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Guide to Booting a Virtual iPhone Using Apple's Virtualization.framework
Key points
- Requires Apple Silicon and macOS 15+ with Xcode and iOS SDK.
- Uses vphone-cli for creating, managing, and launching virtual iPhones.
- Supports custom firmware installation and various patch variants.
- Allows for manual control or automated VM creation and restoration.
Introduction to Virtual iPhone Booting
This guide outlines the process of booting a virtual iPhone using Apple's Virtualization.framework. The setup leverages PCC research VM infrastructure and is designed for Apple Silicon Macs running macOS 15 (Sequoia) or newer. It requires Xcode with the iOS SDK for cross-compiling the guest daemon and specific system relaxations for private entitlements.
Environment Setup and Dependencies
To begin, users must install several dependencies via Homebrew, including Python 3.13, aria2, wget, gnu-tar, openssl@3, ldid-procursus, sshpass, keystone, cmake, libusb, ipsw, and zstd. Additionally, the vphone-cli tool needs to be installed from a custom tap. The setup process involves cloning the vphone-cli Git repository, initializing submodules, and running setup scripts to install dependencies and build the toolchain.
Building and Using vphone-cli
After setting up the environment, the vphone-cli tool is built and signed, bundling it into an application. The vphoned daemon is also cross-compiled. The vphone-cli offers a command-line interface for managing virtual machines. A single command can create a VM end-to-end, handling download, patching, DFU restore, custom firmware installation, and first boot. Alternatively, users can execute individual steps manually for more granular control.
Virtual Machine Management Features
The vphone-cli provides a comprehensive set of commands for VM management. Users can list, inspect, create new VMs, configure CPU and memory settings, clone existing VMs, and export/import VM bundles. It also supports renaming and deleting virtual machines. The tool facilitates firmware preparation, patching the boot chain, DFU booting, and installing custom firmware variants.
Custom Firmware and Security Bypass Options
The tool supports updating to newer iOS versions by pointing the firmware preparation command to a specific IPSW file. It also offers five patch variants with increasing levels of security bypass, detailed in the research documentation. These variants enable functionalities such as SSH access to the virtual iPhone, which can be used for development and research purposes.
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Primary sources
GitHub cmc_internal/api GitHub github/collect GitHub Lakr233/vphone-cli GitHub _private/browser GitHub get-started/accessibility GitHub open-source/sponsorsReporting from
This guide details how to boot a virtual iPhone on Apple Silicon Macs running macOS 15+ using Apple's Virtualization.framework and the vphone-cli tool. It provides step-by-step instructions for setting up the environment, creating, and managing virtual iOS devices, including custom firmware installation. This enables developers and researchers to test iOS applications and explore the operating system in a virtualized environment.