Zoltan Papp 47fb3704eb [client] preserve WireGuard key on interactive re-login (#6777)
NewAuth built a fresh in-memory config on every call via
CreateInMemoryConfig, which generates a new WireGuard private key when
none is set. The iOS Swift layer calls this on interactive re-login and
writes the resulting config back to the profile's netbird.cfg, so each
re-auth replaced the peer's persisted private key with a new one. A new
key means a new public key, so the management server registered a
brand-new peer on every re-authentication — named after the fallback
hostname.

Load the existing config with DirectUpdateOrCreateConfig when a config
file is already present so re-login reuses the peer's persisted private
key (and its identity). Only fall back to a fresh in-memory config for
the first-time login when no config file exists yet (or after logout,
which deletes the file). DirectUpdateOrCreateConfig uses non-atomic
writes so it also works inside the tvOS App Group sandbox. This matches
what Run() and LoginForMobile() already do.

## Describe your changes

## Issue ticket number and link

## Stack

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### Checklist
- [x] Is it a bug fix
- [ ] Is a typo/documentation fix
- [ ] Is a feature enhancement
- [ ] It is a refactor
- [ ] Created tests that fail without the change (if possible)
- [ ] This change does **not** modify the public API, gRPC protocols,
functionality behavior, CLI / service flags, or introduce a new feature
— **OR** I have discussed it with the NetBird team beforehand (link the
issue / Slack thread in the description). See
[CONTRIBUTING.md](https://github.com/netbirdio/netbird/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md#discuss-changes-with-the-netbird-team-first).

> By submitting this pull request, you confirm that you have read and
agree to the terms of the [Contributor License
Agreement](https://github.com/netbirdio/netbird/blob/main/CONTRIBUTOR_LICENSE_AGREEMENT.md).

## Documentation
Select exactly one:

- [ ] I added/updated documentation for this change
- [x] Documentation is **not needed** for this change (explain why)

### Docs PR URL (required if "docs added" is checked)
Paste the PR link from https://github.com/netbirdio/docs here:

https://github.com/netbirdio/docs/pull/__


<!-- This is an auto-generated comment: release notes by coderabbit.ai
-->

## Summary by CodeRabbit

* **New Features**
* Added support for loading or creating persistent configuration when a
configuration file path is provided.
* Continued support for in-memory configuration for temporary or
first-time use.

<!-- end of auto-generated comment: release notes by coderabbit.ai -->
2026-07-15 12:04:04 +02:00
2025-04-09 20:18:52 +01:00
2024-10-30 17:18:27 +01:00
2022-12-02 13:54:22 +01:00

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🤖 NetBird Agent Network (Beta)

Identity-aware access control for AI agents — keyless access to LLM APIs and private resources over the encrypted NetBird tunnel. See agent-network/ or read the docs at netbird.ai.

NetBird combines a configuration-free peer-to-peer private network and a centralized access control system in a single platform, making it easy to create secure private networks for your organization or home.

Connect. NetBird creates a WireGuard-based overlay network that automatically connects your machines over an encrypted tunnel, leaving behind the hassle of opening ports, complex firewall rules, VPN gateways, and so forth.

Secure. NetBird enables secure remote access by applying granular access policies while allowing you to manage them intuitively from a single place. Works universally on any infrastructure.

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/10cec749-bb56-4ab3-97af-4e38850108d2

Self-host NetBird (video)

Watch the video

Key features

Connectivity Management Security Automation Platforms
Kernel WireGuard Admin Web UI SSO & MFA support Public API Linux
Peer-to-peer connections ✓ Auto peer discovery and configuration Access control: groups & rules Setup keys for bulk provisioning macOS
✓ Connection relay fallback IdP integrations Activity logging Self-hosting quickstart script Windows
Routes to external networks Private DNS Traffic events IdP groups sync with JWT Android
Domain-based DNS routes Custom DNS zones Device posture checks Terraform provider Android TV
Exit nodes Multiuser support ✓ Peer-to-peer encryption Ansible collection iOS
IPv6 dual-stack overlay Multi-account profile switching SSH with central access policies Apple TV
Browser SSH & RDP Quantum-resistance with Rosenpass ✓ FreeBSD
Reverse proxy with auto-TLS Periodic re-authentication pfSense
OPNsense
MikroTik RouterOS
✓ OpenWRT
Synology
TrueNAS
Proxmox
Raspberry Pi
Serverless
Container

Quickstart with NetBird Cloud

Quickstart with self-hosted NetBird

This is the quickest way to try self-hosted NetBird. It should take around 5 minutes to get started if you already have a public domain and a VM. Follow the Advanced guide with a custom identity provider for installations with different IdPs.

Infrastructure requirements:

  • A Linux VM with at least 1 CPU and 2 GB of memory.
  • The VM should be publicly accessible on TCP ports 80 and 443 and UDP port 3478.
  • A public domain name pointing to the VM.

Software requirements:

Steps

  • Download and run the installation script:
export NETBIRD_DOMAIN=netbird.example.com; curl -fsSL https://github.com/netbirdio/netbird/releases/latest/download/getting-started.sh | bash

A bit on NetBird internals

  • Every machine in the network runs the NetBird agent, which manages WireGuard.
  • Every agent connects to the Management Service, which holds network state, manages peer IPs, and distributes updates to agents.
  • Agents use ICE (via pion/ice) to discover connection candidates for peer-to-peer connections.
  • Candidates are discovered with the help of STUN servers.
  • Agents negotiate a connection through the Signal Service, exchanging end-to-end encrypted messages with candidates.
  • When NAT traversal fails (e.g. mobile carrier-grade NAT) and a direct p2p connection isn't possible, the system falls back to a Relay Service and a secure WireGuard tunnel is established through it.

NetBird high-level architecture diagram

See a complete architecture overview for details.

Community projects

Note: The main branch may be in an unstable or even broken state during development. For stable versions, see releases.

Support acknowledgement

In November 2022, NetBird joined the StartUpSecure program sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research of the Federal Republic of Germany. Together with the CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security, NetBird brings security best practices and simplicity to private networking.

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Acknowledgements

We build on open-source technologies like WireGuard®, Pion ICE, and Rosenpass. We greatly appreciate the work these projects are doing, and we'd love it if you could support them too (e.g., by starring or contributing).

This repository is licensed under the BSD-3-Clause license, which applies to all parts of the repository except for the directories management/, signal/ and relay/. Those directories are licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License version 3.0 (AGPLv3). See the respective LICENSE files inside each directory.

WireGuard and the WireGuard logo are registered trademarks of Jason A. Donenfeld.

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