Bug Report: Boot Failure with Bridged Networking on Apple M5 Pro

This document summarizes GitHub Issue #7658 from the utmapp/UTM repository, reported by user @elusiveshiba on March 23, 2026.

🚨 Issue Overview

The reporter has encountered a critical failure where virtual machines (VMs) are unable to initialize when the network configuration is set to Bridged mode, specifically on hardware utilizing the new Apple M5 Pro chip.

User Description: "Can't boot VMs with Network Mode set to 'Bridged' on machines with the new Apple M5 Pro."

🛠️ Technical Environment

The following specifications were provided for the reproduction of the bug:

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🔍 Analysis of Behavior

Boot Logic

The issue can be represented by the following logical condition: $\text{Boot Success} \iff \text{Network Mode} \neq \text{Bridged}$

While the VM fails in Bridged mode, it functions perfectly under the following settings:

• Host Only
• Extended

Execution Flow

The following diagram illustrates the failure point during the VM startup process:

Observed Symptoms

• The application does not crash.
• The system remains stuck on the loading screen immediately after the user initiates the "run" command.
• Because the process hangs so early, the system never reaches the state where the debug log can be exported.

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📋 Status and Metadata

Current Progress

• Issue Assigned
• Label Applied
• Milestone Defined
• Pull Request Linked

Configuration Details

The user mentioned the availability of a config.plist.zip, which would typically contain settings similar to this:

<!-- Mock representation of VM network config -->
<key>Network</key>
<dict>
    <key>Mode</key>
    <string>Bridged</string> <!-- This setting causes the hang -->
    <key>Device</key>
    <string>virtio-net-pci</string>
</dict>

Visual References

Reporter Profile:

Issue Screenshot:

Copilot Integration: