LiveContainer

Run iOS app without actually installing it!

• Allows you to install unlimited apps (10 apps limit of free developer account do not apply here!), have multiple versions of an app installed and multiple data containers.
• When JIT is available, codesign is entirely bypassed, no need to sign your apps before installing. Otherwise, app will be signed with the same certificate used by LiveContainer.

Compatibility

Unfortunately, not all apps work in LiveContainer, so we have a compatibility list to tell if there is apps that have issues. If they aren't on this list, then it's likely going run. However, if it doesn't work, please make an issue about it.

Building

export THEOS=/path/to/theos
git submodule update --init --recursive
make package

Project structure

Main executable

• Core of LiveContainer
• Contains the logic of setting up guest environment and loading guest app.
• If no app is selected, it loads LiveContainerUI.

LiveContainerUI

• LiveContainer's default implementation of app manager, tweak manager and settings UI.
• If you're making a mod loader, you can provide your own.

TweakLoader

• A simple tweak injector, which loads CydiaSubstrate and load tweaks.
• Injected to every app you install in LiveContainer.

Usage

Requires AltStore or SideStore

• Build from source or get prebuilt ipa in the Actions tab
• Open LiveContainer, tap the plus icon in the upper right hand corner and select IPA files to install.
• Choose the app you want to open in the next launch.

With JIT (requires SideStore)

• Tap the play icon, it will jump to SideStore and exit.
• In SideStore, hold down LiveContainer and tap Enable JIT. If you have SideStore build supporting JIT URL scheme, it jumps back to LiveContainer with JIT enabled and the guest app is ready to use.

Without JIT

Note

You need to setup JIT-less mode once. This can be done by pressing "Setup JIT-less" and following instructions.

• Tap the play icon, it will attempt to restart LiveContainer with guest app loaded.

Installing external tweaks

LiveContainer comes with its own TweakLoader, which automatically load CydiaSubstrate and tweaks. TweakLoader is injected to every app you install. You can override TweakLoader.dylib symlink with your own implementation if you wish.

.dylib files in Tweaks folder are global, they are loaded to all apps. You can create app-specific tweaks folder and switch between them instantly.

To install tweaks, you can use the built-in tweak manager in LiveContainer, which will automatically sign tweaks as you import. Otherwise, you can manually add them and then use the tweak manager to sign them.

How does it work?

Patching guest executable

• Patch __PAGEZERO segment:
  • Change vmaddr to 0xFFFFC000 (0x100000000 - 0x4000)
  • Change vmsize to 0x4000
• Change MH_EXECUTE to MH_DYLIB.
• Inject a load command to load TweakLoader.dylib

Patching @executable_path

• Call _NSGetExecutablePath with an invalid buffer pointer input -> SIGSEGV
• Do some magic stuff to overwrite the contents of executable_path.

Patching NSBundle.mainBundle

• This property is overwritten with the guest app's bundle.

Bypassing Library Validation

• JIT is optional to bypass codesigning. In JIT-less mode, all executables are signed so this does not apply.
• Derived from Restoring Dyld Memory Loading

dlopening the executable

• Call dlopen with the guest app's executable
• TweakLoader loads all tweaks in the selected folder
• Find the entry point
• Jump to the entry point
• The guest app's entry point calls UIApplicationMain and start up like any other iOS apps.

Limitations

• Entitlements from the guest app are not applied to the host app. This isn't a big deal since sideloaded apps requires only basic entitlements.
• App Permissions are globally applied.
• Guest app containers are not sandboxed. This means one guest app can access other guest apps' data.
• Only one guest app can run at a time. This is much more like 3 apps limit where you have to disable an app to run another (switching between app in LiveContainer is instant).
• Remote push notification might not work. If you have a paid developer account then you don't even have to use LiveContainer
• Querying custom URL schemes might not work(?)
• File picker might be broken for unknown reasons.

TODO

• Isolate Keychain per app
• Use ChOma instead of custom MachO parser

License

Apache License 2.0

Credits

• xpn's blogpost: Restoring Dyld Memory Loading
• LinusHenze's CFastFind: MIT license
• fishhook: BSD 3-Clause license
• MBRoundProgressView
• @haxi0 for icon
• @Vishram1123 for the initial shortcut implementation.