macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install ios-class-guardlocal Homebrew formula metadata
brew
Install ios-class-guard with Homebrew
Objective-C obfuscator for Mach-O executables. Version 0.8 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
overview
Package summary
Objective-C obfuscator for Mach-O executables
Project links
Commands and aliases
- ios-class-guard
history
Project history and usage
iOS Class Guard is a command-line Objective-C obfuscator for Mach-O executables. Its README describes it as an extension of class-dump that renames Objective-C classes, protocols, properties, methods, and ivars by generating symbol maps used during compilation.
Project history
Polidea's repository was created for an iOS-specific obfuscation workflow built on top of the class-dump lineage. The README documents version 0.8, Homebrew installation, CocoaPods support, XIB and storyboard rewriting, JSON symbol maps, crash-report reversal, and dSYM symbol restoration workflows.
The repository notes that it is no longer maintained. That status matters historically because the tool belongs to an older Objective-C-heavy iOS security era, before Swift and newer Apple build-system conventions changed many app-hardening workflows.
Adoption history
The package has a narrower adoption profile than the other tools in this batch. Homebrew packages it from the 0.8 tag, while the upstream README itself recommends Homebrew as the simple installation path and a HEAD install for development snapshots.
How it is used
The intended workflow is to run the tool against a compiled app, generate a symbols header and JSON map, include the generated header during compilation, and preserve the JSON map so crash reports and dSYMs can be translated back when needed. The README stresses that the result is not a complete security solution, only a way to make runtime inspection and code analysis harder.
Why package nerds care
For package catalogs, ios-class-guard is interesting because it packages a fragile intersection of reverse-engineering technique, Mach-O parsing, Xcode project mutation, CocoaPods integration, and mobile-app release process. It is not a general-purpose security layer; it is a snapshot of how Objective-C metadata exposure shaped iOS tooling.
Timeline
- 2014: GitHub repository created for Polidea's iOS Class Guard project.
- 2015: Version 0.8 tag used by Homebrew as the stable source archive.
- After 2015: Repository README marked the project as no longer maintained.
Related projects
- The upstream README names class-dump as the base project and links an ios-class-guard-example repository for demonstrating obfuscated and non-obfuscated app headers. The workflow also intersects with CocoaPods, Xcode precompiled headers, crash-reporting tools, and dSYM handling.
Sources
security posture
Risk level: green
narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.
Risk classifier
green risk · low confidence · appliance
Why
- narrow executable package without higher-risk signals
Signals
- metadata:no-higher-risk-signals
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 11 platform targets.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
ios-class-guard | cli | global executable |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-07-08
manager version0.8
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detected0.8
https://github.com/Polidea/ios-class-guard
- infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:ios-class-guard |
|---|---|
| Version | 0.8 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/ios-class-guard |
| Homepage | https://github.com/Polidea/ios-class-guard/ |
| Repository | https://github.com/Polidea/ios-class-guard |
| Upstream docs | https://github.com/Polidea/ios-class-guard#readme |
| License | GPL-2.0-or-later |
| Source archive | https://github.com/Polidea/ios-class-guard/archive/refs/tags/0.8.tar.gz |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_big_sur, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, catalina, monterey, sonoma, ventura) |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | none declared |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew formula API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/core |
| Full Name | ios-class-guard |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Head Version | HEAD |
| Requirements |
|
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | no |
| URL Keys |
|
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- Nucleus package database
- av.db category and tag curation
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated package history
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment