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Apple firmware and binary reverse engineering with the ipsw CLI tool. Use when analyzing iOS/macOS binaries, disassembling functions in dyld_shared_cache, dumping Objective-C headers from private frameworks, downloading IPSWs or kernelcaches, extracting entitlements, analyzing Mach-O files, or researching Apple security. Triggers on requests involving Apple RE, iOS internals, kernel analysis, KEXT extraction, or vulnerability research on Apple platforms.
npx skill4agent add blacktop/ipsw-skill ipswbrew install blacktop/tap/ipsw| Goal | Start Here |
|---|---|
| Download/extract firmware | Firmware Acquisition |
| Reverse engineer userspace | Userspace RE |
| Analyze kernel/KEXTs | Kernel Analysis |
| Research entitlements | Entitlements |
| Dump private API headers | Class Dump |
| Analyze standalone binary | Mach-O Analysis |
# Download latest IPSW for device
ipsw download ipsw --device iPhone16,1 --latest
# Download with automatic kernel/DSC extraction
ipsw download ipsw --device iPhone16,1 --latest --kernel --dyld
# Extract components from local IPSW
ipsw extract --kernel iPhone16,1_18.0_Restore.ipsw
ipsw extract --dyld --dyld-arch arm64e iPhone16,1_18.0_Restore.ipsw
# Remote extraction (no full download)
ipsw extract --kernel --remote <IPSW_URL>/System/Volumes/Preboot/Cryptexes/OS/System/Library/dyld/dyld_shared_cache_arm64e| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Address → symbol (triage crash LR/PC) |
| Symbol → address |
| Disassemble at address |
| Disassemble by symbol |
| Find all references to address |
| Dump raw bytes at address |
| Search strings |
| List ObjC classes |
| Extract dylib for external tools |
# 1. Resolve address from crash/trace
ipsw dyld a2s $DSC 0x1bc39e1e0
# → -[SomeClass someMethod:] + 0x40
# 2. Disassemble around that address
ipsw dyld disass $DSC --vaddr 0x1bc39e1e0
# 3. Find who calls this function
ipsw dyld xref $DSC 0x1bc39e1a0 --all
# 4. Extract string/data referenced in disassembly
ipsw dyld dump $DSC 0x1bc39e200 --size 64--image <DYLIB># List all KEXTs
ipsw kernel kexts kernelcache.release.iPhone16,1
# Extract specific KEXT
ipsw kernel extract kernelcache sandbox --output ./kexts/
# Dump syscalls
ipsw kernel syscall kernelcache
# Diff KEXTs between versions
ipsw kernel kexts --diff kernelcache_17.0 kernelcache_18.0# Single binary entitlements
ipsw macho info --ent /path/to/binary
# Build searchable database from IPSW
ipsw ent --sqlite ent.db --ipsw iOS18.ipsw
# Query database
ipsw ent --sqlite ent.db --key "com.apple.private.security.no-sandbox"
ipsw ent --sqlite ent.db --key "platform-application"
ipsw ent --sqlite ent.db --key "com.apple.private.tcc.manager"# Dump all headers from framework in DSC
ipsw class-dump $DSC SpringBoardServices --headers -o ./headers/
# Dump specific class
ipsw class-dump $DSC Security --class SecKey
# Filter by pattern
ipsw class-dump $DSC UIKit --class 'UIApplication.*' --headers -o ./headers/
# Include runtime addresses (for hooking)
ipsw class-dump $DSC Security --re# Full binary info
ipsw macho info /path/to/binary
# Disassemble function
ipsw macho disass /path/to/binary --symbol _main
# Get entitlements and signature
ipsw macho info --ent /path/to/binary
ipsw macho info --sig /path/to/binarya2ssymaddr.a2s--jsonipsw device-list