System-wide tap simulation on iOS

Question

I would like to achieve system-wide tap simulation on iOS, via a MobileSubstrate plugin. The idea is to be able to simulate touches (in a first time single touch, then multitouch) on a system-wide level, in iOS 5.1.1 .

I've been successful in implementing this article to simulate touches on a specific view, I now would like to be able to simulate them system-wide.

I understand I should use the private MobileServices framework to do so, and I've documented myself on GSEvent (I've also looked at Veency & MouseSupport sourcecodes).

I tried to hook up a view to intercept UIEvents and look at the underlying structure :

-(void)touchesBegan:(NSSet *)touches withEvent:(UIEvent *)event{

    GSEventRef eventRef = (GSEventRef)[event performSelector:@selector( _gsEvent)];
    GSEventRecord record = *_GSEventGetGSEventRecord(eventRef);
    < breakpoint here to look at record >
}

and the result is extremely similar to the old (iOS 3) structure detailled above.

I then tried to fire up those events myself (on a Standalone app, not a MS tweak for now) :

+(void)simulateTouchDown:(CGPoint)point{

    point.x = roundf(point.x);
    point.y = roundf(point.y);

    GSEventRecord record;
    memset(&record, 0, sizeof(record));

    record.type = kGSEventHand;
    record.windowLocation = point;
    record.timestamp = GSCurrentEventTimestamp();

    GSSendSystemEvent(&record);

}

Now, that doesn't work at all (doesn't crash either).

Most codes (MouseSupport, Veency) look like this

// Create & populate a GSEvent
struct {
    struct GSEventRecord record;
    struct {
        struct GSEventRecordInfo info;
        struct GSPathInfo path;
    } data;
} event;

memset(&event, 0, sizeof(event));

event.record.type = kGSEventHand;
event.record.windowLocation = point;
event.record.timestamp = GSCurrentEventTimestamp();
event.record.infoSize = sizeof(event.data);

event.data.info.handInfo.type = kGSHandInfoTypeTouchDown;    
event.data.info.handInfo._0x44 = 0x1;
event.data.info.handInfo._0x48 = 0x1;

event.data.info.pathPositions = 1;  

event.data.path.pathIndex = 0x01;
event.data.path.pathIdentity = 0x02;
event.data.path.pathProximity = 0x00;
event.data.path.pathLocation = event.record.windowLocation;


GSSendSystemEvent(&event.record);

Only :

GSEventRecordInfo is unknown (and I can't find where it might be defined)
I don't see the point of making a whole event to only pass the record

Please someone who's been through this on iOS 5 guide me.

What do you mean ? How else would you simulate a system-wide event ? — Olotiar

stonesam92 stonesam92 · Accepted Answer · 2012-07-16T12:39:42

GSEventRecordInfo may have been introduced since iOS 3.2 (that's where the Graphics Services headers you linked to are from). class-dump the framework that's actually on your device on iOS 5.1.1 and see if it's defined there?

System-wide tap simulation on iOS

1 Answers