search
HomeDatabaseMysql TutorialOSX as Transparent Wifi MITM Proxy

Yesterday I was in the situation where I wanted to debug an iOS deviceand what network calls it would make. Normally the trivial step is tojust define an HTTP proxy server in the wifi settings but that will onlywork for as long as you have

Yesterday I was in the situation where I wanted to debug an iOS device and what network calls it would make. Normally the trivial step is to just define an HTTP proxy server in the wifi settings but that will only work for as long as you have something that actually honors this proxy server. But there are better ways to transparently proxy connections from a device connected via Wifi which does not require any changes on the actual device.

The Tools

In order for this to work you need a device running OS X which is connected to the same network as the Wifi. Then you need to convince the Wifi device to see you as the gateway instead of the actual gateway. The easiest way is just to go to the settings and change the gateway to your computer's IP. The second ingredient is an HTTP proxy, ideally one that can also decrypt and reencrypt SSL traffic. Personally I can recommend Charles for that. Lastly you will need another proxy that can work transparently which sits between your device and Charles. On OS X redsocks gets this job done.

If you don't want to spend the money on Charles or you want to rewrite traffic with Python you can use mitmproxy.

The Setup

The first thing you will notice is that when you point your Wifi device to your computer it will loose network connectivity. That's because by default your computer won't forward packets. This can easily be changed through sysctl:

$ sudo sysctl -w net.inet.ip.forwarding=1

After that you should be able to browse the internet again on your Wifi device.

The second step is installing redsocks. If you have brew that's a very trivial operation:

$ brew install redsocks

Once installed you will need to create a config file for it. Call it redsocks.conf and place it in a folder from which you run redsocks:

base {
    log_debug = on;
    log_info = on;
    log = stderr;
    daemon = off;
    redirector = generic;
}
redsocks {
    local_ip = 0.0.0.0;
    local_port = 12345;
    ip = 127.0.0.1;
    port = 8889;
    // known types: socks4, socks5, http-connect, http-relay
    type = socks5;
}

Since I'm using Charles I take advantage of it's socks5 support and point it to localhost:8889 where Charles normally starts up if configured as Socks5 proxy. If you're using a regular HTTP proxy you can use http-connect as proxy type. The local_port defines where the actual transparent redsocks proxy opens.

All you have to do then is to start it:

$ redsocks

After that you will need to point all the traffic that is not from your computer and from port 80 and 443 of your Wifi through redsocks. On OS X the firewall canbe controlled through ipfw. In my case the wifi device is en1:

$ sudo ipfw add fwd 127.0.0.1,12345 tcp from not me to any 80 in via en1
$ sudo ipfw add fwd 127.0.0.1,12345 tcp from not me to any 443 in via en1

Working around OS X Bugs

Now currently if you finish that above setup you will notice that nothing actually works. The cause for this is a Bug in the OS X kernel that requires flipping the net.inet.ip.scopedroute flag to 0. I am not entirely sure what it does, but the internet reports that it breaks network sharing through the user preferences. In any case it fixes ipfw based forwarding so you can flip it with sysctl:

$ sudo sysctl -w net.inet.ip.scopedroute=0

Unfortunately in OS X Lion this flag can actually not be flipped from userspace so you need to set it as boot parameter and then restart your computer. You can do this by editing the /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.Boot.plist file:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
  <key>Kernel Flags</key>
  <string>net.inet.ip.scopedroute=0</string>
</dict>
</plist>

Installing SSL Certificates

After all that your HTTP traffic should show up in your SSL interception proxy. SSL will only work if the application on your Wifi device is trusting your SSL interception proxy's CA. For browsers for instance that's trivial to change. The Charles Certificate can be added to the trust store by following this link: charles.crt. Note that this will not work with applications that don't use the system's CA trust store. In that case you will need to recompile your application so that it trusts the Charles CA.

../../../../static/charles.png
Statement
The content of this article is voluntarily contributed by netizens, and the copyright belongs to the original author. This site does not assume corresponding legal responsibility. If you find any content suspected of plagiarism or infringement, please contact admin@php.cn
BLOB Data Type in MySQL: A Detailed Overview for DevelopersBLOB Data Type in MySQL: A Detailed Overview for DevelopersMay 07, 2025 pm 05:41 PM

BlobdatatypesinmysqlareusedforvoringLargebinarydatalikeImagesoraudio.1) Useblobtypes (tinyblobtolongblob) Basedondatasizeneeds. 2) Storeblobsin Perplate Petooptimize Performance.3) ConsidersxterNal Storage Forel Blob Romana DatabasesizerIndimprovebackupupe

How to Add Users to MySQL from the Command LineHow to Add Users to MySQL from the Command LineMay 07, 2025 pm 05:01 PM

ToadduserstoMySQLfromthecommandline,loginasroot,thenuseCREATEUSER'username'@'host'IDENTIFIEDBY'password';tocreateanewuser.GrantpermissionswithGRANTALLPRIVILEGESONdatabase.*TO'username'@'host';anduseFLUSHPRIVILEGES;toapplychanges.Alwaysusestrongpasswo

What Are the Different String Data Types in MySQL? A Detailed OverviewWhat Are the Different String Data Types in MySQL? A Detailed OverviewMay 07, 2025 pm 03:33 PM

MySQLofferseightstringdatatypes:CHAR,VARCHAR,BINARY,VARBINARY,BLOB,TEXT,ENUM,andSET.1)CHARisfixed-length,idealforconsistentdatalikecountrycodes.2)VARCHARisvariable-length,efficientforvaryingdatalikenames.3)BINARYandVARBINARYstorebinarydata,similartoC

The Ultimate Guide to Adding Users in MySQLThe Ultimate Guide to Adding Users in MySQLMay 07, 2025 pm 03:29 PM

ToaddauserinMySQL,usetheCREATEUSERstatement.1)UseCREATEUSER'newuser'@'localhost'IDENTIFIEDBY'password';tocreateauser.2)Enforcestrongpasswordpolicieswithvalidate_passwordpluginsettings.3)GrantspecificprivilegesusingGRANTstatement.4)Forremoteaccess,use

What are stored procedures in MySQL?What are stored procedures in MySQL?May 01, 2025 am 12:27 AM

Stored procedures are precompiled SQL statements in MySQL for improving performance and simplifying complex operations. 1. Improve performance: After the first compilation, subsequent calls do not need to be recompiled. 2. Improve security: Restrict data table access through permission control. 3. Simplify complex operations: combine multiple SQL statements to simplify application layer logic.

How does query caching work in MySQL?How does query caching work in MySQL?May 01, 2025 am 12:26 AM

The working principle of MySQL query cache is to store the results of SELECT query, and when the same query is executed again, the cached results are directly returned. 1) Query cache improves database reading performance and finds cached results through hash values. 2) Simple configuration, set query_cache_type and query_cache_size in MySQL configuration file. 3) Use the SQL_NO_CACHE keyword to disable the cache of specific queries. 4) In high-frequency update environments, query cache may cause performance bottlenecks and needs to be optimized for use through monitoring and adjustment of parameters.

What are the advantages of using MySQL over other relational databases?What are the advantages of using MySQL over other relational databases?May 01, 2025 am 12:18 AM

The reasons why MySQL is widely used in various projects include: 1. High performance and scalability, supporting multiple storage engines; 2. Easy to use and maintain, simple configuration and rich tools; 3. Rich ecosystem, attracting a large number of community and third-party tool support; 4. Cross-platform support, suitable for multiple operating systems.

How do you handle database upgrades in MySQL?How do you handle database upgrades in MySQL?Apr 30, 2025 am 12:28 AM

The steps for upgrading MySQL database include: 1. Backup the database, 2. Stop the current MySQL service, 3. Install the new version of MySQL, 4. Start the new version of MySQL service, 5. Recover the database. Compatibility issues are required during the upgrade process, and advanced tools such as PerconaToolkit can be used for testing and optimization.

See all articles

Hot AI Tools

Undresser.AI Undress

Undresser.AI Undress

AI-powered app for creating realistic nude photos

AI Clothes Remover

AI Clothes Remover

Online AI tool for removing clothes from photos.

Undress AI Tool

Undress AI Tool

Undress images for free

Clothoff.io

Clothoff.io

AI clothes remover

Video Face Swap

Video Face Swap

Swap faces in any video effortlessly with our completely free AI face swap tool!

Hot Tools

EditPlus Chinese cracked version

EditPlus Chinese cracked version

Small size, syntax highlighting, does not support code prompt function

SublimeText3 Linux new version

SublimeText3 Linux new version

SublimeText3 Linux latest version

Dreamweaver Mac version

Dreamweaver Mac version

Visual web development tools

SublimeText3 English version

SublimeText3 English version

Recommended: Win version, supports code prompts!

MinGW - Minimalist GNU for Windows

MinGW - Minimalist GNU for Windows

This project is in the process of being migrated to osdn.net/projects/mingw, you can continue to follow us there. MinGW: A native Windows port of the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC), freely distributable import libraries and header files for building native Windows applications; includes extensions to the MSVC runtime to support C99 functionality. All MinGW software can run on 64-bit Windows platforms.