What is nehelper?

nehelper is a process you may see in Activity Monitor, especially if you use a VPN or content filter.

What is nehelper?

nehelper stands for Network Extension helper. It is part of Apple's Network Extension framework, which gives apps ways to customise and extend macOS networking. It helps manage the setup and permissions of network extensions.

What uses it?

Apps that use the Network Extension framework include:

• VPN apps (those using the modern NEVPNManager programming interface)
• Content filters and parental control software
• DNS proxy apps
• Hotspot helper apps

nehelper handles tasks such as checking that an app is allowed to install a network extension and managing the settings for those extensions.

Why is it running?

If you have any VPN setup, content filter, or DNS configuration profile installed, nehelper will be active. It runs as a helper to the main nesessionmanager process.

Should you worry?

No. It is a normal macOS system process. It does not touch your network traffic directly. It manages the setup and permissions of apps that extend macOS networking.

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