iLEAPP parses iOS and iPadOS forensic extractions and produces HTML, TSV, timeline, KML, and LAVA output. It supports iOS/iPadOS 11 through current versions.
Browse the full searchable artifact list at leapps.org/artifacts (filter by LEAPP tool).
Download a pre-built release — no Python installation required.
- LEAPPs Releases — browse all LEAPP family tools
- iLEAPP GitHub Releases — direct downloads
| Platform | Download |
|---|---|
| Windows (Intel/AMD) | iLEAPP-*-windows-x64-setup.exe (installer) or iLEAPP-*-windows-x64-portable.zip |
| Windows (ARM) | iLEAPP-*-windows-arm64-setup.exe or iLEAPP-*-windows-arm64-portable.zip |
| macOS (Apple Silicon) | iLEAPP-*-macos-arm64.dmg |
| macOS (Intel) | iLEAPP-*-macos-x64.dmg |
| Linux (Intel/AMD) | iLEAPP-*-linux-x64.AppImage |
| Linux (ARM) | iLEAPP-*-linux-arm64.AppImage |
Each download holds one program, ileapp. SHA256SUMS.txt in each release lets you check a download.
GUI — open iLEAPP the usual way: from the Start menu after installing on Windows, by
double-clicking ileapp.exe in the portable folder, iLEAPP in Applications on macOS, or
the AppImage on Linux. Started without arguments, it opens the window; select your input
type, source path, output folder, and modules to process.
CLI — give ileapp arguments in a terminal and it runs as a command line instead. The
output folder must already exist. On Windows, keep ileapp.exe in its folder with the
files beside it.
ileapp.exe -t zip -i C:\path\to\extraction.zip -o C:\path\to\output\
On Linux, run the AppImage with the same arguments. On macOS it is inside the app; to
type just ileapp in a terminal, link it onto your PATH once:
sudo ln -s /Applications/iLEAPP.app/Contents/MacOS/ileapp /usr/local/bin/ileapp
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
fs |
Folder of extracted files with normal paths and names |
zip |
ZIP archive containing files with normal names |
tar |
TAR archive, plain or xz-compressed (.tar.xz) |
gz |
GZIP-compressed archive |
itunes |
iTunes/Finder backup folder with hashed paths and names |
file |
Single file input |
Encrypted iTunes/Finder backups (-t itunes) are supported. The GUI will prompt for a password before processing when encryption is detected. On the CLI, pass the password with --itunes_password (see Optional parsing options below).
These options apply only to the CLI (ileapp / ileapp.exe given arguments, or python ileapp.py). The GUI (ileapp started without arguments, or python ileappGUI.py) exposes the same settings through its interface instead of command-line flags.
Run ileapp --help (or python ileapp.py --help from source) for the built-in reference.
These three arguments are required for a normal parse run:
| Argument | Long form | Description |
|---|---|---|
-t |
Input type: fs, tar, zip, gz, itunes, or file |
|
-i |
--input_path |
Path to the input file or folder |
-o |
--output_path |
Path to the output folder (must already exist) |
Example:
ileapp -t zip -i /path/to/extraction.zip -o /path/to/output/
| Argument | Long form | Description |
|---|---|---|
-w |
--wrap_text |
Pass this flag to disable text wrapping in output files |
-m |
--load_profile |
Path to an iLEAPP profile file (.ilprofile) to limit which modules run |
-d |
--load_case_data |
Path to a LEAPP case data file (.lcasedata) |
--custom_output_folder |
Custom name for the report output subfolder | |
--custom_artifacts_path |
Extra folder to load artifact modules from (e.g. scripts/alternate_artifacts) |
|
--html_row_limit |
Rows above which an artifact's table is left off its HTML page, which then points at the LAVA database and the TSV export instead. Default 50000; 0 writes every table. The GUI uses the default |
|
--itunes_password |
These modes do not parse a case. Use them alone — without -t, -i, or -o:
| Argument | Long form | Description |
|---|---|---|
-p |
--artifact_paths |
Write all artifact search paths to path_list.txt in the current directory |
-c |
--create_profile_casedata |
Interactive wizard to create a .ilprofile or .lcasedata file in the given folder |
Examples:
ileapp -p
ileapp -c /path/to/output/folder/
Artifact modules live in scripts/artifacts/ and are loaded dynamically at runtime.
New modules: start with the step-by-step guide at How to Write an iLEAPP Module.
Additional references:
- Artifact Info Block Structure
- Updating Modules for Automatic Output Generation
- Updating Complex Modules to Include LAVA Output
- Testing Modules
A PR that adds or changes an artifact is easiest to review and merge when it arrives with
two things: a small test fixture cut from a real extraction, and sample_data values that
record what the module produced. Scripts generate both. Here is the whole flow.
One rule before anything else: whatever you commit here becomes public. Only use data you are allowed to share, like a test device you populated yourself, a public research image, or a file you sanitized by hand. Never casework.
1. Cut a fixture from your extraction
python admin/test/scripts/make_test_data.py <module> --case 1 --input <extraction.zip>
This pulls the files your module's paths patterns match out of the extraction and writes
the case file admin/test/cases/testdata.<module>.json plus one small zip per artifact
under admin/test/cases/data/<module>/.
Size rules: under 10 MB per zip, commit it with the PR. Between 10 and 25 MB, commit the case file and attach the zip to a PR comment. Bigger than that, say so in the PR and a maintainer will arrange a handoff.
2. Record the expected output
TZ=UTC python admin/test/scripts/test_module.py <module> -a all -c all
This runs the module against the fixture and writes a snapshot of the output under
admin/test/results/<module>/. Commit the snapshot too. It becomes the baseline that
guards the module after merge. Keep the TZ=UTC part: the committed snapshots are UTC
and CI runs UTC.
3. Run the same comparison CI will run
python admin/test/scripts/run_test_cases.py --module <module>
4. Generate the sample_data values
python admin/scripts/validate_sample_data.py --emit <extraction.zip> --key <image_name>
This runs iLEAPP end to end on your extraction and prints ready-to-paste sample_data
blocks for the modules changed on your branch. Paste them into your module's
__artifacts_v2__ and add the app name and version you saw on the image. If a count is
zero, check the source file really is empty before recording it.
5. Commit it all and open the PR
Commit the module, the case file, the fixture zips, and the recorded snapshot together. More detail lives in admin/docs/testing/create_module_test_cases.md.
If your extraction cannot be shared, open the PR anyway and say so. A fixture can often be cut from a public research image instead, or the real file can be sanitized by hand. The review does not stop while we work that out.
Releases are the easiest way to run iLEAPP. Use source if you are developing modules or need unreleased changes from main.
- Python 3.10 to 3.14
- Git
git clone https://github.com/abrignoni/iLEAPP.git
cd iLEAPP
python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate # Windows: venv\Scripts\activate
pip install -r requirements.txt
On Linux, install tkinter for the GUI:
sudo apt-get install python3-tk
Windows setup help from Hexordia:
The output folder must exist before running. Source builds report a -dev version (e.g. 2.6.0-dev.0) to distinguish them from official release builds.
CLI:
python ileapp.py -t zip -i /path/to/extraction.zip -o /path/to/output/
python ileapp.py -t raw -i /path/to/acquisition.E01 -o /path/to/output/
raw reads a disk image (.img, .dd, .bin, or any numbered .001 segment of
a split set), or an acquisition and the segments or files beside it (EnCase/EWF
.E01, SMART .s01, EWF2 .Ex01, AFF .aff, AFM .afm, any .aff in an AFD folder,
AFF4 .aff4, an Apple .dmg, with any .dmgpart files beside it, .sparseimage or
.sparsebundle folder, or a virtual machine disk, .vhd, .vhdx, .vmdk or .qcow2), in
place: no mounting and no administrator rights. Its NTFS, FAT32, exFAT, ext2/3/4,
F2FS, HFS+, APFS, QNX6, QNX4, ETFS, EFS, SquashFS, JFFS2, UBI/UBIFS, YAFFS and QNX IFS
volumes are searched directly (and a U-Boot environment or Belkin NVRM store is read as one
file), and
only the files an artifact asks for are read out of the image. Logical evidence, an
EnCase .L01 or an FTK Imager .ad1, is read as the files it holds. The GUI picks
raw on its own for those extensions, and for a sparse bundle or AFD folder chosen with
its folder button. See admin/docs/raw_image_input.md.
An encrypted image opens with its password (--image_password_file or
--image_password_env), or, when it is sealed to a certificate, with that certificate's
RSA private key (--image_private_key). A BitLocker volume in an image opens with its
password or recovery password, given the same way, or its startup key
(--bitlocker_key, repeatable), and an APFS volume macOS encrypted in software with its
password or personal recovery key, given the same way. At a terminal whatever is missing
is asked for, and the GUI asks in dialogs; a BitLocker or APFS volume nothing opens is
reported and not searched.
tar also reads an xz-compressed tar (.tar.xz), and the GUI picks tar for that
extension. A compressed tar, .tar.gz included, is decompressed once into the report folder
before any file is read, so the run needs free space there for the uncompressed tar. The
copy is deleted when the run ends, and the run log says how long the step took.
GUI:
python ileappGUI.py
See CLI Arguments above, or run python ileapp.py --help.
packaging/build.py builds ileapp with PyInstaller for the machine it runs on, from the
same virtual environment. Run python admin/scripts/fetch_unifiedlog_iterator.py first to
bundle the Unified Log parser.
python packaging/build.py exe # dist/iLEAPP/, and dist/iLEAPP.app on macOS
python packaging/build.py smoke # run what it built, without opening a window
python packaging/build.py installer # Windows: Inno Setup installer; macOS: .dmg; Linux: AppImage
exe --onefile makes dist/ileapp (dist\ileapp.exe on Windows) as a single file
instead. The Windows installer needs Inno Setup; on
Linux, smoke needs a display, which xvfb-run provides. python packaging/build.py --help
has the rest.
This traiging tool is the result of a collaborative effort of many people in the DFIR community.
iLEAPP logo courtesy of Kevin Pagano. The earlier iLEAPP logo was by Derek Eiri.