Hi,
We are currently testing our Network Extension based solution on macOS 27 Beta and have observed some unexpected networking behavior.
We would like to know whether other developers have encountered similar issues, or whether there are any known changes in macOS 27 Beta that may affect NEFilterDataProvider.
Environment
macOS 27 Beta (tested on multiple Beta versions)
System Extension
Network Extension
NEFilterDataProvider (Content Filter)
Xcode Beta
Current Implementation
Our product uses NEFilterDataProvider for network traffic filtering.
To eliminate the possibility that our filtering logic is causing the issue, we created a minimal implementation.
The current provider behavior:
Only handles TCP 80/443 flows
Does not inspect payload content
Does not perform URL filtering
Does not perform domain matching
Does not apply any block rules
Does not modify network traffic
All flows are immediately allowed
Example:
handleNewFlow()
|
|
return .allow()
The issue can still be reproduced when all flows are returned with .allow().
The Network Extension is only performing basic flow handling without any filtering decisions.
Observed Behavior
On macOS 27 Beta, we can still reproduce networking issues with this minimal implementation.
Observed symptoms include:
Intermittent network connectivity issues
DNS requests timing out or failing
Some applications losing network access
Chrome / Chromium-based applications are affected more frequently
Safari sometimes continues working normally
Disabling the Network Extension usually restores network connectivity
Restarting or reloading the provider may require a significant amount of time before networking fully recovers
The issue appears to be independent of filtering decisions, because:
No traffic is blocked
No complex policy evaluation is performed
No packet modification is performed
All flows are allowed
Possible Areas
Based on our investigation, we suspect this may be related to changes in:
NEFilterDataProvider lifecycle handling
Interaction between Network Extension and the system networking stack
Network recovery behavior after provider restart/reload
Possible changes in networking components such as NECP, networkd, or DNS handling
Questions
Has anyone observed similar behavior with NEFilterDataProvider on macOS 27 Beta?
Are there any known compatibility considerations for Network Extension or Content Filter providers on macOS 27 Beta?
Have there been any changes to Network Extension lifecycle management or networking behavior that developers should be aware of?
Are there recommended debugging steps or diagnostic information that would help investigate this issue?
We can provide additional information if needed:
sysdiagnose
Console logs
Network Extension logs
Sample project
Feedback Assistant ID
Thank you.
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