Network Extension

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Customize and extend the core networking features of iOS, iPad OS, and macOS using Network Extension.

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Network Extension Resources
General: Forums subtopic: App & System Services > Networking DevForums tag: Network Extension Network Extension framework documentation Routing your VPN network traffic article Filtering traffic by URL sample code Filtering Network Traffic sample code TN3120 Expected use cases for Network Extension packet tunnel providers technote TN3134 Network Extension provider deployment technote TN3165 Packet Filter is not API technote Network Extension and VPN Glossary forums post Debugging a Network Extension Provider forums post Exporting a Developer ID Network Extension forums post Network Extension Framework Entitlements forums post Network Extension vs ad hoc techniques on macOS forums post Network Extension Provider Packaging forums post NWEndpoint History and Advice forums post Extra-ordinary Networking forums post Wi-Fi management: Understanding NEHotspotConfigurationErrorInternal forums post See also Networking Resources for general networking resources, including information about Wi-Fi. Share and Enjoy — Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com"
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Kernel panics on M5 devices with network extension
Hello, We have a security solution which intercepts network traffic for inspection using a combination of Transparent Proxy Provider and Content filter. Lately we are seeing reports from the market that on M5 Macbooks and A18 Neos the system will kernel panic using our solution, even though it never happens on M1-M4 and no significant code changes were made in the mean time. All crashes seem to be related to an internal double free in the kernel: panic(cpu 0 caller 0xfffffe003bb68224): skmem_slab_free_locked: attempt to free invalid or already-freed obj 0xf2fffe29e15f2400 on skm 0xf6fffe2518aaa200 @skmem_slab.c:646 Debugger message: panic Memory ID: 0xff OS release type: User OS version: 25D2128 Kernel version: Darwin Kernel Version 25.3.0: Wed Jan 28 20:54:38 PST 2026; root:xnu-12377.91.3~2/RELEASE_ARM64_T6050 Additionally, from further log inspection, before panics we find some weird kernel messages which seem to be related to some DMA operations gone wrong in the network driver on some machines: 2026-03-30 14:11:21.779124+0300 0x30f2 Default 0x0 873 0 Arc: (Network) [com.apple.network:connection] [C9.1.1.1 IPv4#e5b4bb04:443 in_progress socket-flow (satisfied (Path is satisfied), interface: en0[802.11], ipv4, ipv6, dns, uses wifi, flow divert agg: 1, LQM: good)] event: flow:start_connect @0.075s 2026-03-30 14:11:21.780015+0300 0x1894 Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: (402262746): No more valid control units, disabling flow divert 2026-03-30 14:11:21.780017+0300 0x1894 Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: (402262746): Skipped all flow divert services, disabling flow divert 2026-03-30 14:11:21.780102+0300 0x1894 Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: SK[2]: flow_entry_alloc fe "0 proc kernel_task(0)Arc nx_port 1 flow_uuid D46E230E-B826-4E0A-8C59-4C4C8BF6AA60 flags 0x14120<CONNECTED,QOS_MARKING,EXT_PORT,EXT_FLOWID> ipver=4,src=<IPv4-redacted>.49703,dst=<IPv4-redacted>.443,proto=0x06 mask=0x0000003f,hash=0x04e0a750 tp_proto=0x06" 2026-03-30 14:11:21.780194+0300 0x1894 Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: tcp connect outgoing: [<IPv4-redacted>:49703<-><IPv4-redacted>:443] interface: en0 (skipped: 0) so_gencnt: 14634 t_state: SYN_SENT process: Arc:873 SYN in/out: 0/1 bytes in/out: 0/0 pkts in/out: 0/0 rtt: 0.0 ms rttvar: 250.0 ms base_rtt: 0 ms error: 0 so_error: 0 svc/tc: 0 flow: 0x9878386f 2026-03-30 14:11:21.934431+0300 0xed Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: Hit error condition (not panicking as we're in error handler): t8110dart <private> (dart-apcie0): invalid SID 2 TTBR access: level 1 table_index 0 page_offset 0x2 2026-03-30 14:11:21.934432+0300 0xed Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: [ 73.511690]: arm_cpu_init(): cpu 6 online 2026-03-30 14:11:21.934441+0300 0xed Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: [ 73.511696]: arm_cpu_init(): cpu 9 online 2026-03-30 14:11:21.934441+0300 0xed Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: [ 73.569033]: arm_cpu_init(): cpu 6 online 2026-03-30 14:11:21.934441+0300 0xed Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: [ 73.569038]: arm_cpu_init(): cpu 9 online 2026-03-30 14:11:21.934442+0300 0xed Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: [ 73.577453]: arm_cpu_init(): cpu 7 online 2026-03-30 14:11:21.934442+0300 0xed Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: [ 73.586328]: arm_cpu_init(): cpu 5 online 2026-03-30 14:11:21.934442+0300 0xed Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: [ 73.586332]: arm_cpu_init(): cpu 8 online 2026-03-30 14:11:21.934442+0300 0xed Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: [ 73.621392]: (dart-apcie0) AppleT8110DART::_fatalException: dart-apcie0 (<ptr>): DART DART SID exception ERROR_SID_SUMMARY 0x00003000 ERROR_ADDRESS 0x0000000000009800 2026-03-30 14:11:21.934443+0300 0xed Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: [ 73.621397]: Hit error condition (not panicking as we're in error handler): 2026-03-30 14:11:21.934443+0300 0xed Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: t8110dart <ptr> (dart-apcie0): invalid SID 2 TTBR access: level 1 table_index 0 page_offset 0x2Expect a `deadbeef` in the error messages below 2026-03-30 14:11:21.934452+0300 0xed Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: Expect a `deadbeef` in the error messages below 2026-03-30 14:11:21.934456+0300 0xed Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: (AppleEmbeddedPCIE) apcie[0:centauri-control]::_dartErrorHandler() InvalidPTE caused by read from address 0x9800 by SID 2 (RID 2:0:1/useCount 1/device <private>) 2026-03-30 14:11:21.934469+0300 0xed Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: (AppleT8110DART) Ignored dart-apcie0 (0xfbfffe18820b0000): DART(DART) error: SID 2 PTE invalid exception on read of DVA 0x9800 (SEG 0 PTE 0x2) ERROR_SID_SUMMARY 0x00003000 TIME 0x11242d43fd TTE 0xffffffffffffffff AXI_ID 0 We do not have any correlation between machines, usage pattern or installed applications. Uninstalling the network protection features seem to largely fix the issues, even though we have heard of crashes happening even in safe mode or with our network extension disabled from system settings. We weren't able to reproduce internally and it seems to happen completely random on client machines, but often enough to be disrupting. Can you tell us please if this is a known problem and if there's a workaround or what can we do to narrow it down? Thanks.
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What is the officially supported method to automatically start a NETransparentProxyProvider after user login?
We are developing a DLP agent that uses a NETransparentProxyProvider to perform traffic inspection and modification. Our architecture currently includes: LaunchAgent, which monitors user session activity (login/logout, session activation) Container App, which: installs and activates a System Extension creates and saves the NETransparentProxyManager configuration starts the transparent proxy via startVPNTunnel. We would like to automate the startup of the Transparent Proxy for all users, including newly created users, in a way that is fully supported by macOS. We are looking for official guidance on the correct and supported mechanism for starting a user‑level Network Extension (specifically NETransparentProxyProvider) automatically at user login. Questions: What is the recommended and supported way to automatically start a NETransparentProxyProvider at user login? Are there any constraints or best practices we should follow when designing an automatic startup flow for a Network Extension such as NETransparentProxyProvider? We would appreciate official clarification on the supported deployment patterns for starting a user‑level Transparent Proxy Network Extension automatically in multi‑user enterprise environments.
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NEFilterDataProvider development-signed bypass no longer working on iOS 26.4.2 — regression or intentional?
Hi, Has the get-task-allow development bypass for NEFilterDataProvider been intentionally removed or changed in iOS 26? Previous DTS guidance in thread/31109 confirmed this bypass existed. I note that WWDC 2025 Session 234 states "iOS system-wide content filter is supported on supervised devices only" without mentioning it. My production deployment is supervised MDM devices — I am purely asking about the development testing path, which is not working for me on iOS 26.4.2. All I get is NEConfigurationErrorDomain Code=10 "permission denied" before my app code even runs. Thank you!
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NEFilterDataProvider activation on consumer iOS — saveToPreferences fails (code 5), .mobileconfig requires MDM
Hello, I'm developing a gambling blocker app that uses NEFilterDataProvider. My app was approved on the App Store, but the core feature doesn't work for end users. I have the content-filter-provider entitlement. Issue 1 — saveToPreferences() fails in distribution builds In dev builds (Xcode direct install), NEFilterManager.saveToPreferences() works fine — iOS shows a permission dialog and the filter is registered. In distribution builds (TestFlight/App Store), it fails immediately: NEFilterErrorDomain code 5 — Operation not permitted Console log from nehelper: "Creating a content filter configuration is only allowed through profile in production version" Issue 2 — .mobileconfig profile requires MDM Following the Console hint, I tried a .mobileconfig profile with com.apple.webcontent-filter payload (ContentFilterUUID, FilterType: Plugin, PluginBundleID). On an unsupervised consumer iPhone (iOS 18.5), installation fails: Profile Installation Failed — MDM required Question: What is the correct mechanism to activate a NEFilterDataProvider on a consumer (non-MDM) iPhone in a distribution build? Is there a specific entitlement or approval process I'm missing? (DTS Case-ID: 20087732)
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Onboarding OHTTP relay
One thing I wanted to confirm, suppose i submit one request to onboard OHTTP relay for one organisation app and it gets approved, so can I re submit the request with different bundle ID for other organisation and same PIR server, same OHTTP server ? Or do we need different domain name ?
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Best practices for blocking traffic: Transparent Proxy vs Content Filter, and Multiple Network Extensions
Hello, I am working on a DLP system for macOS. The application must analyze and potentially block network traffic. Currently, I am using NETransparentProxyProvider for traffic analysis and looking for the best solution to block network traffic. I believe the blocking can be implemented by capturing the flow and choosing not to proxy/forward it further (dropping it). However, I am unsure how the OS and other applications will react to this approach. As far as I know, macOS provides a dedicated NEFilterDataProvider (Content Filter) specifically designed for traffic filtering and blocking. I have two questions regarding the architecture: Is it safe to block flows directly using a Transparent Proxy? Will dropping/ignoring the flow without forwarding it cause any unexpected system behavior, socket hangups, or performance issues? Or is it highly recommended to strictly use a Content Filter (NEFilterDataProvider) for the blocking aspect? Can a single container app install and manage more than one Network Extension in the system? For example, if the best practice dictates separating the logic, can my single DLP macOS application bundle and install both a Transparent Proxy (for analysis/routing) and a Content Filter (for blocking) simultaneously? Thank you in advance!
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M5 Pro - macOS Tahoe 26.4.1 crashes almost immediately after connecting to a VPN
Hello Everyone, Like probably several other Enterprise customers and more, we have been bitten by a bug with regards to VPN and Endpoint Security and the new M5 / M5 Pro SoCs shipping in the latest MacBook devices. I have raised the following feedback IDFB22753954 (which itself references an internal issue I believe, if we need to mark it as a dupe: 172793638 ). The technical sequence leading to the crash is as follows I believe: The macOS system process neagent successfully initializes the GlobalProtect network extension. The GP Network extension transitions from an 'inactive' state to a 'running' state. As network traffic begins flowing through the extension, a critical flaw in the macOS kernel's memory allocation (specifically related to the Apple Network Extension framework) is triggered. This memory management failure at the kernel level results in a kernel panic at an unpredictable point during packet processing. Because this is a core operating system vulnerability, any third-party application or security solution that leverages Apple's Network Extension framework is susceptible to these crashes. This has been confirmed across multiple vendors within the cybersecurity industry from what I understand. Crashes_M5Pro_1.txt Thank you in advance for your help! Kind Regards, Goffredo
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The network expansion process will become a zombie process and the network will be unusable.
Hi, I developed a network extension program on macOS. I tried to update the program by changing the version number. My update process was to first turn off network filtering via "NEFilterManager.sharedManager.enabled = NO", and then use "[OSSystemExtensionRequest activationRequestForExtension:bundleid queue:dispatch_get_global_queue(DISPATCH_QUEUE_PRIORITY_HIGH, 0)];" to let the system replace the old network extension program. However, sometimes the old network extension process will become a zombie process like pid=86621 in the figure. As long as the zombie process exists, the network cannot be used. After about 10 minutes, it will be cleared and the network will be available. Restarting Wi-Fi can also clear the zombie process immediately. Why is this? How to avoid this problem?
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Random global network outage triggered by NEFilterDataProvider extension – only reboot helps, reinstall doesn't
I’m encountering a persistent issue with my Network Extension (specifically NEFilterDataProvider) and would really appreciate any insights. The extension generally works as expected, but after some time — especially after sleep/wake cycles or network changes — a global network outage occurs. During this state, no network traffic works: pings fail, browsers can’t load pages, etc. As soon as I stop the extension (by disabling it in System Preferences), the network immediately recovers. If I re-enable it, the outage returns instantly. I’ve also noticed that once this happens, the extension stops receiving callbacks like handleNewFlow(), and reinstalling the app or restarting the extension doesn’t help. The only thing that resolves the issue is rebooting the system. After reboot, the extension works fine again — until the problem reoccurs later. I asked AI about this behavior, and it suggested the possibility that the kernel might have marked the extension as untrusted, causing the system to intentionally block all network traffic as a safety mechanism. Has anyone experienced similar behavior with NEFilterDataProvider? Could there be a way to detect or prevent this state without rebooting? Is there any logging or diagnostic data I should collect when it happens again? Any guidance or pointers would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
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Push notifications not delivered over Wi-Fi with includeAllNetworks = true regardless of excludeAPNS setting
We have a VPN app that uses NEPacketTunnelProvider with includeAllNetworks = true. We've encountered an issue where push notifications are not delivered over Wi-Fi while the tunnel is active in a pre-MFA quarantine state (tunnel is up but traffic is blocked on server side), regardless of whether excludeAPNS is set to true or false. Observed behavior Wi-Fi excludeAPNS = true - Notifications not delivered Wi-Fi excludeAPNS = false - Notifications not delivered Cellular excludeAPNS = true - Notifications delivered Cellular excludeAPNS = false - Notifications not delivered On cellular, the behavior matches our expectations: setting excludeAPNS = true allows APNS traffic to bypass the tunnel and notifications arrive; setting it to false routes APNS through the tunnel and notifications are blocked (as expected for a non-forwarding tunnel). On Wi-Fi, notifications fail to deliver in both cases. Our question Is this expected behavior when includeAllNetworks is enabled on Wi-Fi, or is this a known issue / bug with APNS delivery? Is there something else in the Wi-Fi networking path that includeAllNetworks affects beyond routing, which could prevent APNS from functioning even when the traffic is excluded from the tunnel? Sample Project Below is the minimal code that reproduces this issue. The project has two targets: a main app and a Network Extension. The tunnel provider captures all IPv4 and IPv6 traffic via default routes but does not forward packets — simulating a pre-MFA quarantine state. The main app configures the tunnel with includeAllNetworks = true and provides a UI toggle for excludeAPNS. PacketTunnelProvider.swift (Network Extension target): import NetworkExtension class PacketTunnelProvider: NEPacketTunnelProvider { override func startTunnel(options: [String : NSObject]?, completionHandler: @escaping (Error?) -> Void) { let settings = NEPacketTunnelNetworkSettings(tunnelRemoteAddress: "127.0.0.1") let ipv4 = NEIPv4Settings(addresses: ["198.51.100.1"], subnetMasks: ["255.255.255.0"]) ipv4.includedRoutes = [NEIPv4Route.default()] settings.ipv4Settings = ipv4 let ipv6 = NEIPv6Settings(addresses: ["fd00::1"], networkPrefixLengths: [64]) ipv6.includedRoutes = [NEIPv6Route.default()] settings.ipv6Settings = ipv6 let dns = NEDNSSettings(servers: ["198.51.100.1"]) settings.dnsSettings = dns settings.mtu = 1400 setTunnelNetworkSettings(settings) { error in if let error = error { completionHandler(error) return } self.readPackets() completionHandler(nil) } } private func readPackets() { packetFlow.readPackets { [weak self] packets, protocols in self?.readPackets() } } override func stopTunnel(with reason: NEProviderStopReason, completionHandler: @escaping () -> Void) { completionHandler() } override func handleAppMessage(_ messageData: Data, completionHandler: ((Data?) -> Void)?) { if let handler = completionHandler { handler(messageData) } } override func sleep(completionHandler: @escaping () -> Void) { completionHandler() } override func wake() { } } ContentView.swift (Main app target) — trimmed to essentials: import SwiftUI import NetworkExtension struct ContentView: View { @State private var excludeAPNs = false @State private var manager: NETunnelProviderManager? var body: some View { VStack { Toggle("Exclude APNs", isOn: $excludeAPNs) .onChange(of: excludeAPNs) { Task { await saveAndReload() } } Button("Connect") { Task { await toggleVPN() } } } .padding() .task { await loadManager() } } private func loadManager() async { let managers = try? await NETunnelProviderManager.loadAllFromPreferences() if let existing = managers?.first { manager = existing } else { let m = NETunnelProviderManager() let proto = NETunnelProviderProtocol() proto.providerBundleIdentifier = "<your-extension-bundle-id>" proto.serverAddress = "127.0.0.1" proto.includeAllNetworks = true proto.excludeAPNs = excludeAPNs m.protocolConfiguration = proto m.localizedDescription = "TestVPN" m.isEnabled = true try? await m.saveToPreferences() try? await m.loadFromPreferences() manager = m } if let proto = manager?.protocolConfiguration as? NETunnelProviderProtocol { excludeAPNs = proto.excludeAPNs } } private func saveAndReload() async { guard let manager else { return } if let proto = manager.protocolConfiguration as? NETunnelProviderProtocol { proto.includeAllNetworks = true proto.excludeAPNs = excludeAPNs } manager.isEnabled = true try? await manager.saveToPreferences() try? await manager.loadFromPreferences() } private func toggleVPN() async { guard let manager else { return } if manager.connection.status == .connected { manager.connection.stopVPNTunnel() } else { await saveAndReload() try? manager.connection.startVPNTunnel() } } } Steps to reproduce Build and run the sample project with above code on a physical iOS device. Connect to a Wi-Fi network. Set excludeAPNS = true using the toggle and tap Connect. Send a push notification to the device to a test app with remote notification capability (e.g., via a test push service or the push notification console). Observe that the notification is not delivered. Disconnect. Switch to cellular. Reconnect with the same settings. Send the same push notification — observe that it is delivered. Environment iOS 26.2 Xcode 26.2 Physical device (iPhone 15 Pro)
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Best practices for bypassing critical system daemons in NETransparentProxyProvider
Hello, I am working on a network security and DLP (Data Loss Prevention) solution. A core requirement of our architecture is the ability to modify network traffic payloads in-flight (e.g., stripping sensitive data or altering packets). So, the only way to implement this is via the NETransparentProxyProvider which allows us to handle, evaluate, and modify network flows (NEAppProxyFlow). However, because this is such a powerful mechanism, my primary goal is to ensure the absolute stability of the operating system. I want to minimize the risk of interfering with core Apple services. When evaluating a flow, I have access to NEFlowMetaData, specifically properties like sourceAppUniqueIdentifier and sourceAppAuditToken. Could you please assist me with the following questions: Is there a recommended list of Apple system Application IDs (Bundle IDs) or executable names that should be strictly bypassed (ignored) by the Network Extension to maintain system integrity? Since system daemons can change between OS releases, are there any programmatic best practices or specific rules to dynamically identify core OS traffic that must not be intercepted? Are there any specific network ports or protocols that Apple strongly recommends excluding from NENetworkRule matches at the proxy provider configuration level to ensure daemons like apsd or mDNSResponder function correctly? Thank you in advance.
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App is not upgrading with Network Extension in iOS 13 in Test flight
Hi We are building a VPN app (PacketTunnelProvider) and allowing users to install the app through test flight and app upgrade works seamlessly without VPN, but immediately after enabling the VPN, we are not able to get app upgraded with the progress bar in test flight stuck at 90 percent and now app is not usable after that but VPN is still working. We are not noticing the issue on ios 12.4.1 version but facing the issue on iOS 13 versions. On looking through console app during upgradation process we are noticing a below recurring log message. Error acquiring hold on plugins for &lt;bundle_identifier&gt;: Error Domain=PlugInKit Code=14 "plugins are busy" UserInfo={busyPlugInUUIDs=({         XPCExtensionBundleIdentifier = "&lt;bundle_identifier&gt;.tunnel";     } ), NSLocalizedDescription=plugins are busy} Could someone please help us in resolving the issue.
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Detect Configuration Profile state change (DoH .mobileconfig) without VPN/MDM/supervised — any API I missed?
Is there any iOS API, framework, or entitlement (public or beta) that lets an app detect when a user disables or removes a Configuration Profile (specifically a DNS-over-HTTPS profile) — without VPN extension, MDM, or supervised mode? Use case: I need to know server-side, in real time, when the user toggles off a .mobileconfig DoH profile they previously installed. Things I've already reviewed and ruled out: NetworkExtension (NEDNSSettingsManager — only fires while app is running) BGTaskScheduler (iOS-scheduled, not real-time) NEFilterDataProvider (requires supervised) VPN / MDM / supervised Anything I'm missing?
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Need info to bypass system.preferences VPN consent prompt on MDM device for standard user
Hi, We have a macOS app that uses NETransparentProxyManager (Transparent App Proxy) with a NETunnelProviderExtension. The Network Extension is configured and deployed via an MDM configuration profile. The profile is pushed through Intune MDM as a user-enrolled device (Company Portal enrollment, not ADE/supervised). The MDM profile sets up the Transparent Proxy extension as follows (sanitized snippet): <key>VPNType</key> <string>TransparentProxy</string> <key>TransparentProxy</key> <dict> <key>ProviderType</key> <string>app-proxy</string> <key>ProviderBundleIdentifier</key> <string>com.example.app.tunnel</string> <key>ProviderDesignatedRequirement</key> <string>identifier "com.example.app.tunnel" and anchor apple generic and certificate leaf[subject.OU] = TEAMID</string> <key>RemoteAddress</key> <string>100.64.0.0</string> </dict> <key>PayloadScope</key> <string>System</string> What we do in code: Call NETransparentProxyManager.loadAllFromPreferences — this correctly returns the MDM-managed profile (1 profile found) We do not call saveToPreferences — the profile already exists We call NEVPNConnection.startVPNTunnel() to connect and NEVPNConnection.stopVPNTunnel() to disconnect Problem: On a user-enrolled MDM device, when the app is running as a standard user (non-admin), every call to startVPNTunnel() or stopVPNTunnel() triggers the macOS VPN consent dialog: "VPN is trying to modify your system settings. Enter your password to allow this." Console log evidence: Failed to authorize 'system.preferences' by client '/System/Library/ExtensionKit/Extensions/VPN.appex' for authorization created by '/System/Library/ExtensionKit/Extensions/VPN.appex' (-60006) (engine 881) Key observations: Even if the user does not provide the admin credentials in the popup and cancel the window, still things work properly in the background i.e start/stop works. This does not happen for admin users on user-enrolled devices saveToPreferences is NOT called — the profile is MDM-managed and already present The prompt is triggered purely by startVPNTunnel() / stopVPNTunnel() from a standard user process Question: Is there a supported API, entitlement, or MDM configuration key that allows NETransparentProxyManager.startVPNTunnel() / stopVPNTunnel() to be invoked by a standard user process on a user-enrolled (non-supervised) device without triggering the system.preferences authorization dialog — given that the VPN profile is already deployed and managed by MDM?
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M5 kernel panic skmem_slab_free_locked in the presence of a network system extension
I've seen a number of similar posts from other network system extension developers reporting kernel panics on M5 devices in macOS. These kernel panics occur when network system extensions are enabled and are not observed on earlier mac platforms or versions of macOS. Reference: https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/821372 In this post, it appears like Apple is aware of a problem as noted by Kevin Elliott in versions of macOS. Do we know if there is any way to work around this problem (short of not enabling a network filter) until a fix is available?
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OSSystemExtension activation fails with code=4 and sysextd "no policy, cannot allow apps outside /Applications" even when host app is in /Applications
Summary We are activating a Network Extension system extension (filter-data) from a signed and notarized macOS app. Activation consistently fails with: OSSystemExtensionErrorDomain code=4 Extension not found in App bundle. Unable to find any matched extension with identifier: com.seaskylight.yksmacos.ExamNetFilter.data At the same time, sysextd logs: no policy, cannot allow apps outside /Applications However, our host app and executable real paths are already under /Applications, and the extension bundle physically exists in the expected app bundle location. Environment macOS: Darwin 25.4.0 Host app: /Applications/xxx.app Host bundle id: com.seaskylight.yksmacos System extension bundle id: com.seaskylight.yksmacos.ExamNetFilter.data Team ID: BVU65MZFLK Device management: Enrolled via DEP: No MDM enrollment: No Reproduction Steps Install host app to /Applications. Launch host app via Finder or: open -a "/Applications/xxx.app" Trigger OSSystemExtensionRequest activationRequestForExtension for: com.seaskylight.yksmacos.ExamNetFilter.data Observe failure callback (code=4). Collect logs: log show --last 2m --style compact --info --debug --predicate 'process == "sysextd"' systemextensionsctl list (shows 0 extension(s)) Observed Results sysextd client activation request for com.seaskylight.yksmacos.ExamNetFilter.data attempting to realize extension with identifier com.seaskylight.yksmacos.ExamNetFilter.data no policy, cannot allow apps outside /Applications App-side diagnostics (captured at failure) pid=3249 bundlePath=/Applications/xxx.app bundlePathReal=/Applications/xxx.app execPath=/Applications/xxx.app/Contents/MacOS/xxx execPathReal=/Applications/xxx.app/Contents/MacOS/xxx extPath=/Applications/xxx.app/Contents/Library/SystemExtensions/ExamNetFilterData.systemextension extExists=true runningFromHelper=false Error callback NSError{domain=OSSystemExtensionErrorDomain code=4 desc=Extension not found in App bundle...} Additional Validation We reproduced the same failure using a minimal native host app (SysExtProbe) in /Applications that only submits the activation request for the same extension identifier. It also fails with OSSystemExtensionErrorDomain code=4, indicating this is not specific to Electron app logic. Signing / Packaging Notes Host app and system extension are signed with the same Team ID (BVU65MZFLK). System extension bundle exists under: /Applications/xxx.app/Contents/Library/SystemExtensions/ExamNetFilterData.systemextension Extension Info.plist contains bundle id: com.seaskylight.yksmacos.ExamNetFilter.data Host app includes NSSystemExtensionUsageDescription. Questions for DTS In non-MDM personal-device scenarios, what exact conditions trigger sysextd to emit: no policy, cannot allow apps outside /Applications even when both bundlePath and realpath are in /Applications? Can code=4 (“Extension not found in App bundle”) be returned for policy/state reasons even when extension bundle is present and identifier matches? Are there known sysextd policy/cache states that cause this behavior, and what is the recommended recovery procedure?
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XPC connection broken on app & extension upgrade
Post app update our extension version is replaced with the new version. However occasionally maybe around 20% of the time The XPC connection we have for communication between the app and extension will not work. We have reconnection retry logic as well as tried stop and starting the extension but it appears once its broken its broken and all that fixes it is a machine restart. This is obviously not ideal. I have noticed a few other forums talking about the same or similar problem. https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/728063 https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/779395 https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/742992 When we run on a broken upgrade cycle `sudo launchctl print system/NetworkExtension.com.company.example.app.filter.5.5.0.2248 ` We notice that endpoints is missing from the log. However if we run the same command in terminal for a working upgrade cycle endpoints = {} exist. Therefore for some reason our xpc isn't actually getting registered.
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2w
Getting a basic URL Filter to work
I haven’t been able to get this to work at any level! I’m running into multiple issues, any light shed on any of these would be nice: I can’t implement a bloom filter that produces the same output as can be found in the SimpleURLFilter sample project, after following the textual description of it that’s available in the documentation. No clue what my implementation is doing wrong, and because of the nature of hashing, there is no way to know. Specifically: The web is full of implementations of FNV-1a and MurmurHash3, and they all produce different hashes for the same input. Can we get the proper hashes for some sample strings, so we know which is the “correct” one? Similarly, different implementations use different encodings for the strings to hash. Which should we use here? The formulas for numberOfBits and numberOfHashes give Doubles and assign them to Ints. It seems we should do this conversing by rounding them, is this correct? Can we get a sample correct value for the combined hash, so we can verify our implementations against it? Or ignoring all of the above, can we have the actual code instead of a textual description of it? 😓 I managed to get Settings to register my first attempt at this extension in beta 1. Now, in beta 2, any other project (including the sample code) will redirect to Settings, show the Allow/Deny message box, I tap Allow, and then nothing happens. This must be a bug, right? Whenever I try to enable the only extension that Settings accepted (by setting its isEnabled to true), its status goes to .stopped and the error is, of course, .unknown. How do I debug this? While the extension is .stopped, ALL URL LOADS are blocked on the device. Is this to be expected? (shouldFailClosed is set to false) Is there any way to manually reload the bloom filter? My app ships blocklist updates with background push, so it would be wasteful to fetch the filter at a fixed interval. If so, can we opt out of the periodic fetch altogether? I initially believed the API to be near useless because I didn’t know of its “fuzzy matching” capabilities, which I’ve discovered by accident in a forum post. It’d be nice if those were documented somewhere! Thanks!!
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Network Extension Resources
General: Forums subtopic: App & System Services > Networking DevForums tag: Network Extension Network Extension framework documentation Routing your VPN network traffic article Filtering traffic by URL sample code Filtering Network Traffic sample code TN3120 Expected use cases for Network Extension packet tunnel providers technote TN3134 Network Extension provider deployment technote TN3165 Packet Filter is not API technote Network Extension and VPN Glossary forums post Debugging a Network Extension Provider forums post Exporting a Developer ID Network Extension forums post Network Extension Framework Entitlements forums post Network Extension vs ad hoc techniques on macOS forums post Network Extension Provider Packaging forums post NWEndpoint History and Advice forums post Extra-ordinary Networking forums post Wi-Fi management: Understanding NEHotspotConfigurationErrorInternal forums post See also Networking Resources for general networking resources, including information about Wi-Fi. Share and Enjoy — Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com"
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Mar ’26
Kernel panics on M5 devices with network extension
Hello, We have a security solution which intercepts network traffic for inspection using a combination of Transparent Proxy Provider and Content filter. Lately we are seeing reports from the market that on M5 Macbooks and A18 Neos the system will kernel panic using our solution, even though it never happens on M1-M4 and no significant code changes were made in the mean time. All crashes seem to be related to an internal double free in the kernel: panic(cpu 0 caller 0xfffffe003bb68224): skmem_slab_free_locked: attempt to free invalid or already-freed obj 0xf2fffe29e15f2400 on skm 0xf6fffe2518aaa200 @skmem_slab.c:646 Debugger message: panic Memory ID: 0xff OS release type: User OS version: 25D2128 Kernel version: Darwin Kernel Version 25.3.0: Wed Jan 28 20:54:38 PST 2026; root:xnu-12377.91.3~2/RELEASE_ARM64_T6050 Additionally, from further log inspection, before panics we find some weird kernel messages which seem to be related to some DMA operations gone wrong in the network driver on some machines: 2026-03-30 14:11:21.779124+0300 0x30f2 Default 0x0 873 0 Arc: (Network) [com.apple.network:connection] [C9.1.1.1 IPv4#e5b4bb04:443 in_progress socket-flow (satisfied (Path is satisfied), interface: en0[802.11], ipv4, ipv6, dns, uses wifi, flow divert agg: 1, LQM: good)] event: flow:start_connect @0.075s 2026-03-30 14:11:21.780015+0300 0x1894 Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: (402262746): No more valid control units, disabling flow divert 2026-03-30 14:11:21.780017+0300 0x1894 Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: (402262746): Skipped all flow divert services, disabling flow divert 2026-03-30 14:11:21.780102+0300 0x1894 Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: SK[2]: flow_entry_alloc fe "0 proc kernel_task(0)Arc nx_port 1 flow_uuid D46E230E-B826-4E0A-8C59-4C4C8BF6AA60 flags 0x14120<CONNECTED,QOS_MARKING,EXT_PORT,EXT_FLOWID> ipver=4,src=<IPv4-redacted>.49703,dst=<IPv4-redacted>.443,proto=0x06 mask=0x0000003f,hash=0x04e0a750 tp_proto=0x06" 2026-03-30 14:11:21.780194+0300 0x1894 Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: tcp connect outgoing: [<IPv4-redacted>:49703<-><IPv4-redacted>:443] interface: en0 (skipped: 0) so_gencnt: 14634 t_state: SYN_SENT process: Arc:873 SYN in/out: 0/1 bytes in/out: 0/0 pkts in/out: 0/0 rtt: 0.0 ms rttvar: 250.0 ms base_rtt: 0 ms error: 0 so_error: 0 svc/tc: 0 flow: 0x9878386f 2026-03-30 14:11:21.934431+0300 0xed Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: Hit error condition (not panicking as we're in error handler): t8110dart <private> (dart-apcie0): invalid SID 2 TTBR access: level 1 table_index 0 page_offset 0x2 2026-03-30 14:11:21.934432+0300 0xed Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: [ 73.511690]: arm_cpu_init(): cpu 6 online 2026-03-30 14:11:21.934441+0300 0xed Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: [ 73.511696]: arm_cpu_init(): cpu 9 online 2026-03-30 14:11:21.934441+0300 0xed Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: [ 73.569033]: arm_cpu_init(): cpu 6 online 2026-03-30 14:11:21.934441+0300 0xed Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: [ 73.569038]: arm_cpu_init(): cpu 9 online 2026-03-30 14:11:21.934442+0300 0xed Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: [ 73.577453]: arm_cpu_init(): cpu 7 online 2026-03-30 14:11:21.934442+0300 0xed Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: [ 73.586328]: arm_cpu_init(): cpu 5 online 2026-03-30 14:11:21.934442+0300 0xed Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: [ 73.586332]: arm_cpu_init(): cpu 8 online 2026-03-30 14:11:21.934442+0300 0xed Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: [ 73.621392]: (dart-apcie0) AppleT8110DART::_fatalException: dart-apcie0 (<ptr>): DART DART SID exception ERROR_SID_SUMMARY 0x00003000 ERROR_ADDRESS 0x0000000000009800 2026-03-30 14:11:21.934443+0300 0xed Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: [ 73.621397]: Hit error condition (not panicking as we're in error handler): 2026-03-30 14:11:21.934443+0300 0xed Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: t8110dart <ptr> (dart-apcie0): invalid SID 2 TTBR access: level 1 table_index 0 page_offset 0x2Expect a `deadbeef` in the error messages below 2026-03-30 14:11:21.934452+0300 0xed Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: Expect a `deadbeef` in the error messages below 2026-03-30 14:11:21.934456+0300 0xed Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: (AppleEmbeddedPCIE) apcie[0:centauri-control]::_dartErrorHandler() InvalidPTE caused by read from address 0x9800 by SID 2 (RID 2:0:1/useCount 1/device <private>) 2026-03-30 14:11:21.934469+0300 0xed Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: (AppleT8110DART) Ignored dart-apcie0 (0xfbfffe18820b0000): DART(DART) error: SID 2 PTE invalid exception on read of DVA 0x9800 (SEG 0 PTE 0x2) ERROR_SID_SUMMARY 0x00003000 TIME 0x11242d43fd TTE 0xffffffffffffffff AXI_ID 0 We do not have any correlation between machines, usage pattern or installed applications. Uninstalling the network protection features seem to largely fix the issues, even though we have heard of crashes happening even in safe mode or with our network extension disabled from system settings. We weren't able to reproduce internally and it seems to happen completely random on client machines, but often enough to be disrupting. Can you tell us please if this is a known problem and if there's a workaround or what can we do to narrow it down? Thanks.
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2h
What is the officially supported method to automatically start a NETransparentProxyProvider after user login?
We are developing a DLP agent that uses a NETransparentProxyProvider to perform traffic inspection and modification. Our architecture currently includes: LaunchAgent, which monitors user session activity (login/logout, session activation) Container App, which: installs and activates a System Extension creates and saves the NETransparentProxyManager configuration starts the transparent proxy via startVPNTunnel. We would like to automate the startup of the Transparent Proxy for all users, including newly created users, in a way that is fully supported by macOS. We are looking for official guidance on the correct and supported mechanism for starting a user‑level Network Extension (specifically NETransparentProxyProvider) automatically at user login. Questions: What is the recommended and supported way to automatically start a NETransparentProxyProvider at user login? Are there any constraints or best practices we should follow when designing an automatic startup flow for a Network Extension such as NETransparentProxyProvider? We would appreciate official clarification on the supported deployment patterns for starting a user‑level Transparent Proxy Network Extension automatically in multi‑user enterprise environments.
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95
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10h
NEFilterDataProvider development-signed bypass no longer working on iOS 26.4.2 — regression or intentional?
Hi, Has the get-task-allow development bypass for NEFilterDataProvider been intentionally removed or changed in iOS 26? Previous DTS guidance in thread/31109 confirmed this bypass existed. I note that WWDC 2025 Session 234 states "iOS system-wide content filter is supported on supervised devices only" without mentioning it. My production deployment is supervised MDM devices — I am purely asking about the development testing path, which is not working for me on iOS 26.4.2. All I get is NEConfigurationErrorDomain Code=10 "permission denied" before my app code even runs. Thank you!
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90
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1d
NEFilterDataProvider activation on consumer iOS — saveToPreferences fails (code 5), .mobileconfig requires MDM
Hello, I'm developing a gambling blocker app that uses NEFilterDataProvider. My app was approved on the App Store, but the core feature doesn't work for end users. I have the content-filter-provider entitlement. Issue 1 — saveToPreferences() fails in distribution builds In dev builds (Xcode direct install), NEFilterManager.saveToPreferences() works fine — iOS shows a permission dialog and the filter is registered. In distribution builds (TestFlight/App Store), it fails immediately: NEFilterErrorDomain code 5 — Operation not permitted Console log from nehelper: "Creating a content filter configuration is only allowed through profile in production version" Issue 2 — .mobileconfig profile requires MDM Following the Console hint, I tried a .mobileconfig profile with com.apple.webcontent-filter payload (ContentFilterUUID, FilterType: Plugin, PluginBundleID). On an unsupervised consumer iPhone (iOS 18.5), installation fails: Profile Installation Failed — MDM required Question: What is the correct mechanism to activate a NEFilterDataProvider on a consumer (non-MDM) iPhone in a distribution build? Is there a specific entitlement or approval process I'm missing? (DTS Case-ID: 20087732)
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169
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1d
Requesting URL Filtering capability
Hi Apple team, Could you please let us know the estimated timeline for approval of our OHTTP relay request? We’d appreciate any updates on the current status or next steps from your side. My request number is GZ8425KHD9. Thanks in advance.
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4d
Requesting Network Extension Capability
One thing I wanted to confirm, suppose i submit one request to onboard OHTTP relay for one organisation app and it gets approved, so can I re submit the request with different bundle ID for other organisation and same PIR server, same OHTTP server ? Or do we need different domain name ?
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4d
Onboarding OHTTP relay
One thing I wanted to confirm, suppose i submit one request to onboard OHTTP relay for one organisation app and it gets approved, so can I re submit the request with different bundle ID for other organisation and same PIR server, same OHTTP server ? Or do we need different domain name ?
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4d
Best practices for blocking traffic: Transparent Proxy vs Content Filter, and Multiple Network Extensions
Hello, I am working on a DLP system for macOS. The application must analyze and potentially block network traffic. Currently, I am using NETransparentProxyProvider for traffic analysis and looking for the best solution to block network traffic. I believe the blocking can be implemented by capturing the flow and choosing not to proxy/forward it further (dropping it). However, I am unsure how the OS and other applications will react to this approach. As far as I know, macOS provides a dedicated NEFilterDataProvider (Content Filter) specifically designed for traffic filtering and blocking. I have two questions regarding the architecture: Is it safe to block flows directly using a Transparent Proxy? Will dropping/ignoring the flow without forwarding it cause any unexpected system behavior, socket hangups, or performance issues? Or is it highly recommended to strictly use a Content Filter (NEFilterDataProvider) for the blocking aspect? Can a single container app install and manage more than one Network Extension in the system? For example, if the best practice dictates separating the logic, can my single DLP macOS application bundle and install both a Transparent Proxy (for analysis/routing) and a Content Filter (for blocking) simultaneously? Thank you in advance!
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5d
M5 Pro - macOS Tahoe 26.4.1 crashes almost immediately after connecting to a VPN
Hello Everyone, Like probably several other Enterprise customers and more, we have been bitten by a bug with regards to VPN and Endpoint Security and the new M5 / M5 Pro SoCs shipping in the latest MacBook devices. I have raised the following feedback IDFB22753954 (which itself references an internal issue I believe, if we need to mark it as a dupe: 172793638 ). The technical sequence leading to the crash is as follows I believe: The macOS system process neagent successfully initializes the GlobalProtect network extension. The GP Network extension transitions from an 'inactive' state to a 'running' state. As network traffic begins flowing through the extension, a critical flaw in the macOS kernel's memory allocation (specifically related to the Apple Network Extension framework) is triggered. This memory management failure at the kernel level results in a kernel panic at an unpredictable point during packet processing. Because this is a core operating system vulnerability, any third-party application or security solution that leverages Apple's Network Extension framework is susceptible to these crashes. This has been confirmed across multiple vendors within the cybersecurity industry from what I understand. Crashes_M5Pro_1.txt Thank you in advance for your help! Kind Regards, Goffredo
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1w
The network expansion process will become a zombie process and the network will be unusable.
Hi, I developed a network extension program on macOS. I tried to update the program by changing the version number. My update process was to first turn off network filtering via "NEFilterManager.sharedManager.enabled = NO", and then use "[OSSystemExtensionRequest activationRequestForExtension:bundleid queue:dispatch_get_global_queue(DISPATCH_QUEUE_PRIORITY_HIGH, 0)];" to let the system replace the old network extension program. However, sometimes the old network extension process will become a zombie process like pid=86621 in the figure. As long as the zombie process exists, the network cannot be used. After about 10 minutes, it will be cleared and the network will be available. Restarting Wi-Fi can also clear the zombie process immediately. Why is this? How to avoid this problem?
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1w
Random global network outage triggered by NEFilterDataProvider extension – only reboot helps, reinstall doesn't
I’m encountering a persistent issue with my Network Extension (specifically NEFilterDataProvider) and would really appreciate any insights. The extension generally works as expected, but after some time — especially after sleep/wake cycles or network changes — a global network outage occurs. During this state, no network traffic works: pings fail, browsers can’t load pages, etc. As soon as I stop the extension (by disabling it in System Preferences), the network immediately recovers. If I re-enable it, the outage returns instantly. I’ve also noticed that once this happens, the extension stops receiving callbacks like handleNewFlow(), and reinstalling the app or restarting the extension doesn’t help. The only thing that resolves the issue is rebooting the system. After reboot, the extension works fine again — until the problem reoccurs later. I asked AI about this behavior, and it suggested the possibility that the kernel might have marked the extension as untrusted, causing the system to intentionally block all network traffic as a safety mechanism. Has anyone experienced similar behavior with NEFilterDataProvider? Could there be a way to detect or prevent this state without rebooting? Is there any logging or diagnostic data I should collect when it happens again? Any guidance or pointers would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
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1w
Push notifications not delivered over Wi-Fi with includeAllNetworks = true regardless of excludeAPNS setting
We have a VPN app that uses NEPacketTunnelProvider with includeAllNetworks = true. We've encountered an issue where push notifications are not delivered over Wi-Fi while the tunnel is active in a pre-MFA quarantine state (tunnel is up but traffic is blocked on server side), regardless of whether excludeAPNS is set to true or false. Observed behavior Wi-Fi excludeAPNS = true - Notifications not delivered Wi-Fi excludeAPNS = false - Notifications not delivered Cellular excludeAPNS = true - Notifications delivered Cellular excludeAPNS = false - Notifications not delivered On cellular, the behavior matches our expectations: setting excludeAPNS = true allows APNS traffic to bypass the tunnel and notifications arrive; setting it to false routes APNS through the tunnel and notifications are blocked (as expected for a non-forwarding tunnel). On Wi-Fi, notifications fail to deliver in both cases. Our question Is this expected behavior when includeAllNetworks is enabled on Wi-Fi, or is this a known issue / bug with APNS delivery? Is there something else in the Wi-Fi networking path that includeAllNetworks affects beyond routing, which could prevent APNS from functioning even when the traffic is excluded from the tunnel? Sample Project Below is the minimal code that reproduces this issue. The project has two targets: a main app and a Network Extension. The tunnel provider captures all IPv4 and IPv6 traffic via default routes but does not forward packets — simulating a pre-MFA quarantine state. The main app configures the tunnel with includeAllNetworks = true and provides a UI toggle for excludeAPNS. PacketTunnelProvider.swift (Network Extension target): import NetworkExtension class PacketTunnelProvider: NEPacketTunnelProvider { override func startTunnel(options: [String : NSObject]?, completionHandler: @escaping (Error?) -> Void) { let settings = NEPacketTunnelNetworkSettings(tunnelRemoteAddress: "127.0.0.1") let ipv4 = NEIPv4Settings(addresses: ["198.51.100.1"], subnetMasks: ["255.255.255.0"]) ipv4.includedRoutes = [NEIPv4Route.default()] settings.ipv4Settings = ipv4 let ipv6 = NEIPv6Settings(addresses: ["fd00::1"], networkPrefixLengths: [64]) ipv6.includedRoutes = [NEIPv6Route.default()] settings.ipv6Settings = ipv6 let dns = NEDNSSettings(servers: ["198.51.100.1"]) settings.dnsSettings = dns settings.mtu = 1400 setTunnelNetworkSettings(settings) { error in if let error = error { completionHandler(error) return } self.readPackets() completionHandler(nil) } } private func readPackets() { packetFlow.readPackets { [weak self] packets, protocols in self?.readPackets() } } override func stopTunnel(with reason: NEProviderStopReason, completionHandler: @escaping () -> Void) { completionHandler() } override func handleAppMessage(_ messageData: Data, completionHandler: ((Data?) -> Void)?) { if let handler = completionHandler { handler(messageData) } } override func sleep(completionHandler: @escaping () -> Void) { completionHandler() } override func wake() { } } ContentView.swift (Main app target) — trimmed to essentials: import SwiftUI import NetworkExtension struct ContentView: View { @State private var excludeAPNs = false @State private var manager: NETunnelProviderManager? var body: some View { VStack { Toggle("Exclude APNs", isOn: $excludeAPNs) .onChange(of: excludeAPNs) { Task { await saveAndReload() } } Button("Connect") { Task { await toggleVPN() } } } .padding() .task { await loadManager() } } private func loadManager() async { let managers = try? await NETunnelProviderManager.loadAllFromPreferences() if let existing = managers?.first { manager = existing } else { let m = NETunnelProviderManager() let proto = NETunnelProviderProtocol() proto.providerBundleIdentifier = "<your-extension-bundle-id>" proto.serverAddress = "127.0.0.1" proto.includeAllNetworks = true proto.excludeAPNs = excludeAPNs m.protocolConfiguration = proto m.localizedDescription = "TestVPN" m.isEnabled = true try? await m.saveToPreferences() try? await m.loadFromPreferences() manager = m } if let proto = manager?.protocolConfiguration as? NETunnelProviderProtocol { excludeAPNs = proto.excludeAPNs } } private func saveAndReload() async { guard let manager else { return } if let proto = manager.protocolConfiguration as? NETunnelProviderProtocol { proto.includeAllNetworks = true proto.excludeAPNs = excludeAPNs } manager.isEnabled = true try? await manager.saveToPreferences() try? await manager.loadFromPreferences() } private func toggleVPN() async { guard let manager else { return } if manager.connection.status == .connected { manager.connection.stopVPNTunnel() } else { await saveAndReload() try? manager.connection.startVPNTunnel() } } } Steps to reproduce Build and run the sample project with above code on a physical iOS device. Connect to a Wi-Fi network. Set excludeAPNS = true using the toggle and tap Connect. Send a push notification to the device to a test app with remote notification capability (e.g., via a test push service or the push notification console). Observe that the notification is not delivered. Disconnect. Switch to cellular. Reconnect with the same settings. Send the same push notification — observe that it is delivered. Environment iOS 26.2 Xcode 26.2 Physical device (iPhone 15 Pro)
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1w
Best practices for bypassing critical system daemons in NETransparentProxyProvider
Hello, I am working on a network security and DLP (Data Loss Prevention) solution. A core requirement of our architecture is the ability to modify network traffic payloads in-flight (e.g., stripping sensitive data or altering packets). So, the only way to implement this is via the NETransparentProxyProvider which allows us to handle, evaluate, and modify network flows (NEAppProxyFlow). However, because this is such a powerful mechanism, my primary goal is to ensure the absolute stability of the operating system. I want to minimize the risk of interfering with core Apple services. When evaluating a flow, I have access to NEFlowMetaData, specifically properties like sourceAppUniqueIdentifier and sourceAppAuditToken. Could you please assist me with the following questions: Is there a recommended list of Apple system Application IDs (Bundle IDs) or executable names that should be strictly bypassed (ignored) by the Network Extension to maintain system integrity? Since system daemons can change between OS releases, are there any programmatic best practices or specific rules to dynamically identify core OS traffic that must not be intercepted? Are there any specific network ports or protocols that Apple strongly recommends excluding from NENetworkRule matches at the proxy provider configuration level to ensure daemons like apsd or mDNSResponder function correctly? Thank you in advance.
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2w
App is not upgrading with Network Extension in iOS 13 in Test flight
Hi We are building a VPN app (PacketTunnelProvider) and allowing users to install the app through test flight and app upgrade works seamlessly without VPN, but immediately after enabling the VPN, we are not able to get app upgraded with the progress bar in test flight stuck at 90 percent and now app is not usable after that but VPN is still working. We are not noticing the issue on ios 12.4.1 version but facing the issue on iOS 13 versions. On looking through console app during upgradation process we are noticing a below recurring log message. Error acquiring hold on plugins for &lt;bundle_identifier&gt;: Error Domain=PlugInKit Code=14 "plugins are busy" UserInfo={busyPlugInUUIDs=({         XPCExtensionBundleIdentifier = "&lt;bundle_identifier&gt;.tunnel";     } ), NSLocalizedDescription=plugins are busy} Could someone please help us in resolving the issue.
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2w
Detect Configuration Profile state change (DoH .mobileconfig) without VPN/MDM/supervised — any API I missed?
Is there any iOS API, framework, or entitlement (public or beta) that lets an app detect when a user disables or removes a Configuration Profile (specifically a DNS-over-HTTPS profile) — without VPN extension, MDM, or supervised mode? Use case: I need to know server-side, in real time, when the user toggles off a .mobileconfig DoH profile they previously installed. Things I've already reviewed and ruled out: NetworkExtension (NEDNSSettingsManager — only fires while app is running) BGTaskScheduler (iOS-scheduled, not real-time) NEFilterDataProvider (requires supervised) VPN / MDM / supervised Anything I'm missing?
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2w
Need info to bypass system.preferences VPN consent prompt on MDM device for standard user
Hi, We have a macOS app that uses NETransparentProxyManager (Transparent App Proxy) with a NETunnelProviderExtension. The Network Extension is configured and deployed via an MDM configuration profile. The profile is pushed through Intune MDM as a user-enrolled device (Company Portal enrollment, not ADE/supervised). The MDM profile sets up the Transparent Proxy extension as follows (sanitized snippet): <key>VPNType</key> <string>TransparentProxy</string> <key>TransparentProxy</key> <dict> <key>ProviderType</key> <string>app-proxy</string> <key>ProviderBundleIdentifier</key> <string>com.example.app.tunnel</string> <key>ProviderDesignatedRequirement</key> <string>identifier "com.example.app.tunnel" and anchor apple generic and certificate leaf[subject.OU] = TEAMID</string> <key>RemoteAddress</key> <string>100.64.0.0</string> </dict> <key>PayloadScope</key> <string>System</string> What we do in code: Call NETransparentProxyManager.loadAllFromPreferences — this correctly returns the MDM-managed profile (1 profile found) We do not call saveToPreferences — the profile already exists We call NEVPNConnection.startVPNTunnel() to connect and NEVPNConnection.stopVPNTunnel() to disconnect Problem: On a user-enrolled MDM device, when the app is running as a standard user (non-admin), every call to startVPNTunnel() or stopVPNTunnel() triggers the macOS VPN consent dialog: "VPN is trying to modify your system settings. Enter your password to allow this." Console log evidence: Failed to authorize 'system.preferences' by client '/System/Library/ExtensionKit/Extensions/VPN.appex' for authorization created by '/System/Library/ExtensionKit/Extensions/VPN.appex' (-60006) (engine 881) Key observations: Even if the user does not provide the admin credentials in the popup and cancel the window, still things work properly in the background i.e start/stop works. This does not happen for admin users on user-enrolled devices saveToPreferences is NOT called — the profile is MDM-managed and already present The prompt is triggered purely by startVPNTunnel() / stopVPNTunnel() from a standard user process Question: Is there a supported API, entitlement, or MDM configuration key that allows NETransparentProxyManager.startVPNTunnel() / stopVPNTunnel() to be invoked by a standard user process on a user-enrolled (non-supervised) device without triggering the system.preferences authorization dialog — given that the VPN profile is already deployed and managed by MDM?
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2w
M5 kernel panic skmem_slab_free_locked in the presence of a network system extension
I've seen a number of similar posts from other network system extension developers reporting kernel panics on M5 devices in macOS. These kernel panics occur when network system extensions are enabled and are not observed on earlier mac platforms or versions of macOS. Reference: https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/821372 In this post, it appears like Apple is aware of a problem as noted by Kevin Elliott in versions of macOS. Do we know if there is any way to work around this problem (short of not enabling a network filter) until a fix is available?
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2w
OSSystemExtension activation fails with code=4 and sysextd "no policy, cannot allow apps outside /Applications" even when host app is in /Applications
Summary We are activating a Network Extension system extension (filter-data) from a signed and notarized macOS app. Activation consistently fails with: OSSystemExtensionErrorDomain code=4 Extension not found in App bundle. Unable to find any matched extension with identifier: com.seaskylight.yksmacos.ExamNetFilter.data At the same time, sysextd logs: no policy, cannot allow apps outside /Applications However, our host app and executable real paths are already under /Applications, and the extension bundle physically exists in the expected app bundle location. Environment macOS: Darwin 25.4.0 Host app: /Applications/xxx.app Host bundle id: com.seaskylight.yksmacos System extension bundle id: com.seaskylight.yksmacos.ExamNetFilter.data Team ID: BVU65MZFLK Device management: Enrolled via DEP: No MDM enrollment: No Reproduction Steps Install host app to /Applications. Launch host app via Finder or: open -a "/Applications/xxx.app" Trigger OSSystemExtensionRequest activationRequestForExtension for: com.seaskylight.yksmacos.ExamNetFilter.data Observe failure callback (code=4). Collect logs: log show --last 2m --style compact --info --debug --predicate 'process == "sysextd"' systemextensionsctl list (shows 0 extension(s)) Observed Results sysextd client activation request for com.seaskylight.yksmacos.ExamNetFilter.data attempting to realize extension with identifier com.seaskylight.yksmacos.ExamNetFilter.data no policy, cannot allow apps outside /Applications App-side diagnostics (captured at failure) pid=3249 bundlePath=/Applications/xxx.app bundlePathReal=/Applications/xxx.app execPath=/Applications/xxx.app/Contents/MacOS/xxx execPathReal=/Applications/xxx.app/Contents/MacOS/xxx extPath=/Applications/xxx.app/Contents/Library/SystemExtensions/ExamNetFilterData.systemextension extExists=true runningFromHelper=false Error callback NSError{domain=OSSystemExtensionErrorDomain code=4 desc=Extension not found in App bundle...} Additional Validation We reproduced the same failure using a minimal native host app (SysExtProbe) in /Applications that only submits the activation request for the same extension identifier. It also fails with OSSystemExtensionErrorDomain code=4, indicating this is not specific to Electron app logic. Signing / Packaging Notes Host app and system extension are signed with the same Team ID (BVU65MZFLK). System extension bundle exists under: /Applications/xxx.app/Contents/Library/SystemExtensions/ExamNetFilterData.systemextension Extension Info.plist contains bundle id: com.seaskylight.yksmacos.ExamNetFilter.data Host app includes NSSystemExtensionUsageDescription. Questions for DTS In non-MDM personal-device scenarios, what exact conditions trigger sysextd to emit: no policy, cannot allow apps outside /Applications even when both bundlePath and realpath are in /Applications? Can code=4 (“Extension not found in App bundle”) be returned for policy/state reasons even when extension bundle is present and identifier matches? Are there known sysextd policy/cache states that cause this behavior, and what is the recommended recovery procedure?
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XPC connection broken on app & extension upgrade
Post app update our extension version is replaced with the new version. However occasionally maybe around 20% of the time The XPC connection we have for communication between the app and extension will not work. We have reconnection retry logic as well as tried stop and starting the extension but it appears once its broken its broken and all that fixes it is a machine restart. This is obviously not ideal. I have noticed a few other forums talking about the same or similar problem. https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/728063 https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/779395 https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/742992 When we run on a broken upgrade cycle `sudo launchctl print system/NetworkExtension.com.company.example.app.filter.5.5.0.2248 ` We notice that endpoints is missing from the log. However if we run the same command in terminal for a working upgrade cycle endpoints = {} exist. Therefore for some reason our xpc isn't actually getting registered.
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Getting a basic URL Filter to work
I haven’t been able to get this to work at any level! I’m running into multiple issues, any light shed on any of these would be nice: I can’t implement a bloom filter that produces the same output as can be found in the SimpleURLFilter sample project, after following the textual description of it that’s available in the documentation. No clue what my implementation is doing wrong, and because of the nature of hashing, there is no way to know. Specifically: The web is full of implementations of FNV-1a and MurmurHash3, and they all produce different hashes for the same input. Can we get the proper hashes for some sample strings, so we know which is the “correct” one? Similarly, different implementations use different encodings for the strings to hash. Which should we use here? The formulas for numberOfBits and numberOfHashes give Doubles and assign them to Ints. It seems we should do this conversing by rounding them, is this correct? Can we get a sample correct value for the combined hash, so we can verify our implementations against it? Or ignoring all of the above, can we have the actual code instead of a textual description of it? 😓 I managed to get Settings to register my first attempt at this extension in beta 1. Now, in beta 2, any other project (including the sample code) will redirect to Settings, show the Allow/Deny message box, I tap Allow, and then nothing happens. This must be a bug, right? Whenever I try to enable the only extension that Settings accepted (by setting its isEnabled to true), its status goes to .stopped and the error is, of course, .unknown. How do I debug this? While the extension is .stopped, ALL URL LOADS are blocked on the device. Is this to be expected? (shouldFailClosed is set to false) Is there any way to manually reload the bloom filter? My app ships blocklist updates with background push, so it would be wasteful to fetch the filter at a fixed interval. If so, can we opt out of the periodic fetch altogether? I initially believed the API to be near useless because I didn’t know of its “fuzzy matching” capabilities, which I’ve discovered by accident in a forum post. It’d be nice if those were documented somewhere! Thanks!!
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