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Explore the networking protocols and technologies used by the device to connect to Wi-Fi networks, Bluetooth devices, and cellular data services.

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Local network access disabled after macOS restart
My application needs local network access. When it is started for the first time, the user gets a prompt to enable local network access (as expected). The application is then shown as enabled in Privacy & Security / Local Network and local network access is working. If macOS is then shutdown and restarted, local network access is blocked for the application even though it is still shown as enabled in Privacy & Security / Local Network. Local network access can be restored either by toggling permission off and on in Privacy & Security / Local Network or by disabling and enabling Wi-Fi. This behaviour is consistent on Sequoia 15.1. It happens sometimes on 15.0 and 15.0.1 but not every time. Is my application doing something wrong or is this a Sequoia issue? If it is a Sequoia issue, is there some change I can make to my application to work around it?
27
2
3.6k
Jan ’26
App Extension Network Extension - failed to start, signature check failed
Howdy, I've been developing a packet tunnel extension meant to run on iOS and MacOS. For development I'm using xcodegen + xcodebuild to assemble a bunch of swift and rust code together. I'm moving from direct TUN device management on Mac to shipping a Network Extension (appex). With that move I noticed that on some mac laptops NE fails to start completely, whilst on others everything works fine. I'm using CODE_SIGN_STYLE: Automatic, Apple IDs are within the same team, all devices are registered as dev devices. Signing dev certificates, managed by xcode. Some suspicious logs: (NetworkExtension) [com.apple.networkextension:] Signature check failed: code failed to satisfy specified code requirement(s) ... (NetworkExtension) [com.apple.networkextension:] Provider is not signed with a Developer ID certificate What could be the issue? Where those inconsistencies across devices might come from?
8
0
315
Nov ’25
Multipeer Connectivity support
Greetings.I have an app today that uses multipeer connectivity extensively. Currently, when the user switches away from the app, MPC disconnects the session(s) - this is by design apparently (per other feedback). I'd like to hear if anyone has experimented with iOS9 multitasking / multipeer and whether MPC sessions can stay alive?Thanks
6
1
3.8k
Jan ’26
EAWiFiUnconfiguredAccessoryBrowser "Accessory Setup" UI selects blank/null SSID by default
We've received several reports of a new bug while setting up our products with WAC. The Accessory Setup UI appears with a blank network selected and the message 'This accessory will be set up to join "(null)".' at top. The user can tap "Show Other Networks..." to select another network, but this experience is very confusing. Why does this UI present a choice that is known to be invalid when other valid choices exist? I've captured a screenshot and sysdiagnose from this case. In most cases this problem happens only intermittently, but I can reproduce it consistently by disconnecting my iPhone from any WiFi network (WiFi remains enabled). My suggestion for a better user experience is that this UI should select the default network according to these rules: The network to which iPhone is currently connected. Any network which is in the known/my list for this iPhone Any valid network I believe rule #1 is the existing behavior, but applying rules #2 and #3 as fallbacks would be an improvement. Is there anything I can change in my iOS code or in my accessory's WAC server to improve this experience?
4
0
297
Sep ’25
Connection drops while using Content Filter & App Proxy Provider
I have a network extension that hosts a NEFilterDataProvider & NETransparentProxyProvider. One of the use case that this caters to is : Proxy some flows (depending on originating app) while Content filter is also filtering flows based on business logic. The issue I am running into happens when FilterDataProvider sees a flow & responds with filterDataVerdict(withFilterInbound: false, peekInboundBytes: 0, filterOutbound: true, peekOutboundBytes:1024 to handleNewFlow(_ flow: NEFilterFlow) [wants to peek more bytes on outbound connection before making a decision] TransparentProxyProvider sees the flow & responds with NO to handleNewFlow(_ flow: NEAppProxyFlow) as it is not interested in in proxying that flow. When this occurs, we see connection being dropped by kernel. I wanted to know if this is expected behavior. Logs when this occurs: 2026-02-06 14:57:09.725854-0600 0x17c918f Default 0x0 569 0 com.test.networkextension: (NetworkExtension) [com.apple.networkextension:] [Extension com.test.network]: provider rejected new flow TCP headless_shell[{length = 20, bytes = 0xe69023e655b6065e1a2f94fa508807fa43f6ac8a}] remote: 100.72.0.3:443 interface utun9 2026-02-06 14:57:09.725874-0600 0x17ca166 Debug 0x0 569 0 com.test.networkextension: (NetworkExtension) [com.apple.networkextension:] New flow verdict for D89B5B5D-793C-4940-D955-37BE33F18005: drop = NO remediate = NO needRules = NO shouldReport = YES pause = NO urlAppendString = NO filterInbound = NO peekInboundBytes = 0 filterOutbound = YES peekOutboundBytes = 1024 statisticsReportFrequency = low 2026-02-06 14:57:09.726009-0600 0x17ca24a Default 0x0 569 0 com.test.networkextension: (libnetworkextension.dylib) [com.apple.networkextension:] (410011084): Closing reads (sending SHUT_WR), closed by plugin (flow error: 0) 2026-02-06 14:57:09.726028-0600 0x17ca24a Default 0x0 569 0 com.test.networkextension: (libnetworkextension.dylib) [com.apple.networkextension:] (410011084): Closing writes, sending SHUT_RD 2026-02-06 14:57:09.726040-0600 0x17ca24a Debug 0x0 569 0 com.test.networkextension: (libnetworkextension.dylib) [com.apple.networkextension:] (410011084): Dropping the director 2026-02-06 14:57:09.726047-0600 0x17ca24a Default 0x0 569 0 com.test.networkextension: (libnetworkextension.dylib) [com.apple.networkextension:] (410011084): Destroying, client tx 0, client rx 0, kernel rx 0, kernel tx 0 I wanted to know how neagent is handling this when for a flow, filterDataProvider wants to look at the traffic while transparentProxy is not interested in handling that flow
3
0
115
Feb ’26
ios26 beta5 VPN Profile not installing
I have a custom VPN app that uses NETunnelProviderManager to install a VPN Profile if one is not already installed. On previous iOS versions this would open the VPN Settings and ask for either the PIN, FaceID or TouchID and install the profile. With iOS 26 beta5 it opens the VPN Settings and stops. Is this a bug in iOS 26? Have there been changes to NETunnelProviderManager for iOS 26 that I'm not aware of? FYI we do the samething on macOS 26 beta5 and that works as expected.
8
2
653
Aug ’25
iOS App udp and local network permission
Recently, my application was having trouble sending udp messages after it was reinstalled. The cause of the problem was initially that I did not grant local network permissions when I reinstalled, I was aware of the problem, so udp worked fine after I granted permissions. However, the next time I repeat the previous operation, I also do not grant local network permissions, and then turn it back on in the Settings, and udp does not work properly (no messages can be sent, the system version and code have not changed). Fortunately, udp worked after rebooting the phone, and more importantly, I was able to repeat the problem many times. So I want to know if the process between when I re-uninstall the app and deny local network permissions, and when I turn it back on in Settings, is that permissions have been granted normally, and not fake, and not required a reboot to reset something for udp to take effect. I'm not sure if it's the system, or if it's a similar situation as described here, hopefully that will help me find out
5
2
1.4k
Jun ’25
DNS Proxy system extension – OSSystemExtensionErrorDomain error 9 “validationFailed” on clean macOS machine
Hi, I’m implementing a macOS DNS Proxy as a system extension and running into a persistent activation error: OSSystemExtensionErrorDomain error 9 (validationFailed) with the message: extension category returned error This happens both on an MDM‑managed Mac and on a completely clean Mac (no MDM, fresh install). Setup macOS: 15.x (clean machine, no MDM) Xcode: 16.x Team ID: AAAAAAA111 (test) Host app bundle ID: com.example.agent.NetShieldProxy DNS Proxy system extension bundle ID: com.example.agent.NetShieldProxy.dnsProxy The DNS Proxy is implemented as a NetworkExtension system extension, not an app extension. Host app entitlements From codesign -d --entitlements :- /Applications/NetShieldProxy.app: xml com.apple.application-identifier AAAAAAA111.com.example.agent.NetShieldProxy <key>com.apple.developer.system-extension.install</key> <true/> <key>com.apple.developer.team-identifier</key> <string>AAAAAAA111</string> <key>com.apple.security.app-sandbox</key> <true/> <key>com.apple.security.application-groups</key> <array> <string>group.com.example.NetShieldmac</string> </array> <key>com.apple.security.files.user-selected.read-only</key> <true/> xml com.apple.application-identifier AAAAAAA111.com.example.agent.NetShieldProxy.dnsProxy <key>com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension</key> <array> <string>dns-proxy-systemextension</string> </array> <key>com.apple.developer.team-identifier</key> <string>AAAAAAA111</string> <key>com.apple.security.application-groups</key> <array> <string>group.com.example.NetShieldmac</string> <string>group.example.NetShieldmac</string> <string>group.example.agent.enterprise.macos</string> <string>group.example.com.NetShieldmac</string> </array> DNS Proxy system extension Info.plist On the clean Mac, from: bash plutil -p "/Applications/NetShieldProxy.app/Contents/Library/SystemExtensions/com.example.agent.NetShieldProxy.dnsProxy.systemextension/Contents/Info.plist" I get: json { "CFBundleExecutable" => "com.example.agent.NetShieldProxy.dnsProxy", "CFBundleIdentifier" => "com.example.agent.NetShieldProxy.dnsProxy", "CFBundleName" => "com.example.agent.NetShieldProxy.dnsProxy", "CFBundlePackageType" => "SYSX", "CFBundleShortVersionString" => "1.0.1.8", "CFBundleSupportedPlatforms" => [ "MacOSX" ], "CFBundleVersion" => "0.1.1", "LSMinimumSystemVersion" => "13.5", "NSExtension" => { "NSExtensionPointIdentifier" => "com.apple.dns-proxy", "NSExtensionPrincipalClass" => "com_example_agent_NetShieldProxy_dnsProxy.DNSProxyProvider" }, "NSSystemExtensionUsageDescription" => "SYSTEM_EXTENSION_USAGE_DESCRIPTION" } The DNSProxyProvider class inherits from NEDNSProxyProvider and is built in the system extension target. Activation code In the host app, I use: swift import SystemExtensions final class SystemExtensionActivator: NSObject, OSSystemExtensionRequestDelegate { private let extensionIdentifier = "com.example.agent.NetShieldProxy.dnsProxy" func activate(completion: @escaping (Bool) -> Void) { let request = OSSystemExtensionRequest.activationRequest( forExtensionWithIdentifier: extensionIdentifier, queue: .main ) request.delegate = self OSSystemExtensionManager.shared.submitRequest(request) } func request(_ request: OSSystemExtensionRequest, didFailWithError error: Error) { let nsError = error as NSError print("Activation failed:", nsError) } func request(_ request: OSSystemExtensionRequest, didFinishWithResult result: OSSystemExtensionRequest.Result) { print("Result:", result.rawValue) } } Runtime behavior on a clean Mac (no MDM) config.plist is created under /Library/Application Support/NetShield (via a root shell script). A daemon runs, contacts our backend, and writes /Library/Application Support/NetShield/state.plist with a valid dnsToken and other fields. The app NetShieldProxy.app is installed via a notarized, stapled Developer ID .pkg. The extension bundle is present at: /Applications/NetShieldProxy.app/Contents/Library/SystemExtensions/com.example.agent.NetShieldProxy.dnsProxy.systemextension. When I press Activate DNS Proxy in the UI, I see in the unified log: text NetShieldProxy: [com.example.agent:SystemExtensionActivator] Requesting activation for system extension: com.example.agent.NetShieldProxy.dnsProxy NetShieldProxy: [com.example.agent:SystemExtensionActivator] SystemExtensionActivator - activation failed: extension category returned error (domain=OSSystemExtensionErrorDomain code=9) NetShieldProxy: [com.example.agent:SystemExtensionActivator] SystemExtensionActivator - OSSystemExtensionError code enum: 9 NetShieldProxy: [com.example.agent:SystemExtensionActivator] SystemExtensionActivator - validationFailed And: bash systemextensionsctl list -> 0 extension(s) There is no prompt in Privacy & Security on this clean Mac. Question Given: The extension is packaged as a system extension (CFBundlePackageType = SYSX) with NSExtensionPointIdentifier = "com.apple.dns-proxy". Host and extension share the same Team ID and Developer ID Application cert. Entitlements on the target machine match the provisioning profile and Apple’s docs for DNS Proxy system extensions (dns-proxy-systemextension). This is happening on a clean Mac with no MDM profiles at all. What are the likely reasons for OSSystemExtensionErrorDomain error 9 (validationFailed) with "extension category returned error" in this DNS Proxy system extension scenario? Is there any additional configuration required for DNS Proxy system extensions (beyond entitlements and Info.plist) that could trigger this category-level validation failure? Any guidance or examples of a working DNS Proxy system extension configuration (host entitlements + extension Info.plist + entitlements) would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
9
0
414
Jan ’26
URLCache behavior for request with different header values
Greetings, I would like to understand this URLCache behavior for two different requests to the same end point but with a different header value. Here is a code with comment explaining the behavior. // Create a request to for a url. let url = URL(string: "https://&lt;my url&gt;?f=json")! var request = URLRequest(url: url) // Set custom header with a value. request.setValue("myvalue", forHTTPHeaderField: "CustomField") // Send request to get the response. let (data, response) = try await URLSession.shared.data(for: request) print("data: \(String(describing: String(data: data, encoding: .utf8)))") print("response: \(response)") // Create second request to the same url but with different value of custom header field. var request2 = URLRequest(url: url) request2.setValue("newvalue", forHTTPHeaderField: "CustomField") // Check the URL cache for second request and it returns the response // of the first request even though the second request has different header value. let cachedResponse = URLCache.shared.cachedResponse(for: request2) print("cachedResponse: \(cachedResponse?.response)") Is this a bug in URLCache that request headers are not matched while returning the response? Is this an expected behavior? If yes, why?
8
2
1.7k
Aug ’25
Wi-Fi Aware between iOS 26 and Android device
Eager to see the Wi-Fi Aware communication between iPhone (iOS 26) and an Android device, I tried iOS 26 beta on my iPhone16. and tried below code snippet from provided example at https://developer.apple.com/documentation/wifiaware/building-peer-to-peer-apps. Idea is to first verify discovery of Android WiFiAware service on iOS. extension WAPublishableService { public static var simulationService: WAPublishableService { allServices[simulationServiceName]! } } extension WASubscribableService { public static var simulationService: WASubscribableService { allServices[simulationServiceName]! } } struct ContentView: View { @State private var showingDevicePicker = false @State private var pairedDevices: [WAPairedDevice] = [] // To hold discovered/paired devices var body: some View { VStack { Button("Discover Devices") { showingDevicePicker = true // Trigger the device picker presentation } .sheet(isPresented: $showingDevicePicker) { DevicePicker(.wifiAware(.connecting(to: .selected([]), from: .simulationService))) { endpoint in print("Paired Endpoint: \(endpoint)") } label: { Image(systemName: "plus") Text("Add Device") } fallback: { Image(systemName: "xmark.circle") Text("Unavailable") } } List(pairedDevices) { device in Text(device.name ?? "Unknown Device") } } } } With suggested entitlement of WiFiAware and info.plist of service info. Then I had Android device with WIFiAware service publishing service (service name set '_sat-simulation._udp') from this app https://github.com/anagramrice/NAN. But above iOS app is unable to find the service published from android device. Am I missing something? Note: the above Android-NAN app seems to be working fine between Android to Another Android.
21
2
1.8k
Sep ’25
Need Inputs on Which Extension to Use
Hi all, I have a working macOS (Intel) system extension app that currently uses only a Content Filter (NEFilterDataProvider). I need to capture/log HTTP and HTTPS traffic in plain text, and I understand NETransparentProxyProvider is the right extension type for that. For HTTPS I will need TLS inspection / a MITM proxy — I’m new to that and unsure how complex it will be. For DNS data (in plain text), can I use the same extension, or do I need a separate extension type such as NEPacketTunnelProvider, NEFilterPacketProvider, or NEDNSProxyProvider? Current architecture: Two Xcode targets: MainApp and a SystemExtension target. The SystemExtension target contains multiple network extension types. MainApp ↔ SystemExtension communicate via a bidirectional NSXPC connection. I can already enable two extensions (Content Filter and TransparentProxy). With the NETransparentProxy, I still need to implement HTTPS capture. Questions I’d appreciate help with: Can NETransparentProxy capture the DNS fields I need (dns_hostname, dns_query_type, dns_response_code, dns_answer_number, etc.), or do I need an additional extension type to capture DNS in plain text? If a separate extension is required, is it possible or problematic to include that extension type (Packet Tunnel / DNS Proxy / etc.) in the same SystemExtension Xcode target as the TransparentProxy? Any recommended resources or guidance on TLS inspection / MITM proxy setup for capturing HTTPS logs? There are multiple DNS transport types — am I correct that capturing DNS over UDP (port 53) is not necessarily sufficient? Which DNS types should I plan to handle? I’ve read that TransparentProxy and other extension types (e.g., Packet Tunnel) cannot coexist in the same Xcode target. Is that true? Best approach for delivering logs from multiple extensions to the main app (is it feasible)? Or what’s the best way to capture logs so an external/independent process (or C/C++ daemon) can consume them? Required data to capture (not limited to): All HTTP/HTTPS (request, body, URL, response, etc.) DNS fields: dns_hostname, dns_query_type, dns_response_code, dns_answer_number, and other DNS data — all in plain text. I’ve read various resources but remain unclear which extension(s) to use and whether multiple extension types can be combined in one Xcode target. Please ask if you need more details. Thank you.
5
0
304
Jan ’26
Archived app failing to get root certificates for SSL websocket connection
I've had a Unreal Engine project that uses libwebsocket to make a websocket connection with SSL to a server. Recently I made a build using Unreal Engine 5.4.4 on MacOS Sequoia 15.5 and XCode 16.4 and for some reason the websocket connection now fails because it can't get the local issuer certificate. It fails to access the root certificate store on my device (Even though, running the project in the Unreal Editor works fine, it's only when making a packaged build with XCode that it breaks) I am not sure why this is suddenly happening now. If I run it in the Unreal editor on my macOS it works fine and connects. But when I make a packaged build which uses XCode to build, it can't get the local issuer certificate. I tried different code signing options, such as sign to run locally or just using sign automatically with a valid team, but I'm not sure if code signing is the cause of this issue or not. This app is only for development and not meant to be published, so that's why I had been using sign to run locally, and that used to work fine but not anymore. Any guidance would be appreciated, also any information on what may have changed that now causes this certificate issue to happen. I know Apple made changes and has made notarizing MacOS apps mandatory, but I'm not sure if that also means a non-notarized app will now no longer have access to the root certificate store of a device, in my research I haven't found anything about that specifically, but I'm wondering if any Apple engineers might know something about this that hasn't been put out publicly.
6
0
169
Nov ’25
App occasionally fails to connect to Access Point (iPhone17 / iOS26)
Hi, My app uses the NetworkExtension framework to connect to an access point. For some reason, my app occasionally fails to find and/or connect to my AP (which I know is online and beaconing on a given frequency). This roughly happens 1/10 times. I am using an iPhone 17, running iOS 26.0.1. I am connecting to a WPA2-Personal network. In the iPhone system logs, I see the following: Oct 10 10:34:10 wifid(WiFiPolicy)[54] <Notice>: Dequeuing command type: "Scan" pending commands: 0 Oct 10 10:34:10 wifid(WiFiPolicy)[54] <Notice>: __WiFiDeviceCopyPreparedScanResults: network records count: 0 Oct 10 10:34:10 kernel()[0] <Notice>: wlan0:com.apple.p2p: WiFi infra associated, NAN DISABLED, , DFS state Off, IR INACTIVE, llwLink ACTIVE, RTM-DP 0, allowing scans Oct 10 10:34:10 kernel()[0] <Notice>: wlan0:com.apple.p2p: isScanDisallowedByAwdl[1148] : InfraScanAllowed 1 (RTModeScan 0 NonSteering 0 assistDisc 0 HTMode 0 RTModeNeeded 0 Immin 0 ScanType 1 Flags 0 ScanOn2GOnly 0 DevAllows2G 1) Oct 10 10:34:10 kernel()[0] <Notice>: wlan0:com.apple.p2p: IO80211PeerManager::setScanningState:5756:_scanningState:0x2(oldState 0) on:1, source:ScanManagerFamily, err:0 Oct 10 10:34:10 kernel()[0] <Notice>: wlan0:com.apple.p2p: setScanningState:: Scan request from ScanManagerFamily. Time since last scan(1.732 s) Number of channels(0), 2.4 only(no), isDFSScan 0, airplaying 0, scanningState 0x2 Oct 10 10:34:10 kernel()[0] <Notice>: wlan0:com.apple.p2p: IO80211PeerManager::setScanningState:5756:_scanningState:0x2(oldState 0) on:1, source:ScanManagerFamily, err:0 Oct 10 10:34:10 kernel()[0] <Notice>: wlan0:com.apple.p2p: Controller Scan Started, scan state 0 -> 2 Oct 10 10:34:10 kernel()[0] <Notice>: wlan0:com.apple.p2p: IO80211PeerManager::setScanningState:5756:_scanningState:0x0(oldState 2) on:0, source:ScanError, err:3766617154 Oct 10 10:34:10 kernel()[0] <Notice>: wlan0:com.apple.p2p: setScanningState[23946]:: Scan complete for source(8)ScanError. Time(0.000 s), airplaying 0, scanningState 0x0 oldState 0x2 rtModeActive 0 (ProxSetup 0 curSchedState 3) Oct 10 10:34:10 kernel()[0] <Notice>: wlan0:com.apple.p2p: IO80211PeerManager::setScanningState:5756:_scanningState:0x0(oldState 2) on:0, source:ScanError, err:3766617154 Oct 10 10:34:10 kernel()[0] <Notice>: wlan0:com.apple.p2p: Controller Scan Done, scan state 2 -> 0 Oct 10 10:34:10 wifid(IO80211)[54] <Notice>: Apple80211IOCTLSetWrapper:6536 @[35563.366221] ifname['en0'] IOUC type 10/'APPLE80211_IOC_SCAN_REQ', len[5528] return -528350142/0xe0820442 Oct 10 10:34:10 wifid[54] <Notice>: [WiFiPolicy] {SCAN-} Completed Apple80211ScanAsync on en0 (0xe0820442) with 0 networks Oct 10 10:34:10 wifid(WiFiPolicy)[54] <Error>: __WiFiDeviceCreateFilteredScanResults: null scanResults Oct 10 10:34:10 wifid(WiFiPolicy)[54] <Notice>: __WiFiDeviceCreateFilteredScanResults: rssiThresh 0, doTrimming 0, scanResultsCount: 0, trimmedScanResultsCount: 0, filteredScanResultsCount: 0, nullNetworksCount: 0 Oct 10 10:34:10 wifid(WiFiPolicy)[54] <Notice>: __WiFiDeviceManagerDispatchUserForcedAssociationCallback: result 1 Oct 10 10:34:10 wifid(WiFiPolicy)[54] <Error>: __WiFiDeviceManagerForcedAssociationCallback: failed to association error 1 Oct 10 10:34:10 wifid(WiFiPolicy)[54] <Notice>: WiFiLocalizationGetLocalizedString: lang='en_GB' key='WIFI_JOIN_NETWORK_FAILURE_TITLE' value='Unable to join the network \M-b\M^@\M^\%@\M-b\M^@\M^]' Oct 10 10:34:10 wifid(WiFiPolicy)[54] <Notice>: WiFiLocalizationGetLocalizedString: lang='en_GB' key='WIFI_FAILURE_OK' value='OK' Oct 10 10:34:10 wifid(WiFiPolicy)[54] <Notice>: __WiFiDeviceManagerUserForcedAssociationScanCallback: scan results were empty It looks like there is a scan error, and I see the error: failed to association error 1. I have also seen the iOS device find the SSID but fail to associate (associated error 2): Oct 8 12:25:52 wifid(WiFiPolicy)[54] <Notice>: __WiFiMetricsManagerCopyLinkChangeNetworkParams: updating AccessPointInfo: { DeviceNameElement = testssid; ManufacturerElement = " "; ModelName = " "; ModelNumber = " "; } Oct 8 12:25:52 wifid(WiFiPolicy)[54] <Notice>: __WiFiMetricsManagerCopyLinkChangeNetworkParams: minSupportDataRate 6, maxSupportDataRate 54 Oct 8 12:25:52 wifid(WiFiPolicy)[54] <Error>: Disassociated. Oct 8 12:25:52 wifid(WiFiPolicy)[54] <Error>: __WiFiMetricsManagerUpdateDBAndSubmitAssociationFailure: Failed to append deauthSourceOUI to CA event Oct 8 12:25:52 wifid(WiFiPolicy)[54] <Error>: __WiFiMetricsManagerUpdateDBAndSubmitAssociationFailure: Failed to append bssidOUI to CA event ..... <log omitted> ..... <log omitted> Oct 8 12:25:52 wifid(CoreWiFi)[54] <Notice>: [corewifi] END REQ [GET SSID] took 0.005530542s (pid=260 proc=mediaplaybackd bundleID=com.apple.mediaplaybackd codesignID=com.apple.mediaplaybackd service=com.apple.private.corewifi-xpc qos=21 intf=(null) uuid=D67EF err=-528342013 reply=(null) Oct 8 12:25:52 SpringBoard(SpringBoard)[244] <Notice>: Presenting a CFUserNotification with reply port: 259427 on behalf of: wifid.54 Oct 8 12:25:52 SpringBoard(SpringBoard)[244] <Notice>: Received request to activate alertItem: <SBUserNotificationAlert: 0xc20a49b80; title: Unable to join the network \M-b\M^@\M^\\134^Htestssid\134^?\M-b\M^@\M^]; source: wifid; pid: 54> Oct 8 12:25:52 wifid(WiFiPolicy)[54] <Notice>: __WiFiDeviceManagerUserForcedAssociationCallback: failed forced association Oct 8 12:25:52 SpringBoard(SpringBoard)[244] <Notice>: Activation - Presenting <SBUserNotificationAlert: 0xc20a49b80; title: Unable to join the network \M-b\M^@\M^\\134^Htestssid\134^?\M-b\M^@\M^]; source: wifid; pid: 54> with presenter: <SBUnlockedAlertItemPresenter: 0xc1d9f6530> Oct 8 12:25:52 wifid(WiFiPolicy)[54] <Notice>: __WiFiDeviceManagerDispatchUserForcedAssociationCallback: result 2 Oct 8 12:25:52 SpringBoard(SpringBoard)[244] <Notice>: Activation - Presenter:<SBUnlockedAlertItemPresenter: 0xc1d9f6530> will present presentation: <SBAlertItemPresentation: 0xc1cd40820; alertItem: <SBUserNotificationAlert: 0xc20a49b80; presented: NO>; presenter: <SBUnlockedAlertItemPresenter: 0xc1d9f6530>> Oct 8 12:25:52 wifid(WiFiPolicy)[54] <Error>: __WiFiDeviceManagerForcedAssociationCallback: failed to association error 2 Anyone able to help with this?
7
0
295
Nov ’25
Internal error, NEHotspotConfigurationErrorDomain
Hello eveybody,Currently I'm working on an app which connects to a device. During testing I encounter an internal error of NEHotspotConfigurationErrorDomain. See the log snippet:Domain=NEHotspotConfigurationErrorDomain Code=8 "internal error." UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=internal error.}This error appears randomly. In one day I encountered it three times. The only solution I can think of is catching this error somehow and then telling the user to restart the device.After this error appears, the wifi functionality of iOS in all third party apps seems to be broken. Only restarting helps as far as I know. Also there seems to be nothing we as app developers can do about it. Therefor I wonder if there is some way to prevent this error somehow? The only solution I can think of is catching this error somehow and then telling the user to restart the device.Also since there is not much information about this error on the web, it would be really nice if someone can clarify whats going on with this error.Regards.
16
0
10k
Jan ’26
Request for Guidance on Approval Process for Network Extension Entitlement
Dear Apple Developer Support Team, I am writing to inquire about the process for obtaining approval for the following entitlement in my iOS/macOS app: <key>com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension</key> <array> <string>content-filter-provider</string> </array> Specifically, I would like guidance on: The steps required to submit a request for this entitlement. Any necessary documentation or justification that needs to be provided to Apple. Typical review timelines and approval criteria. Any restrictions or compliance requirements associated with this entitlement. Our app intends to implement a content filtering functionality to enhance network security and user safety. We want to ensure full compliance with Apple’s policies and guidelines. Could you please provide detailed instructions or point us to the relevant resources to initiate this approval process? Thank you for your assistance.
5
0
227
2w
XPC doesn't work with network extension on app upgrade
Our app has a network extension (as I've mentioned lots 😄). We do an upgrade by downloading the new package, stopping & removing all of our components except for the network extension, and then installing the new package, which then loads a LaunchAgent causing the containing app to run. (The only difference between a new install and upgrade is the old extension is left running, but not having anything to tell it what to do, just logs and continues.) On some (but not all) upgrades... nothing ends up able to communicate via XPC with the Network Extension. My simplest cli program to talk to it gets Could not create proxy: Error Domain=NSCocoaErrorDomain Code=4099 "The connection to service named blah was invalidated: failed at lookup with error 3 - No such process." UserInfo={NSDebugDescription=The connection to service named bla was invalidated: failed at lookup with error 3 - No such process.} Could not communicate with blah Restarting the extension by doing a kill -9 doesn't fix it; neither does restarting the control daemon. The only solution we've come across so far is rebooting. I filed FB11086599 about this, but has anyone thoughts about this?
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2
4.3k
Apr ’25
Internet is blocked when `includeAllNetworks` is enabled and `NEHotspotHelper` is registered
Hello, We are facing what we believe is a compatibility issue with two networking APIs. If the Network extension VPN configuration has includeAllNetworks flag enabled and the NEHotspotHelper is registered. The user has internet connection but it is blocked, and there user will get internet back only after restarting the device. VPN Configuration is as below while connecting to VPN, { localizedDescription = WLVPN WireGuard Configuration enabled = YES protocolConfiguration = { serverAddress = <18-char-str> passwordReference = {length = 20, bytes = 0x67656e70ed0d05c06b1b4896bf4fef2031e1a92d} disconnectOnSleep = NO includeAllNetworks = YES excludeLocalNetworks = YES excludeCellularServices = YES excludeAPNs = YES excludeDeviceCommunication = YES enforceRoutes = NO providerBundleIdentifier = com.wlvpn.ios.consumervpn.network-extension } onDemandEnabled = NO onDemandRules = () } After running the code shown below. Regardless if the VPN is connected or not, the user needs to restart his device to regain internet access. private let neHelperQueue = DispatchQueue(label: "com.wlvpn.ios.consumervpn.hotspot", attributes: DispatchQueue.Attributes.concurrent) let options: [String: NSObject] = [kNEHotspotHelperOptionDisplayName : "" as NSObject] let status = NEHotspotHelper.register(options: nil, queue: neHelperQueue) { cmd in NSLog("Received command: \(cmd.commandType.rawValue)") } We need to use the includeAllNetworks flag to prevent the novel "Tunnel vision" vulnerability. Can we please have some help getting confirmation if both functionalities are compatible or if there's a way to enable them at the same time?
4
1
639
1w
Content & URL filtering
Hello team, I am developing a security app where I am denying certain flows/packets if the are communicating with known malicious endpoints. Therefore I want to make use of NetworkExtensions such as the new URLFilter or ContentFilter (NEURLFilterManager, NEFilterDataProvider, NEFilterControlProvider). Does NEURLFilterManager require the user's device to be at a minimun of ios 26? Does any of these APIs/Extensions require the device to be managed/supervised or can it be released to all consumers? Thanks,
4
0
145
Jan ’26
Local Network permission on macOS 15 macOS 26: multicast behaves inconsistently and regularly drops
Problem description Since macOS Sequoia, our users have experienced issues with multicast traffic in our macOS app. Regularly, the app starts but cannot receive multicast, or multicast eventually stops mid-execution. The app sometimes asks again for Local Network permission, while it was already allowed so. Several versions of our app on a single machine are sometimes (but not always) shown as different instances in the System Settings > Privacy & Security > Local Network list. And when several instances are shown in that list, disabling one disables all of them, but it does not actually forbids the app from receiving multicast traffic. All of those issues are experienced by an increasing number of users after they update their system from macOS 14 to macOS 15 or 26, and many of them have reported networking issues during production-critical moments. We haven't been able to find the root cause of those issues, so we built a simple test app, called "FM Mac App Test", that can reproduce multicast issues. This app creates a GCDAsyncUdpSocket socket to receive multicast packets from a piece of hardware we also develop, and displays a simple UI showing if such packets are received. The app is entitled with "Custom Network Protocol", is built against x86_64 and arm64, and is archived (signed and notarized). We can share the source code if requested. Out of the many issues our main app exhibits, the test app showcases some: The app asks several times for Local Network permission, even after being allowed so previously. After allowing the app's Local Network and rebooting the machine, the System Settings > Privacy & Security > Local Network does not show the app, and the app asks again for Local Network access. The app shows a different Local Network Usage Description than in the project's plist. Several versions of the app appear as different instances in the Privacy list, and behave strangely. Toggling on or off one instance toggles the others. Only one version of the app seems affected by the setting, the other versions always seem to have access to Local Network even when the toggle is set to off. We even did see messages from different app versions in different user accounts. This seems to contradicts Apple's documentation that states user accounts have independent Privacy settings. Can you help us understand what we are missing (in terms of build settings, entitlements, proper archiving...) so our app conforms to what macOS expects for proper Local Network behavior? Related material Local Network Privacy breaks Application: this issue seemed related to ours, but the fix was to ensure different versions of the app have different UUIDs. We ensured that ourselves, to no improvement. Local Network FAQ Technote TN3179 Steps to Reproduce Test App is developed on Xcode 15.4 (15F31d) on macOS 14.5 (23F79), and runs on macOS 26.0.1 (25A362). We can share the source code if requested. On a clean install of macOS Tahoe (our test setup used macOS 26.0.1 on a Mac mini M2 8GB), we upload the app (version 5.1). We run the app, make sure the selected NIC is the proper one, and open the multicast socket. The app asks us to allow Local Network, we allow it. The alert shows a different Local Network Usage Description than the one we set in our project's plist. The app properly shows packets are received from the console on our LAN. We check the list in System Settings > Privacy & Security > Local Network, it includes our app properly allowed. We then reboot the machine. After reboot, the same list does not show the app anymore. We run the app, it asks again about Local Network access (still with incorrect Usage Description). We allow it again, but no console packet is received yet. Only after closing and reopening the socket are the console packets received. After a 2nd reboot, the System Settings > Privacy & Security > Local Network list shows correctly the app. The app seems to now run fine. We then upload an updated version of the same app (5.2), also built and notarized. The 2nd version is simulating when we send different versions of our main app to our users. The updated version has a different UUID than the 1st version. The updated version also asks for Local Network access, this time with proper Usage Description. A 3rd updated version of the app (5.3, also with unique UUID) behaves the same. The System Settings > Privacy & Security > Local Network list shows three instances of the app. We toggle off one of the app, all of them toggle off. The 1st version of the app (5.1) does not have local network access anymore, but both 2nd and 3rd versions do, while their toggle button seems off. We toggle on one of the app, all of them toggle on. All 3 versions have local network access.
15
1
680
2w
Local network access disabled after macOS restart
My application needs local network access. When it is started for the first time, the user gets a prompt to enable local network access (as expected). The application is then shown as enabled in Privacy & Security / Local Network and local network access is working. If macOS is then shutdown and restarted, local network access is blocked for the application even though it is still shown as enabled in Privacy & Security / Local Network. Local network access can be restored either by toggling permission off and on in Privacy & Security / Local Network or by disabling and enabling Wi-Fi. This behaviour is consistent on Sequoia 15.1. It happens sometimes on 15.0 and 15.0.1 but not every time. Is my application doing something wrong or is this a Sequoia issue? If it is a Sequoia issue, is there some change I can make to my application to work around it?
Replies
27
Boosts
2
Views
3.6k
Activity
Jan ’26
App Extension Network Extension - failed to start, signature check failed
Howdy, I've been developing a packet tunnel extension meant to run on iOS and MacOS. For development I'm using xcodegen + xcodebuild to assemble a bunch of swift and rust code together. I'm moving from direct TUN device management on Mac to shipping a Network Extension (appex). With that move I noticed that on some mac laptops NE fails to start completely, whilst on others everything works fine. I'm using CODE_SIGN_STYLE: Automatic, Apple IDs are within the same team, all devices are registered as dev devices. Signing dev certificates, managed by xcode. Some suspicious logs: (NetworkExtension) [com.apple.networkextension:] Signature check failed: code failed to satisfy specified code requirement(s) ... (NetworkExtension) [com.apple.networkextension:] Provider is not signed with a Developer ID certificate What could be the issue? Where those inconsistencies across devices might come from?
Replies
8
Boosts
0
Views
315
Activity
Nov ’25
Multipeer Connectivity support
Greetings.I have an app today that uses multipeer connectivity extensively. Currently, when the user switches away from the app, MPC disconnects the session(s) - this is by design apparently (per other feedback). I'd like to hear if anyone has experimented with iOS9 multitasking / multipeer and whether MPC sessions can stay alive?Thanks
Replies
6
Boosts
1
Views
3.8k
Activity
Jan ’26
EAWiFiUnconfiguredAccessoryBrowser "Accessory Setup" UI selects blank/null SSID by default
We've received several reports of a new bug while setting up our products with WAC. The Accessory Setup UI appears with a blank network selected and the message 'This accessory will be set up to join "(null)".' at top. The user can tap "Show Other Networks..." to select another network, but this experience is very confusing. Why does this UI present a choice that is known to be invalid when other valid choices exist? I've captured a screenshot and sysdiagnose from this case. In most cases this problem happens only intermittently, but I can reproduce it consistently by disconnecting my iPhone from any WiFi network (WiFi remains enabled). My suggestion for a better user experience is that this UI should select the default network according to these rules: The network to which iPhone is currently connected. Any network which is in the known/my list for this iPhone Any valid network I believe rule #1 is the existing behavior, but applying rules #2 and #3 as fallbacks would be an improvement. Is there anything I can change in my iOS code or in my accessory's WAC server to improve this experience?
Replies
4
Boosts
0
Views
297
Activity
Sep ’25
Connection drops while using Content Filter & App Proxy Provider
I have a network extension that hosts a NEFilterDataProvider & NETransparentProxyProvider. One of the use case that this caters to is : Proxy some flows (depending on originating app) while Content filter is also filtering flows based on business logic. The issue I am running into happens when FilterDataProvider sees a flow & responds with filterDataVerdict(withFilterInbound: false, peekInboundBytes: 0, filterOutbound: true, peekOutboundBytes:1024 to handleNewFlow(_ flow: NEFilterFlow) [wants to peek more bytes on outbound connection before making a decision] TransparentProxyProvider sees the flow & responds with NO to handleNewFlow(_ flow: NEAppProxyFlow) as it is not interested in in proxying that flow. When this occurs, we see connection being dropped by kernel. I wanted to know if this is expected behavior. Logs when this occurs: 2026-02-06 14:57:09.725854-0600 0x17c918f Default 0x0 569 0 com.test.networkextension: (NetworkExtension) [com.apple.networkextension:] [Extension com.test.network]: provider rejected new flow TCP headless_shell[{length = 20, bytes = 0xe69023e655b6065e1a2f94fa508807fa43f6ac8a}] remote: 100.72.0.3:443 interface utun9 2026-02-06 14:57:09.725874-0600 0x17ca166 Debug 0x0 569 0 com.test.networkextension: (NetworkExtension) [com.apple.networkextension:] New flow verdict for D89B5B5D-793C-4940-D955-37BE33F18005: drop = NO remediate = NO needRules = NO shouldReport = YES pause = NO urlAppendString = NO filterInbound = NO peekInboundBytes = 0 filterOutbound = YES peekOutboundBytes = 1024 statisticsReportFrequency = low 2026-02-06 14:57:09.726009-0600 0x17ca24a Default 0x0 569 0 com.test.networkextension: (libnetworkextension.dylib) [com.apple.networkextension:] (410011084): Closing reads (sending SHUT_WR), closed by plugin (flow error: 0) 2026-02-06 14:57:09.726028-0600 0x17ca24a Default 0x0 569 0 com.test.networkextension: (libnetworkextension.dylib) [com.apple.networkextension:] (410011084): Closing writes, sending SHUT_RD 2026-02-06 14:57:09.726040-0600 0x17ca24a Debug 0x0 569 0 com.test.networkextension: (libnetworkextension.dylib) [com.apple.networkextension:] (410011084): Dropping the director 2026-02-06 14:57:09.726047-0600 0x17ca24a Default 0x0 569 0 com.test.networkextension: (libnetworkextension.dylib) [com.apple.networkextension:] (410011084): Destroying, client tx 0, client rx 0, kernel rx 0, kernel tx 0 I wanted to know how neagent is handling this when for a flow, filterDataProvider wants to look at the traffic while transparentProxy is not interested in handling that flow
Replies
3
Boosts
0
Views
115
Activity
Feb ’26
ios26 beta5 VPN Profile not installing
I have a custom VPN app that uses NETunnelProviderManager to install a VPN Profile if one is not already installed. On previous iOS versions this would open the VPN Settings and ask for either the PIN, FaceID or TouchID and install the profile. With iOS 26 beta5 it opens the VPN Settings and stops. Is this a bug in iOS 26? Have there been changes to NETunnelProviderManager for iOS 26 that I'm not aware of? FYI we do the samething on macOS 26 beta5 and that works as expected.
Replies
8
Boosts
2
Views
653
Activity
Aug ’25
iOS App udp and local network permission
Recently, my application was having trouble sending udp messages after it was reinstalled. The cause of the problem was initially that I did not grant local network permissions when I reinstalled, I was aware of the problem, so udp worked fine after I granted permissions. However, the next time I repeat the previous operation, I also do not grant local network permissions, and then turn it back on in the Settings, and udp does not work properly (no messages can be sent, the system version and code have not changed). Fortunately, udp worked after rebooting the phone, and more importantly, I was able to repeat the problem many times. So I want to know if the process between when I re-uninstall the app and deny local network permissions, and when I turn it back on in Settings, is that permissions have been granted normally, and not fake, and not required a reboot to reset something for udp to take effect. I'm not sure if it's the system, or if it's a similar situation as described here, hopefully that will help me find out
Replies
5
Boosts
2
Views
1.4k
Activity
Jun ’25
DNS Proxy system extension – OSSystemExtensionErrorDomain error 9 “validationFailed” on clean macOS machine
Hi, I’m implementing a macOS DNS Proxy as a system extension and running into a persistent activation error: OSSystemExtensionErrorDomain error 9 (validationFailed) with the message: extension category returned error This happens both on an MDM‑managed Mac and on a completely clean Mac (no MDM, fresh install). Setup macOS: 15.x (clean machine, no MDM) Xcode: 16.x Team ID: AAAAAAA111 (test) Host app bundle ID: com.example.agent.NetShieldProxy DNS Proxy system extension bundle ID: com.example.agent.NetShieldProxy.dnsProxy The DNS Proxy is implemented as a NetworkExtension system extension, not an app extension. Host app entitlements From codesign -d --entitlements :- /Applications/NetShieldProxy.app: xml com.apple.application-identifier AAAAAAA111.com.example.agent.NetShieldProxy <key>com.apple.developer.system-extension.install</key> <true/> <key>com.apple.developer.team-identifier</key> <string>AAAAAAA111</string> <key>com.apple.security.app-sandbox</key> <true/> <key>com.apple.security.application-groups</key> <array> <string>group.com.example.NetShieldmac</string> </array> <key>com.apple.security.files.user-selected.read-only</key> <true/> xml com.apple.application-identifier AAAAAAA111.com.example.agent.NetShieldProxy.dnsProxy <key>com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension</key> <array> <string>dns-proxy-systemextension</string> </array> <key>com.apple.developer.team-identifier</key> <string>AAAAAAA111</string> <key>com.apple.security.application-groups</key> <array> <string>group.com.example.NetShieldmac</string> <string>group.example.NetShieldmac</string> <string>group.example.agent.enterprise.macos</string> <string>group.example.com.NetShieldmac</string> </array> DNS Proxy system extension Info.plist On the clean Mac, from: bash plutil -p "/Applications/NetShieldProxy.app/Contents/Library/SystemExtensions/com.example.agent.NetShieldProxy.dnsProxy.systemextension/Contents/Info.plist" I get: json { "CFBundleExecutable" => "com.example.agent.NetShieldProxy.dnsProxy", "CFBundleIdentifier" => "com.example.agent.NetShieldProxy.dnsProxy", "CFBundleName" => "com.example.agent.NetShieldProxy.dnsProxy", "CFBundlePackageType" => "SYSX", "CFBundleShortVersionString" => "1.0.1.8", "CFBundleSupportedPlatforms" => [ "MacOSX" ], "CFBundleVersion" => "0.1.1", "LSMinimumSystemVersion" => "13.5", "NSExtension" => { "NSExtensionPointIdentifier" => "com.apple.dns-proxy", "NSExtensionPrincipalClass" => "com_example_agent_NetShieldProxy_dnsProxy.DNSProxyProvider" }, "NSSystemExtensionUsageDescription" => "SYSTEM_EXTENSION_USAGE_DESCRIPTION" } The DNSProxyProvider class inherits from NEDNSProxyProvider and is built in the system extension target. Activation code In the host app, I use: swift import SystemExtensions final class SystemExtensionActivator: NSObject, OSSystemExtensionRequestDelegate { private let extensionIdentifier = "com.example.agent.NetShieldProxy.dnsProxy" func activate(completion: @escaping (Bool) -> Void) { let request = OSSystemExtensionRequest.activationRequest( forExtensionWithIdentifier: extensionIdentifier, queue: .main ) request.delegate = self OSSystemExtensionManager.shared.submitRequest(request) } func request(_ request: OSSystemExtensionRequest, didFailWithError error: Error) { let nsError = error as NSError print("Activation failed:", nsError) } func request(_ request: OSSystemExtensionRequest, didFinishWithResult result: OSSystemExtensionRequest.Result) { print("Result:", result.rawValue) } } Runtime behavior on a clean Mac (no MDM) config.plist is created under /Library/Application Support/NetShield (via a root shell script). A daemon runs, contacts our backend, and writes /Library/Application Support/NetShield/state.plist with a valid dnsToken and other fields. The app NetShieldProxy.app is installed via a notarized, stapled Developer ID .pkg. The extension bundle is present at: /Applications/NetShieldProxy.app/Contents/Library/SystemExtensions/com.example.agent.NetShieldProxy.dnsProxy.systemextension. When I press Activate DNS Proxy in the UI, I see in the unified log: text NetShieldProxy: [com.example.agent:SystemExtensionActivator] Requesting activation for system extension: com.example.agent.NetShieldProxy.dnsProxy NetShieldProxy: [com.example.agent:SystemExtensionActivator] SystemExtensionActivator - activation failed: extension category returned error (domain=OSSystemExtensionErrorDomain code=9) NetShieldProxy: [com.example.agent:SystemExtensionActivator] SystemExtensionActivator - OSSystemExtensionError code enum: 9 NetShieldProxy: [com.example.agent:SystemExtensionActivator] SystemExtensionActivator - validationFailed And: bash systemextensionsctl list -> 0 extension(s) There is no prompt in Privacy & Security on this clean Mac. Question Given: The extension is packaged as a system extension (CFBundlePackageType = SYSX) with NSExtensionPointIdentifier = "com.apple.dns-proxy". Host and extension share the same Team ID and Developer ID Application cert. Entitlements on the target machine match the provisioning profile and Apple’s docs for DNS Proxy system extensions (dns-proxy-systemextension). This is happening on a clean Mac with no MDM profiles at all. What are the likely reasons for OSSystemExtensionErrorDomain error 9 (validationFailed) with "extension category returned error" in this DNS Proxy system extension scenario? Is there any additional configuration required for DNS Proxy system extensions (beyond entitlements and Info.plist) that could trigger this category-level validation failure? Any guidance or examples of a working DNS Proxy system extension configuration (host entitlements + extension Info.plist + entitlements) would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Replies
9
Boosts
0
Views
414
Activity
Jan ’26
URLCache behavior for request with different header values
Greetings, I would like to understand this URLCache behavior for two different requests to the same end point but with a different header value. Here is a code with comment explaining the behavior. // Create a request to for a url. let url = URL(string: "https://&lt;my url&gt;?f=json")! var request = URLRequest(url: url) // Set custom header with a value. request.setValue("myvalue", forHTTPHeaderField: "CustomField") // Send request to get the response. let (data, response) = try await URLSession.shared.data(for: request) print("data: \(String(describing: String(data: data, encoding: .utf8)))") print("response: \(response)") // Create second request to the same url but with different value of custom header field. var request2 = URLRequest(url: url) request2.setValue("newvalue", forHTTPHeaderField: "CustomField") // Check the URL cache for second request and it returns the response // of the first request even though the second request has different header value. let cachedResponse = URLCache.shared.cachedResponse(for: request2) print("cachedResponse: \(cachedResponse?.response)") Is this a bug in URLCache that request headers are not matched while returning the response? Is this an expected behavior? If yes, why?
Replies
8
Boosts
2
Views
1.7k
Activity
Aug ’25
Wi-Fi Aware between iOS 26 and Android device
Eager to see the Wi-Fi Aware communication between iPhone (iOS 26) and an Android device, I tried iOS 26 beta on my iPhone16. and tried below code snippet from provided example at https://developer.apple.com/documentation/wifiaware/building-peer-to-peer-apps. Idea is to first verify discovery of Android WiFiAware service on iOS. extension WAPublishableService { public static var simulationService: WAPublishableService { allServices[simulationServiceName]! } } extension WASubscribableService { public static var simulationService: WASubscribableService { allServices[simulationServiceName]! } } struct ContentView: View { @State private var showingDevicePicker = false @State private var pairedDevices: [WAPairedDevice] = [] // To hold discovered/paired devices var body: some View { VStack { Button("Discover Devices") { showingDevicePicker = true // Trigger the device picker presentation } .sheet(isPresented: $showingDevicePicker) { DevicePicker(.wifiAware(.connecting(to: .selected([]), from: .simulationService))) { endpoint in print("Paired Endpoint: \(endpoint)") } label: { Image(systemName: "plus") Text("Add Device") } fallback: { Image(systemName: "xmark.circle") Text("Unavailable") } } List(pairedDevices) { device in Text(device.name ?? "Unknown Device") } } } } With suggested entitlement of WiFiAware and info.plist of service info. Then I had Android device with WIFiAware service publishing service (service name set '_sat-simulation._udp') from this app https://github.com/anagramrice/NAN. But above iOS app is unable to find the service published from android device. Am I missing something? Note: the above Android-NAN app seems to be working fine between Android to Another Android.
Replies
21
Boosts
2
Views
1.8k
Activity
Sep ’25
Need Inputs on Which Extension to Use
Hi all, I have a working macOS (Intel) system extension app that currently uses only a Content Filter (NEFilterDataProvider). I need to capture/log HTTP and HTTPS traffic in plain text, and I understand NETransparentProxyProvider is the right extension type for that. For HTTPS I will need TLS inspection / a MITM proxy — I’m new to that and unsure how complex it will be. For DNS data (in plain text), can I use the same extension, or do I need a separate extension type such as NEPacketTunnelProvider, NEFilterPacketProvider, or NEDNSProxyProvider? Current architecture: Two Xcode targets: MainApp and a SystemExtension target. The SystemExtension target contains multiple network extension types. MainApp ↔ SystemExtension communicate via a bidirectional NSXPC connection. I can already enable two extensions (Content Filter and TransparentProxy). With the NETransparentProxy, I still need to implement HTTPS capture. Questions I’d appreciate help with: Can NETransparentProxy capture the DNS fields I need (dns_hostname, dns_query_type, dns_response_code, dns_answer_number, etc.), or do I need an additional extension type to capture DNS in plain text? If a separate extension is required, is it possible or problematic to include that extension type (Packet Tunnel / DNS Proxy / etc.) in the same SystemExtension Xcode target as the TransparentProxy? Any recommended resources or guidance on TLS inspection / MITM proxy setup for capturing HTTPS logs? There are multiple DNS transport types — am I correct that capturing DNS over UDP (port 53) is not necessarily sufficient? Which DNS types should I plan to handle? I’ve read that TransparentProxy and other extension types (e.g., Packet Tunnel) cannot coexist in the same Xcode target. Is that true? Best approach for delivering logs from multiple extensions to the main app (is it feasible)? Or what’s the best way to capture logs so an external/independent process (or C/C++ daemon) can consume them? Required data to capture (not limited to): All HTTP/HTTPS (request, body, URL, response, etc.) DNS fields: dns_hostname, dns_query_type, dns_response_code, dns_answer_number, and other DNS data — all in plain text. I’ve read various resources but remain unclear which extension(s) to use and whether multiple extension types can be combined in one Xcode target. Please ask if you need more details. Thank you.
Replies
5
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0
Views
304
Activity
Jan ’26
Archived app failing to get root certificates for SSL websocket connection
I've had a Unreal Engine project that uses libwebsocket to make a websocket connection with SSL to a server. Recently I made a build using Unreal Engine 5.4.4 on MacOS Sequoia 15.5 and XCode 16.4 and for some reason the websocket connection now fails because it can't get the local issuer certificate. It fails to access the root certificate store on my device (Even though, running the project in the Unreal Editor works fine, it's only when making a packaged build with XCode that it breaks) I am not sure why this is suddenly happening now. If I run it in the Unreal editor on my macOS it works fine and connects. But when I make a packaged build which uses XCode to build, it can't get the local issuer certificate. I tried different code signing options, such as sign to run locally or just using sign automatically with a valid team, but I'm not sure if code signing is the cause of this issue or not. This app is only for development and not meant to be published, so that's why I had been using sign to run locally, and that used to work fine but not anymore. Any guidance would be appreciated, also any information on what may have changed that now causes this certificate issue to happen. I know Apple made changes and has made notarizing MacOS apps mandatory, but I'm not sure if that also means a non-notarized app will now no longer have access to the root certificate store of a device, in my research I haven't found anything about that specifically, but I'm wondering if any Apple engineers might know something about this that hasn't been put out publicly.
Replies
6
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0
Views
169
Activity
Nov ’25
App occasionally fails to connect to Access Point (iPhone17 / iOS26)
Hi, My app uses the NetworkExtension framework to connect to an access point. For some reason, my app occasionally fails to find and/or connect to my AP (which I know is online and beaconing on a given frequency). This roughly happens 1/10 times. I am using an iPhone 17, running iOS 26.0.1. I am connecting to a WPA2-Personal network. In the iPhone system logs, I see the following: Oct 10 10:34:10 wifid(WiFiPolicy)[54] <Notice>: Dequeuing command type: "Scan" pending commands: 0 Oct 10 10:34:10 wifid(WiFiPolicy)[54] <Notice>: __WiFiDeviceCopyPreparedScanResults: network records count: 0 Oct 10 10:34:10 kernel()[0] <Notice>: wlan0:com.apple.p2p: WiFi infra associated, NAN DISABLED, , DFS state Off, IR INACTIVE, llwLink ACTIVE, RTM-DP 0, allowing scans Oct 10 10:34:10 kernel()[0] <Notice>: wlan0:com.apple.p2p: isScanDisallowedByAwdl[1148] : InfraScanAllowed 1 (RTModeScan 0 NonSteering 0 assistDisc 0 HTMode 0 RTModeNeeded 0 Immin 0 ScanType 1 Flags 0 ScanOn2GOnly 0 DevAllows2G 1) Oct 10 10:34:10 kernel()[0] <Notice>: wlan0:com.apple.p2p: IO80211PeerManager::setScanningState:5756:_scanningState:0x2(oldState 0) on:1, source:ScanManagerFamily, err:0 Oct 10 10:34:10 kernel()[0] <Notice>: wlan0:com.apple.p2p: setScanningState:: Scan request from ScanManagerFamily. Time since last scan(1.732 s) Number of channels(0), 2.4 only(no), isDFSScan 0, airplaying 0, scanningState 0x2 Oct 10 10:34:10 kernel()[0] <Notice>: wlan0:com.apple.p2p: IO80211PeerManager::setScanningState:5756:_scanningState:0x2(oldState 0) on:1, source:ScanManagerFamily, err:0 Oct 10 10:34:10 kernel()[0] <Notice>: wlan0:com.apple.p2p: Controller Scan Started, scan state 0 -> 2 Oct 10 10:34:10 kernel()[0] <Notice>: wlan0:com.apple.p2p: IO80211PeerManager::setScanningState:5756:_scanningState:0x0(oldState 2) on:0, source:ScanError, err:3766617154 Oct 10 10:34:10 kernel()[0] <Notice>: wlan0:com.apple.p2p: setScanningState[23946]:: Scan complete for source(8)ScanError. Time(0.000 s), airplaying 0, scanningState 0x0 oldState 0x2 rtModeActive 0 (ProxSetup 0 curSchedState 3) Oct 10 10:34:10 kernel()[0] <Notice>: wlan0:com.apple.p2p: IO80211PeerManager::setScanningState:5756:_scanningState:0x0(oldState 2) on:0, source:ScanError, err:3766617154 Oct 10 10:34:10 kernel()[0] <Notice>: wlan0:com.apple.p2p: Controller Scan Done, scan state 2 -> 0 Oct 10 10:34:10 wifid(IO80211)[54] <Notice>: Apple80211IOCTLSetWrapper:6536 @[35563.366221] ifname['en0'] IOUC type 10/'APPLE80211_IOC_SCAN_REQ', len[5528] return -528350142/0xe0820442 Oct 10 10:34:10 wifid[54] <Notice>: [WiFiPolicy] {SCAN-} Completed Apple80211ScanAsync on en0 (0xe0820442) with 0 networks Oct 10 10:34:10 wifid(WiFiPolicy)[54] <Error>: __WiFiDeviceCreateFilteredScanResults: null scanResults Oct 10 10:34:10 wifid(WiFiPolicy)[54] <Notice>: __WiFiDeviceCreateFilteredScanResults: rssiThresh 0, doTrimming 0, scanResultsCount: 0, trimmedScanResultsCount: 0, filteredScanResultsCount: 0, nullNetworksCount: 0 Oct 10 10:34:10 wifid(WiFiPolicy)[54] <Notice>: __WiFiDeviceManagerDispatchUserForcedAssociationCallback: result 1 Oct 10 10:34:10 wifid(WiFiPolicy)[54] <Error>: __WiFiDeviceManagerForcedAssociationCallback: failed to association error 1 Oct 10 10:34:10 wifid(WiFiPolicy)[54] <Notice>: WiFiLocalizationGetLocalizedString: lang='en_GB' key='WIFI_JOIN_NETWORK_FAILURE_TITLE' value='Unable to join the network \M-b\M^@\M^\%@\M-b\M^@\M^]' Oct 10 10:34:10 wifid(WiFiPolicy)[54] <Notice>: WiFiLocalizationGetLocalizedString: lang='en_GB' key='WIFI_FAILURE_OK' value='OK' Oct 10 10:34:10 wifid(WiFiPolicy)[54] <Notice>: __WiFiDeviceManagerUserForcedAssociationScanCallback: scan results were empty It looks like there is a scan error, and I see the error: failed to association error 1. I have also seen the iOS device find the SSID but fail to associate (associated error 2): Oct 8 12:25:52 wifid(WiFiPolicy)[54] <Notice>: __WiFiMetricsManagerCopyLinkChangeNetworkParams: updating AccessPointInfo: { DeviceNameElement = testssid; ManufacturerElement = " "; ModelName = " "; ModelNumber = " "; } Oct 8 12:25:52 wifid(WiFiPolicy)[54] <Notice>: __WiFiMetricsManagerCopyLinkChangeNetworkParams: minSupportDataRate 6, maxSupportDataRate 54 Oct 8 12:25:52 wifid(WiFiPolicy)[54] <Error>: Disassociated. Oct 8 12:25:52 wifid(WiFiPolicy)[54] <Error>: __WiFiMetricsManagerUpdateDBAndSubmitAssociationFailure: Failed to append deauthSourceOUI to CA event Oct 8 12:25:52 wifid(WiFiPolicy)[54] <Error>: __WiFiMetricsManagerUpdateDBAndSubmitAssociationFailure: Failed to append bssidOUI to CA event ..... <log omitted> ..... <log omitted> Oct 8 12:25:52 wifid(CoreWiFi)[54] <Notice>: [corewifi] END REQ [GET SSID] took 0.005530542s (pid=260 proc=mediaplaybackd bundleID=com.apple.mediaplaybackd codesignID=com.apple.mediaplaybackd service=com.apple.private.corewifi-xpc qos=21 intf=(null) uuid=D67EF err=-528342013 reply=(null) Oct 8 12:25:52 SpringBoard(SpringBoard)[244] <Notice>: Presenting a CFUserNotification with reply port: 259427 on behalf of: wifid.54 Oct 8 12:25:52 SpringBoard(SpringBoard)[244] <Notice>: Received request to activate alertItem: <SBUserNotificationAlert: 0xc20a49b80; title: Unable to join the network \M-b\M^@\M^\\134^Htestssid\134^?\M-b\M^@\M^]; source: wifid; pid: 54> Oct 8 12:25:52 wifid(WiFiPolicy)[54] <Notice>: __WiFiDeviceManagerUserForcedAssociationCallback: failed forced association Oct 8 12:25:52 SpringBoard(SpringBoard)[244] <Notice>: Activation - Presenting <SBUserNotificationAlert: 0xc20a49b80; title: Unable to join the network \M-b\M^@\M^\\134^Htestssid\134^?\M-b\M^@\M^]; source: wifid; pid: 54> with presenter: <SBUnlockedAlertItemPresenter: 0xc1d9f6530> Oct 8 12:25:52 wifid(WiFiPolicy)[54] <Notice>: __WiFiDeviceManagerDispatchUserForcedAssociationCallback: result 2 Oct 8 12:25:52 SpringBoard(SpringBoard)[244] <Notice>: Activation - Presenter:<SBUnlockedAlertItemPresenter: 0xc1d9f6530> will present presentation: <SBAlertItemPresentation: 0xc1cd40820; alertItem: <SBUserNotificationAlert: 0xc20a49b80; presented: NO>; presenter: <SBUnlockedAlertItemPresenter: 0xc1d9f6530>> Oct 8 12:25:52 wifid(WiFiPolicy)[54] <Error>: __WiFiDeviceManagerForcedAssociationCallback: failed to association error 2 Anyone able to help with this?
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Activity
Nov ’25
Internal error, NEHotspotConfigurationErrorDomain
Hello eveybody,Currently I'm working on an app which connects to a device. During testing I encounter an internal error of NEHotspotConfigurationErrorDomain. See the log snippet:Domain=NEHotspotConfigurationErrorDomain Code=8 "internal error." UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=internal error.}This error appears randomly. In one day I encountered it three times. The only solution I can think of is catching this error somehow and then telling the user to restart the device.After this error appears, the wifi functionality of iOS in all third party apps seems to be broken. Only restarting helps as far as I know. Also there seems to be nothing we as app developers can do about it. Therefor I wonder if there is some way to prevent this error somehow? The only solution I can think of is catching this error somehow and then telling the user to restart the device.Also since there is not much information about this error on the web, it would be really nice if someone can clarify whats going on with this error.Regards.
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Activity
Jan ’26
Request for Guidance on Approval Process for Network Extension Entitlement
Dear Apple Developer Support Team, I am writing to inquire about the process for obtaining approval for the following entitlement in my iOS/macOS app: <key>com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension</key> <array> <string>content-filter-provider</string> </array> Specifically, I would like guidance on: The steps required to submit a request for this entitlement. Any necessary documentation or justification that needs to be provided to Apple. Typical review timelines and approval criteria. Any restrictions or compliance requirements associated with this entitlement. Our app intends to implement a content filtering functionality to enhance network security and user safety. We want to ensure full compliance with Apple’s policies and guidelines. Could you please provide detailed instructions or point us to the relevant resources to initiate this approval process? Thank you for your assistance.
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Activity
2w
Wi-Fi Aware support on MacCatalyst
Why is the WiFiAware framework not importable in Mac Catalyst? Are there any plans to support Wi-Fi Aware technology on Mac Catalyst in the future?
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224
Activity
Jan ’26
XPC doesn't work with network extension on app upgrade
Our app has a network extension (as I've mentioned lots 😄). We do an upgrade by downloading the new package, stopping & removing all of our components except for the network extension, and then installing the new package, which then loads a LaunchAgent causing the containing app to run. (The only difference between a new install and upgrade is the old extension is left running, but not having anything to tell it what to do, just logs and continues.) On some (but not all) upgrades... nothing ends up able to communicate via XPC with the Network Extension. My simplest cli program to talk to it gets Could not create proxy: Error Domain=NSCocoaErrorDomain Code=4099 "The connection to service named blah was invalidated: failed at lookup with error 3 - No such process." UserInfo={NSDebugDescription=The connection to service named bla was invalidated: failed at lookup with error 3 - No such process.} Could not communicate with blah Restarting the extension by doing a kill -9 doesn't fix it; neither does restarting the control daemon. The only solution we've come across so far is rebooting. I filed FB11086599 about this, but has anyone thoughts about this?
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Activity
Apr ’25
Internet is blocked when `includeAllNetworks` is enabled and `NEHotspotHelper` is registered
Hello, We are facing what we believe is a compatibility issue with two networking APIs. If the Network extension VPN configuration has includeAllNetworks flag enabled and the NEHotspotHelper is registered. The user has internet connection but it is blocked, and there user will get internet back only after restarting the device. VPN Configuration is as below while connecting to VPN, { localizedDescription = WLVPN WireGuard Configuration enabled = YES protocolConfiguration = { serverAddress = <18-char-str> passwordReference = {length = 20, bytes = 0x67656e70ed0d05c06b1b4896bf4fef2031e1a92d} disconnectOnSleep = NO includeAllNetworks = YES excludeLocalNetworks = YES excludeCellularServices = YES excludeAPNs = YES excludeDeviceCommunication = YES enforceRoutes = NO providerBundleIdentifier = com.wlvpn.ios.consumervpn.network-extension } onDemandEnabled = NO onDemandRules = () } After running the code shown below. Regardless if the VPN is connected or not, the user needs to restart his device to regain internet access. private let neHelperQueue = DispatchQueue(label: "com.wlvpn.ios.consumervpn.hotspot", attributes: DispatchQueue.Attributes.concurrent) let options: [String: NSObject] = [kNEHotspotHelperOptionDisplayName : "" as NSObject] let status = NEHotspotHelper.register(options: nil, queue: neHelperQueue) { cmd in NSLog("Received command: \(cmd.commandType.rawValue)") } We need to use the includeAllNetworks flag to prevent the novel "Tunnel vision" vulnerability. Can we please have some help getting confirmation if both functionalities are compatible or if there's a way to enable them at the same time?
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639
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1w
Content & URL filtering
Hello team, I am developing a security app where I am denying certain flows/packets if the are communicating with known malicious endpoints. Therefore I want to make use of NetworkExtensions such as the new URLFilter or ContentFilter (NEURLFilterManager, NEFilterDataProvider, NEFilterControlProvider). Does NEURLFilterManager require the user's device to be at a minimun of ios 26? Does any of these APIs/Extensions require the device to be managed/supervised or can it be released to all consumers? Thanks,
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145
Activity
Jan ’26
Local Network permission on macOS 15 macOS 26: multicast behaves inconsistently and regularly drops
Problem description Since macOS Sequoia, our users have experienced issues with multicast traffic in our macOS app. Regularly, the app starts but cannot receive multicast, or multicast eventually stops mid-execution. The app sometimes asks again for Local Network permission, while it was already allowed so. Several versions of our app on a single machine are sometimes (but not always) shown as different instances in the System Settings > Privacy & Security > Local Network list. And when several instances are shown in that list, disabling one disables all of them, but it does not actually forbids the app from receiving multicast traffic. All of those issues are experienced by an increasing number of users after they update their system from macOS 14 to macOS 15 or 26, and many of them have reported networking issues during production-critical moments. We haven't been able to find the root cause of those issues, so we built a simple test app, called "FM Mac App Test", that can reproduce multicast issues. This app creates a GCDAsyncUdpSocket socket to receive multicast packets from a piece of hardware we also develop, and displays a simple UI showing if such packets are received. The app is entitled with "Custom Network Protocol", is built against x86_64 and arm64, and is archived (signed and notarized). We can share the source code if requested. Out of the many issues our main app exhibits, the test app showcases some: The app asks several times for Local Network permission, even after being allowed so previously. After allowing the app's Local Network and rebooting the machine, the System Settings > Privacy & Security > Local Network does not show the app, and the app asks again for Local Network access. The app shows a different Local Network Usage Description than in the project's plist. Several versions of the app appear as different instances in the Privacy list, and behave strangely. Toggling on or off one instance toggles the others. Only one version of the app seems affected by the setting, the other versions always seem to have access to Local Network even when the toggle is set to off. We even did see messages from different app versions in different user accounts. This seems to contradicts Apple's documentation that states user accounts have independent Privacy settings. Can you help us understand what we are missing (in terms of build settings, entitlements, proper archiving...) so our app conforms to what macOS expects for proper Local Network behavior? Related material Local Network Privacy breaks Application: this issue seemed related to ours, but the fix was to ensure different versions of the app have different UUIDs. We ensured that ourselves, to no improvement. Local Network FAQ Technote TN3179 Steps to Reproduce Test App is developed on Xcode 15.4 (15F31d) on macOS 14.5 (23F79), and runs on macOS 26.0.1 (25A362). We can share the source code if requested. On a clean install of macOS Tahoe (our test setup used macOS 26.0.1 on a Mac mini M2 8GB), we upload the app (version 5.1). We run the app, make sure the selected NIC is the proper one, and open the multicast socket. The app asks us to allow Local Network, we allow it. The alert shows a different Local Network Usage Description than the one we set in our project's plist. The app properly shows packets are received from the console on our LAN. We check the list in System Settings > Privacy & Security > Local Network, it includes our app properly allowed. We then reboot the machine. After reboot, the same list does not show the app anymore. We run the app, it asks again about Local Network access (still with incorrect Usage Description). We allow it again, but no console packet is received yet. Only after closing and reopening the socket are the console packets received. After a 2nd reboot, the System Settings > Privacy & Security > Local Network list shows correctly the app. The app seems to now run fine. We then upload an updated version of the same app (5.2), also built and notarized. The 2nd version is simulating when we send different versions of our main app to our users. The updated version has a different UUID than the 1st version. The updated version also asks for Local Network access, this time with proper Usage Description. A 3rd updated version of the app (5.3, also with unique UUID) behaves the same. The System Settings > Privacy & Security > Local Network list shows three instances of the app. We toggle off one of the app, all of them toggle off. The 1st version of the app (5.1) does not have local network access anymore, but both 2nd and 3rd versions do, while their toggle button seems off. We toggle on one of the app, all of them toggle on. All 3 versions have local network access.
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2w