iOS 16.1 NetworkExtensions are broken for parental control apps

Question

Kuznetsov_Dm OP

Created Nov ’22

Replies 2

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Hello.

It seems that NetworkExtensions (NEFilterDataProvider/NEFilterControlProvider) are completely broken on iOS 16.1 and iOS 16.2 for Screen Time API authorized apps.

We have an active FB11748633 (iOS 16.1 System doesn't forward network flow to NEFilterDataProvider/NEFilterControlProvider of ScreenTime API authorized app)

Everything worked perfectly on versions of iOS prior to 16.1 for an app publicly available on the App Store, but stopped working after updating to iOS 16.1.

Steps to reproduce:

Install parental control app with embedded Network Extensions of types:

com.apple.networkextension.filter-data
com.apple.networkextension.filter-control

Authorize the app for ScreenTime API with FamilyControlsMember.child mode.
Register Network Extensions in system by the NEFilterManager.shared instance, with filterBrowsers=true configuration.
Start web browsing in Safari
No one call of "handleNewFlow(_ flow: NEFilterFlow) -> NEFilterNewFlowVerdict" is triggered by the system

And under debug we see:

correctly initiated Network Extensions with our identifiers
two corresponding processes registered in the OS
correct calls of startFilter methods of both extensions

Does anyone have any ideas or workarounds?

Boost

Answer 1

OP

Apple

Nov ’22

Hello, please ensure that your active ticker is filed under Network Extension or a related field in Feedback Assistant, so that we can address and track this for you in a timely way. Be sure to reproduce the error, run a sysdiagnose and include that sysdiagnose in your ticket.

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Answer 2

Kuznetsov_Dm OP

Feb ’23

Correct behaviour is recovered in iOS 16.3. `filterBrowsers=YES is enough to start filtering WebKit-originated traffic.

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