more closely, we noticed that using DriverKit for USB requires specific entitlements: DriverKit USB Transport – VendorID DriverKit USB Transport – VendorID and ProductID This raises a challenge: if our solution is meant to cover all types of USB devices, we would theoretically need entitlements for every VendorID/ProductID in existence. My questions are: Is DriverKit actually the right framework for this kind of general-purpose USB device control? If not, what framework or mechanism should we be looking at for enforcing these kinds of policies? We also developed an Endpoint Security product, but so far we haven’t found a relevant Endpoint Security event type that would allow us to achieve this. Any guidance on the correct technical approach would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance for your help.
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Activity
Sep ’25
IOS alternatives to DriverKit
Hi, We were planning on using DriverKit to develop a USB Driver on IOS for iPhone. Within the DriverKit website, it say 'IOS16.0+' which lead us to believe it was compatible with iPhones running IOS16.0+. However, it appears DriverKit is only available for iPads running iPadOS, and computers running macOS. Are there any alternatives that would allow us to create a device specific USB driver for an iPhone running IOS?
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Sep ’25
driverkit.transport.usb
I’m creating my first DriverKit extension and I ran into an entitlement issue when trying to load my driver. Error 0x0 8397 7 taskgated-helper: (ConfigurationProfiles) [com.apple.ManagedClient:ProvisioningProfiles] App.Dext: Unsatisfied entitlements: com.apple.developer.driverkit.transport.usb I have already registered the entitlement com.apple.developer.driverkit.transport.usb with my vendor ID in the Apple Developer portal. However, when I download the provisioning profile, it doesn’t include the idVendor value. Screenshot from the developer portal (provisioning profile without idVendor) ? <key>com.apple.developer.driverkit.transport.usb</key> <array> <dict> <key>idVendor</key> <integer>1356</integer> </dict> </array> -Is this error caused by me registering the vendor ID incorrectly? -Or is there an issue with how the entitlement is reflected in the provisioning profile? Any guidance would be appreciated.
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Activity
Aug ’25
Unable to localize driver name or description
I am trying to localize the CFBundleDisplayName and OSBundleUsageDescription of a driver that is part of an app. I am able to use InfoPlist.strings files to localize the Bundle display name for the app, but when I try to use the same file as part of the driver, the name displayed in settings for the app does not change correctly. In fact, it seems to follow the default language set in the xcode project. If the default language is not included in the suite of InfoPlist.strings files, it seems to take the string from the info.plist file. sometimes it just seems to take the English version regardless of the default language or tablet language. Has anyone had success with this?
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Aug ’25