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Notarization Fails: “The binary is not signed with a valid Developer ID certificate” for Flutter macOS App Plugins (file_picker, file_saver, url_launcher_macos)
Hi all, I’m trying to notarize a Flutter macOS app built in CI (GitHub Actions). The app builds and signs fine locally—codesign --verify --deep --strict and spctl --assess both pass. However, Apple’s notarization service consistently rejects the app with errors like: The binary is not signed with a valid Developer ID certificate: file_picker.framework The binary is not signed with a valid Developer ID certificate: file_saver.framework The binary is not signed with a valid Developer ID certificate: url_launcher_macos.framework What I’ve tried: Explicitly re-signing all frameworks with my Developer ID Application certificate and --timestamp Removing existing signatures before re-signing Ensuring correct entitlements and bundle identifier Matching the app bundle name and identifier in all places Using both codesign --deep and manual signing of each binary Local validation always passes, but notarization fails in CI Certificate: I am using a “Developer ID Application” certificate (not a “Mac Developer” or “Apple Development” certificate). The output of codesign -dvv for the problematic frameworks shows: Authority=Developer ID Application: [My Name/Team] ([Team ID]) So I believe I am not making the common mistake of using the wrong certificate type. CI Environment: GitHub Actions, macos-latest runner Flutter 3.27.2, stable channel All secrets (cert, Apple ID, app-specific password, team ID) are set up Questions: Has anyone encountered this with Flutter plugins or CI builds? Are there known issues with signing Flutter plugin frameworks for notarization? Is there a way to get more detailed feedback from Apple’s notarization service? Any advice or pointers would be greatly appreciated. I’m happy to provide logs, scripts, or a minimal project if needed. Thanks!
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176
May ’25
Developer ID Notary Service
Yesterday there were reported outages on the Developer ID Notary Service, but it was reported pretty late and we were able to notice the outages in real time. It says resolved now, however an error still persists: Error: HTTP status code: 403. A required agreement is missing or has expired. This request requires an in-effect agreement that has not been signed or has expired. Ensure your team has signed the necessary legal agreements and that they are not expired. Is there an ongoing outage at this moment that is not being reported again? Our pipelines have been working flawlessly for months without intervention nor changes until the most recent outages
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Jun ’25
macOS 11.x system reported an error when using endpoint security
This is .entitlements file: <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd"> <plist version="1.0"> <dict> <key>com.apple.developer.endpoint-security.client</key> <true/> </dict> </plist> Code signing: codesign --sign -vvv --timestamp --options=runtime --force --entitlements ./UES.entitlements -s "Developer ID Application: XXXX Ltd. (XXXXXX)" ./UES.app When I run it on macOS 13.x, it works fine. If I run the system on macOS 11.x, it reports a "killed" error (if codesign remove --entitlements ./UES.entitlements, Then the startup will not report an error, but the endpoint security rights cannot be used) System log: 2025-04-21 13:58:27.039638+0800 0xd5941 Default 0x0 149 0 amfid: /Applications/UES.app/Contents/MacOS/UES signature not valid: -67050 2025-04-21 13:58:27.039762+0800 0xd5bbf Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: mac_vnode_check_signature: /Applications/UES.app/Contents/MacOS/UES: code signature validation failed fatally: When validating /Applications/UES.app/Contents/MacOS/UES: 2025-04-21 13:58:27.039815+0800 0xd5bbf Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: proc 29354: load code signature error 4 for file "UES" 2025-04-21 13:58:27.040720+0800 0xd5bc0 Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: (AppleSystemPolicy) ASP: Security policy would not allow process: 29354, /Applications/UES.app/Contents/MacOS/UES 2025-04-21 13:58:27.045974+0800 0xd58be Error 0x0 66405 0 CoreServicesUIAgent: [com.apple.launchservices:uiagent] handle LS launch error: {\n Action = oapp;\n AppMimimumSystemVersion = "10.13";\n AppPath = "/Applications/UES.app";\n ErrorCode = "-10826";\n} 2025-04-21 13:58:39.121619+0800 0xd5941 Default 0x0 149 0 amfid: /Applications/UES.app/Contents/MacOS/UES signature not valid: -67050 2025-04-21 13:58:39.121832+0800 0xd5e0f Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: mac_vnode_check_signature: /Applications/UES.app/Contents/MacOS/UES: code signature validation failed fatally: When validating /Applications/UES.app/Contents/MacOS/UES: 2025-04-21 13:58:39.121861+0800 0xd5e0f Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: proc 29415: load code signature error 4 for file "UES" 2025-04-21 13:58:39.122571+0800 0xd5e10 Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: (AppleSystemPolicy) ASP: Security policy would not allow process: 29415, /Applications/UES.app/Contents/MacOS/UES 2025-04-21 13:58:46.297915+0800 0xd5941 Default 0x0 149 0 amfid: /Applications/UES.app/Contents/MacOS/UES signature not valid: -67050 2025-04-21 13:58:46.298031+0800 0xd5f85 Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: mac_vnode_check_signature: /Applications/UES.app/Contents/MacOS/UES: code signature validation failed fatally: When validating /Applications/UES.app/Contents/MacOS/UES: 2025-04-21 13:58:46.298072+0800 0xd5f85 Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: proc 29485: load code signature error 4 for file "UES" 2025-04-21 13:58:46.300248+0800 0xd5f86 Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: (AppleSystemPolicy) ASP: Security policy would not allow process: 29485, /Applications/UES.app/Contents/MacOS/UES May I ask what the reason is?
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Apr ’25
: Live Activity Capability Missing from App ID Configuration – Cannot Resolve Entitlement Error in Xcode
Hi Apple Developer Community, I'm trying to resolve the following Xcode build error: *"Provisioning profile 'iOS Team Provisioning Profile: ' doesn't include the com.apple.developer.live-activities entitlement." To fix this, I understand I need to add the Live Activity capability to my App ID and ensure it’s included in the provisioning profile. However, when I go to Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles, select my App ID, and click Edit under "App ID Configuration," the Live Activity capability is not available in the list of capabilities. As a result, I can’t proceed with enabling the entitlement or regenerating a correct provisioning profile. I’ve confirmed: My App ID is explicit (not a wildcard). The app’s deployment target is set to iOS 16.1 or later. I’m signed in with the correct Apple Developer Team account. etc. Has anyone experienced this? Is there a prerequisite that I might be missing? Thanks in advance for your help! Best regards, David Winograd Rokfin, Inc.
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Jul ’25
App doesn't trigger Privacy Apple Events prompt after a while.
I've developed a Mac app distributed through the App Store that uses NSAppleScript to control Spotify and Apple Music. I'm experiencing inconsistent behavior with automation permission prompts that's affecting user experience. Expected Behavior: When my app first attempts to send Apple Events to Spotify or Apple Music, macOS should display the automation permission prompt, and upon user approval, the app should appear in System Preferences &gt; Security &amp; Privacy &gt; Privacy &gt; Automation. Actual Behavior: Initial permission prompts work correctly when both apps are actively used after my app download. If a user hasn't launched Spotify/Apple Music for an extended period, the permission prompt fails to appear when they later open the music app. The music app doesn't appear in the Automation privacy pane too. Once this happens, permission prompts never trigger again for that app Steps to Reproduce: Fresh install of my app Don't use Spotify for several days/weeks Launch Spotify Trigger Apple Events from my app to Spotify No permission prompt appears, app doesn't show in Automation settings If you're using Apple Music during this time it runs without any problems. Troubleshooting Attempted: Used tccutil reset AppleEvents [bundle-identifier] - no effect Verified target apps are fully launched before sending Apple Events Tried different AppleScript commands to trigger permissions Problem occurs inconsistently across different Macs Technical Details: macOS 13+ support Using standard NSAppleScript with simple commands like "tell application 'Spotify' to playpause" App Store distribution (no private APIs) Issue affects both Spotify and Apple Music but seems more prevalent with Apple Music Questions: Is there a reliable way to programmatically trigger the automation permission prompt? Are there timing dependencies for when macOS decides to show permission prompts? Could app priority/usage patterns affect permission prompt behavior? I use MediaManager to run the functions and initialize it on AppDidFinishLaunching method and start monitoring there. Any insights or workarounds would be greatly appreciated. This inconsistency is affecting user onboarding and app functionality.
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264
Jul ’25
Notarization Issue – Team Not Configured
I came across your contact on the Apple Developer Forums. I'm encountering an unusual issue during the notarization process. The error message states: "Team is not yet configured for notarization. Please contact Developer Programs Support at developer.apple.com under the topic Development and Technical / Other Development or Technical Questions." Any guidance you could provide would be greatly appreciated. Here are the error details for reference: json { "logFormatVersion": 1, "jobId": "b6023a7c-dc85-4fa5-91dd-fba92c9ed831", "status": "Rejected", "statusSummary": "Team is not yet configured for notarization. Please contact Developer Programs Support at developer.apple.com under the topic Development and Technical / Other Development or Technical Questions.", "statusCode": 7000, "archiveFilename": "Bytemonk.dmg", "uploadDate": "2025-07-02T07:07:07.945Z", "sha256": "b9494170cc040a76045ed263de22e6b89a5455142af16ce502530e1c1ee72ddf", "ticketContents": null, "issues": null }
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152
Jul ’25
Handling Permissions After Transferring macOS App to a New Developer ID
I have a macOS application that was previously distributed under my personal Apple Developer account using a Developer ID certificate. We’ve recently transitioned distribution to our company’s Apple Developer account. The app’s bundle identifier has been successfully transferred, and I’ve signed a new build of the app using the company’s Developer ID certificate. The app installs and runs correctly under the new signature. However, I’ve encountered a problem: the app is no longer able to access previously granted permissions (e.g., Screen Recording, System Audio Recording, and Input Monitoring). Furthermore, it cannot re-prompt for these permissions because they appear as already granted in System Settings. From what I understand, this issue is due to the change in the code signing identity. Specifically, the designated requirements used by macOS to identify an app have changed, so the system no longer associates the new version of the app with the previously granted permissions (as outlined in Apple's Technical Note TN3127). The only workaround I’ve found so far is to manually reset the app's permissions using Terminal commands (e.g., tccutil reset), but this is not something we can reasonably ask end users to do. Question: Is there a recommended or supported approach to either preserve permissions when changing Developer ID identities, or programmatically trigger a permissions reset for existing users? We're looking for a seamless solution that doesn't degrade user experience.
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128
May ’25
Maximum Development Certificates?
I recently had to update my certificates for a project. I deleted a few old ones, and I currently have one Development certificate. I needed to create another Development certificate specifically, it's saying "Maximum number of certificates generated." I thought the maximum was two Development certificates? Has anyone else had this issue? Thinking it could be a stuck workflow or something like that.
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176
Jul ’25
Notarization stuck in progress for new Apple Developer Account
I use the 'notarytool' to notarize applications and .pkg installers for Developer ID distribution. When using the notary tool with a fresh Apple Developer account, the notarization process remains stuck in the 'In progress' state. However, if I try the same app with an older developer account (one that has notarized at least one app in the past), the notarization works. All agreements are accepted in developer portal and Appstore Connect.
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121
Apr ’25
Missing entitlement com.apple.developer.system-extension.install
Hi I am building obs studio using cmake and Xcode. I used cmake --preset macos -DOBS_CODESIGN_IDENTITY="" to generate the build folder and inside X code used Provisioning Profile with Developer ID Application certification. The build was generated successfully but when I tried to turn on the virtual camera I see missing Missing entitlement com.apple.developer.system-extension.install error. (My Provisioning profile has System Extension Capability checked on apple developer portal) If I use this flow instead: cmake --preset macos -DOBS_CODESIGN_TEAM=63B5A5WDNG Build using Xcode with Automatic manage signing with Apple Developer Certificate. Obs studio builds successfully and Virtual camera extension also works fine. My primary goal is to notarise my app which contains OBS studio and Blackhole Audio driver for distribution outside app store. If I try to sign my obs app generated in second step codesign --deep --force --timestamp --verify --verbose \ --options runtime --sign "Developer ID Application:***" "OBS.app" The obs app fails to launch due to some errors. Can anyone please guide me which step I might be doing wrong, Much Appreciated. Thanks
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464
Jul ’25
How can I export the "Notary Profile" used by notarytool for CI/CD
Once I have built my macOS .app and signed it I run notarytool using this simple shell script: #!/bin/sh ditto -c -k --keepParent "$1.app" "$1.zip" xcrun notarytool submit "$1.zip" --keychain-profile "Notary Profile for DeepSkyStacker" --wait xcrun stapler staple $1.app rm -f $1.zip How can I export that "keychain-profile" (notary profile) so I can use it in CI/CD actions? Clearly I don't wish to expose the full invocation of xcrun notarytool store-credentials.
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225
Jun ’25
App Rejected – Binary Invalid Despite Correct Code Signing Setup (Flutter + WebView App)
Hello everyone, I'm currently experiencing repeated "Invalid Binary" rejections when submitting my Flutter-based iOS app ("Master Tere") through App Store Connect. I've followed all the expected steps and guidelines, but the rejection contains no additional explanation beyond the "Invalid Binary" status. Here’s my current setup: Built using Flutter and Xcode 15.3 WebView-based app loading a professional portfolio site Runner target is signed automatically using Xcode Managed Profiles Certificates: Apple Development and Apple Distribution (auto-managed) Bundle ID: com.actuain.mastertere1 Version: 1.0.0, Build: 6 Deployment target: iOS 18.0 Device family: iPhone only All signing identities and provisioning profiles match for Debug and Release In my Info.plist, I’ve cleaned up legacy keys that might cause conflicts: ✅ Removed <key>UIMainStoryboardFile</key> (no storyboard is used) ✅ Removed <key>CFBundleSignature</key> as it was set to ???? ✅ Display name and Bundle ID align with Xcode project settings Despite all this, every time I upload through Xcode Organizer, I get an "Invalid Binary" error after processing. No issues are shown during archive validation. I suspect the issue may be related to: Flutter WebView integration with latest iOS SDKs Residual metadata in the archive from unused iOS storyboard references Possibly missing entitlements or capabilities not flagged by Xcode Questions: Are there any known issues affecting Flutter WebView apps recently (especially around Xcode 15.3 or iOS 18 SDK)? Is it mandatory to remove Main.storyboard from the project bundle even if it's not used? Could this issue be related to background modes, UIRequiredDeviceCapabilities, or entitlements even if not directly flagged? I’d appreciate any insights or experiences from others who’ve faced this issue recently. Thanks in advance! Luis Antonio Pinto Acosta
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Apr ’25
Notarization taking forever
Tried notarizing my app yesterday afternoon via Mac terminal, and when I came back to work this morning it was still "In Process...". I closed terminal, and checked appleid.apple.com, and it was asking me to reset my password- maybe because the notarization timed out? Either way, I reset my password, generated a new app-specific password and tried notarizing the app again, but it's now been 3 hours and it's still "In Process..." again. When I check the status via terminal, nothing seems off- and the status is In Progress. How can I determine if there's a bigger issue I need to fix before notarizing? UUID: e7ae29c8-2478-41a3-93b4-3f274de643d0
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Aug ’25
How to Share Provisioning Profiles with Customers for macOS App Distribution
I am distributing a macOS application outside the App Store using Developer ID and need to provide provisioning profiles to customers for installation during the package installation process. I have two questions: How can I package and provide the provisioning profile(s) so that the customer can install them easily during the application installation process? Are there any best practices or tools that could simplify this step? In my case, there are multiple provisioning profiles. Should I instruct the customer to install each profile one by one, or is there a way to combine them and have them installed all at once? Any insights, resources, or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
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Jun ’25
Resolving Trusted Execution Problems
I help a lot of developers with macOS trusted execution problems. For example, they might have an app being blocked by Gatekeeper, or an app that crashes on launch with a code signing error. If you encounter a problem that’s not explained here, start a new thread with the details. Put it in the Code Signing > General subtopic and tag it with relevant tags like Gatekeeper, Code Signing, and Notarization — so that I see it. Share and Enjoy — Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com" Resolving Trusted Execution Problems macOS supports three software distribution channels: The user downloads an app from the App Store. The user gets a Developer ID-signed program directly from its developer. The user builds programs locally using Apple or third-party developer tools. The trusted execution system aims to protect users from malicious code. It’s comprised of a number of different subsystems. For example, Gatekeeper strives to ensure that only trusted software runs on a user’s Mac, while XProtect is the platform’s built-in anti-malware technology. Note To learn more about these technologies, see Apple Platform Security. If you’re developing software for macOS your goal is to avoid trusted execution entanglements. You want users to install and use your product without taking any special steps. If, for example, you ship an app that’s blocked by Gatekeeper, you’re likely to lose a lot of customers, and your users’ hard-won trust. Trusted execution problems are rare with Mac App Store apps because the Mac App Store validation process tends to catch things early. This post is primarily focused on Developer ID-signed programs. Developers who use Xcode encounter fewer trusted execution problems because Xcode takes care of many code signing and packaging chores. If you’re not using Xcode, consider making the switch. If you can’t, consult the following for information on how to structure, sign, and package your code: Placing content in a bundle Embedding nonstandard code structures in a bundle Embedding a command-line tool in a sandboxed app Creating distribution-signed code for macOS Packaging Mac software for distribution Gatekeeper Basics User-level apps on macOS implement a quarantine system for new downloads. For example, if Safari downloads a zip archive, it quarantines that archive. This involves setting the com.apple.quarantine extended attribute on the file. Note The com.apple.quarantine extended attribute is not documented as API. If you need to add, check, or remove quarantine from a file programmatically, use the quarantinePropertiesKey property. User-level unarchiving tools preserve quarantine. To continue the above example, if you double click the quarantined zip archive in the Finder, Archive Utility will unpack the archive and quarantine the resulting files. If you launch a quarantined app, the system invokes Gatekeeper. Gatekeeper checks the app for problems. If it finds no problems, it asks the user to confirm the launch, just to be sure. If it finds a problem, it displays an alert to the user and prevents them from launching it. The exact wording of this alert varies depending on the specific problem, and from release to release of macOS, but it generally looks like the ones shown in Apple > Support > Safely open apps on your Mac. The system may run Gatekeeper at other times as well. The exact circumstances under which it runs Gatekeeper is not documented and changes over time. However, running a quarantined app always invokes Gatekeeper. Unix-y networking tools, like curl and scp, don’t quarantine the files they download. Unix-y unarchiving tools, like tar and unzip, don’t propagate quarantine to the unarchived files. Confirm the Problem Trusted execution problems can be tricky to reproduce: You may encounter false negatives, that is, you have a trusted execution problem but you don’t see it during development. You may also encounter false positives, that is, things fail on one specific Mac but otherwise work. To avoid chasing your own tail, test your product on a fresh Mac, one that’s never seen your product before. The best way to do this is using a VM, restoring to a snapshot between runs. For a concrete example of this, see Testing a Notarised Product. The most common cause of problems is a Gatekeeper alert saying that it’s blocked your product from running. However, that’s not the only possibility. Before going further, confirm that Gatekeeper is the problem by running your product without quarantine. That is, repeat the steps in Testing a Notarised Product except, in step 2, download your product in a way that doesn’t set quarantine. Then try launching your app. If that launch fails then Gatekeeper is not the problem, or it’s not the only problem! Note The easiest way to download your app to your test environment without setting quarantine is curl or scp. Alternatively, use xattr to remove the com.apple.quarantine extended attribute from the download before you unpack it. For more information about the xattr tool, see the xattr man page. Trusted execution problems come in all shapes and sizes. Later sections of this post address the most common ones. But first, let’s see if there’s an easy answer. Run a System Policy Check macOS has a syspolicy_check tool that can diagnose many common trusted execution issues. To check an app, run the distribution subcommand against it: % syspolicy_check distribution MyApp.app App passed all pre-distribution checks and is ready for distribution. If there’s a problem, the tool prints information about that problem. For example, here’s what you’ll see if you run it against an app that’s notarised but not stapled: % syspolicy_check distribution MyApp.app App has failed one or more pre-distribution checks. --------------------------------------------------------------- Notary Ticket Missing File: MyApp.app Severity: Fatal Full Error: A Notarization ticket is not stapled to this application. Type: Distribution Error … Note In reality, stapling isn’t always required, so this error isn’t really Fatal (r. 151446728 ). For more about that, see The Pros and Cons of Stapling forums. And here’s what you’ll see if there’s a problem with the app’s code signature: % syspolicy_check distribution MyApp.app App has failed one or more pre-distribution checks. --------------------------------------------------------------- Codesign Error File: MyApp.app/Contents/Resources/added.txt Severity: Fatal Full Error: File added after outer app bundle was codesigned. Type: Notary Error … The syspolicy_check isn’t perfect. There are a few issues it can’t diagnose (r. 136954554, 151446550). However, it should always be your first step because, if it does work, it’ll save you a lot of time. Note syspolicy_check was introduced in macOS 14. If you’re seeing a problem on an older system, first check your app with syspolicy_check on macOS 14 or later. If you can’t run the syspolicy_check tool, or it doesn’t report anything actionable, continue your investigation using the instructions in the following sections. App Blocked by Gatekeeper If your product is an app and it works correctly when not quarantined but is blocked by Gatekeeper when it is, you have a Gatekeeper problem. For advice on how to investigate such issues, see Resolving Gatekeeper Problems. App Can’t Be Opened Not all failures to launch are Gatekeeper errors. In some cases the app is just broken. For example: The app’s executable might be missing the x bit set in its file permissions. The app’s executable might be subtly incompatible with the current system. A classic example of this is trying to run a third-party app that contains arm64e code on systems prior to macOS 26 beta. macOS 26 beta supports arm64e apps directly. Prior to that, third-party products (except kernel extensions) were limited to arm64, except for the purposes of testing. The app’s executable might claim restricted entitlements that aren’t authorised by a provisioning profile. Or the app might have some other code signing problem. Note For more information about provisioning profiles, see TN3125 Inside Code Signing: Provisioning Profiles. In such cases the system displays an alert saying: The application “NoExec” can’t be opened. [[OK]] Note In macOS 11 this alert was: You do not have permission to open the application “NoExec”. Contact your computer or network administrator for assistance. [[OK]] which was much more confusing. A good diagnostic here is to run the app’s executable from Terminal. For example, an app with a missing x bit will fail to run like so: % NoExec.app/Contents/MacOS/NoExec zsh: permission denied: NoExec.app/Contents/MacOS/NoExec And an app with unauthorised entitlements will be killed by the trusted execution system: % OverClaim.app/Contents/MacOS/OverClaim zsh: killed OverClaim.app/Contents/MacOS/OverClaim In some cases running the executable from Terminal will reveal useful diagnostics. For example, if the app references a library that’s not available, the dynamic linker will print a helpful diagnostic: % MissingLibrary.app/Contents/MacOS/MissingLibrary dyld[88394]: Library not loaded: @rpath/CoreWaffleVarnishing.framework/Versions/A/CoreWaffleVarnishing … zsh: abort MissingLibrary.app/Contents/MacOS/MissingLibrary Code Signing Crashes on Launch A code signing crash has the following exception information: Exception Type: EXC_CRASH (SIGKILL (Code Signature Invalid)) The most common such crash is a crash on launch. To confirm that, look at the thread backtraces: Backtrace not available For steps to debug this, see Resolving Code Signing Crashes on Launch. One common cause of this problem is running App Store distribution-signed code. Don’t do that! For details on why that’s a bad idea, see Don’t Run App Store Distribution-Signed Code. Code Signing Crashes After Launch If your program crashes due to a code signing problem after launch, you might have encountered the issue discussed in Updating Mac Software. Non-Code Signing Failures After Launch The hardened runtime enables a number of security checks within a process. Some coding techniques are incompatible with the hardened runtime. If you suspect that your code is incompatible with the hardened runtime, see Resolving Hardened Runtime Incompatibilities. App Sandbox Inheritance If you’re creating a product with the App Sandbox enabled and it crashes with a trap within _libsecinit_appsandbox, it’s likely that you’re having App Sandbox inheritance problems. For the details, see Resolving App Sandbox Inheritance Problems. Library Loading Problem Most library loading problems have an obvious cause. For example, the library might not be where you expect it, or it might be built with the wrong platform or architecture. However, some library loading problems are caused by the trusted execution system. For the details, see Resolving Library Loading Problems. Explore the System Log If none of the above resolves your issue, look in the system log for clues as to what’s gone wrong. Some good keywords to search for include: gk, for Gatekeeper xprotect syspolicy, per the syspolicyd man page cmd, for Mach-O load command oddities amfi, for Apple mobile file integrity, per the amfid man page taskgated, see its taskgated man page yara, discussed in Apple Platform Security ProvisioningProfiles You may be able to get more useful logging with this command: % sudo sysctl -w security.mac.amfi.verbose_logging=1 Here’s a log command that I often use when I’m investigating a trusted execution problem and I don’t know here to start: % log stream --predicate "sender == 'AppleMobileFileIntegrity' or sender == 'AppleSystemPolicy' or process == 'amfid' or process == 'taskgated-helper' or process == 'syspolicyd'" For general information the system log, see Your Friend the System Log. Revision History 2025-08-06 Added the Run a System Policy Check section, which talks about the syspolicy_check tool (finally!). Clarified the discussion of arm64e. Made other editorial changes. 2024-10-11 Added info about the security.mac.amfi.verbose_logging option. Updated some links to point to official documentation that replaces some older DevForums posts. 2024-01-12 Added a specific command to the Explore the System Log section. Change the syspolicy_check callout to reflect that macOS 14 is no longer in beta. Made minor editorial changes. 2023-06-14 Added a quick call-out to the new syspolicy_check tool. 2022-06-09 Added the Non-Code Signing Failures After Launch section. 2022-06-03 Added a link to Don’t Run App Store Distribution-Signed Code. Fixed the link to TN3125. 2022-05-20 First posted.
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12k
Aug ’25
Issues Signing .app with Developer ID Certificate — Missing Private Key and Pipeline Concerns
I’m having issues trying to codesign a .app file. We generated the Developer ID Application certificate using the organization owner’s account. I downloaded the certificate to my Mac and imported it into my keychain, but when I run the codesign command below, I get the following error. Could you help me? What am I doing wrong? Is there any other way to sign the .app executable? From what I’ve seen in other posts, it looks like the certificate needs to have a private key, but the certificate I download from the developer portal doesn’t include the key. Also, about exporting it as a .p12 — I couldn’t quite understand if that’s considered a safe practice, since the organization owner’s private key would be included in this certificate that we plan to use in our pipeline.
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192
May ’25
Using restricted entitlements in a macOS 26 VM
We have a Mac app that uses some restricted macOS entitlements, thus to test it we embed a development provisioning profile, that needs to contain the correct provisioning UDID. Typically, for test VMs, we extract the provisioning and UDID and add it to the developer portal and then re-generate the provisioning profiles. However when we try to do this in our newly created VM (Apple Silicon), our executable won't run, and macOS logs that the provisioning profile doesn't allow the device: 2025-06-12 12:37:52.168 E taskgated-helper[27489:e97da] [com.apple.ManagedClient:ProvisioningProfiles] embedded provisioning profile not valid: file:///Applications/foo.app/Contents/embedded.provisionprofile error: Error Domain=CPProfileManager Code=-212 "Provisioning profile does not allow this device." UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=Provisioning profile does not allow this device.} 2025-06-12 12:37:52.169 E taskgated-helper[27489:e97da] [com.apple.ManagedClient:ProvisioningProfiles] Disallowing com.company.foo because no eligible provisioning profiles found 2025-06-12 12:37:52.169 Df amfid[112:e99b0] [com.apple.xpc:connection] [0xb34c74a00] invalidated because the current process cancelled the connection by calling xpc_connection_cancel() 2025-06-12 12:37:52.169 Df taskgated-helper[27489:e97da] [com.apple.xpc:connection] [0x839144000] invalidated because the client process (pid 112) either cancelled the connection or exited 2025-06-12 12:37:52.169 E amfid[112:e91ac] [com.apple.MobileFileIntegrity.framework:default] Failure validating against provisioning profiles: &lt;private&gt; 2025-06-12 12:37:52.169 E amfid[112:e91ac] [com.apple.MobileFileIntegrity.framework:default] Restricted entitlements not validated, bailing out. Error: Error Domain=AppleMobileFileIntegrityError Code=-413 "No matching profile found" UserInfo={NSURL=&lt;private&gt;, NSLocalizedDescription=No matching profile found} 2025-06-12 12:37:52.169 Df amfid[112:e91ac] /Applications/foo.app/Contents/MacOS/foo not valid: Error Domain=AppleMobileFileIntegrityError Code=-413 "No matching profile found" UserInfo={NSURL=file:///Applications/foo.app/, NSLocalizedDescription=No matching profile found} The UDID for this VM does look weird, in System Profiler: But I can verify that this UDID string is present in the provisioning profile embedded in the app bundle: $ security cms -D -i /Applications/foo.app/Contents/embedded.provisionprofile | grep -i 7cd9234e9aa4fa8ba528ee417f857b2c993a20a3 &lt;string&gt;7CD9234E9AA4FA8BA528EE417F857B2C993A20A3&lt;/string&gt; I also tried deleting the manually added device from the Developer portal and installing Xcode on the VM and letting Xcode register the device, but I end up in the same situation there. Even after letting Xcode itself register the device, it says that "this device not registered to your account" and then when I click "Register device" it changes into " already exists". Has anyone else managed to get Mac development provisioning profiles to work in a VM?
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Jun ’25
Notarization Fails: “The binary is not signed with a valid Developer ID certificate” for Flutter macOS App Plugins (file_picker, file_saver, url_launcher_macos)
Hi all, I’m trying to notarize a Flutter macOS app built in CI (GitHub Actions). The app builds and signs fine locally—codesign --verify --deep --strict and spctl --assess both pass. However, Apple’s notarization service consistently rejects the app with errors like: The binary is not signed with a valid Developer ID certificate: file_picker.framework The binary is not signed with a valid Developer ID certificate: file_saver.framework The binary is not signed with a valid Developer ID certificate: url_launcher_macos.framework What I’ve tried: Explicitly re-signing all frameworks with my Developer ID Application certificate and --timestamp Removing existing signatures before re-signing Ensuring correct entitlements and bundle identifier Matching the app bundle name and identifier in all places Using both codesign --deep and manual signing of each binary Local validation always passes, but notarization fails in CI Certificate: I am using a “Developer ID Application” certificate (not a “Mac Developer” or “Apple Development” certificate). The output of codesign -dvv for the problematic frameworks shows: Authority=Developer ID Application: [My Name/Team] ([Team ID]) So I believe I am not making the common mistake of using the wrong certificate type. CI Environment: GitHub Actions, macos-latest runner Flutter 3.27.2, stable channel All secrets (cert, Apple ID, app-specific password, team ID) are set up Questions: Has anyone encountered this with Flutter plugins or CI builds? Are there known issues with signing Flutter plugin frameworks for notarization? Is there a way to get more detailed feedback from Apple’s notarization service? Any advice or pointers would be greatly appreciated. I’m happy to provide logs, scripts, or a minimal project if needed. Thanks!
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176
Activity
May ’25
Developer ID Notary Service
Yesterday there were reported outages on the Developer ID Notary Service, but it was reported pretty late and we were able to notice the outages in real time. It says resolved now, however an error still persists: Error: HTTP status code: 403. A required agreement is missing or has expired. This request requires an in-effect agreement that has not been signed or has expired. Ensure your team has signed the necessary legal agreements and that they are not expired. Is there an ongoing outage at this moment that is not being reported again? Our pipelines have been working flawlessly for months without intervention nor changes until the most recent outages
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362
Activity
Jun ’25
macOS 11.x system reported an error when using endpoint security
This is .entitlements file: <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd"> <plist version="1.0"> <dict> <key>com.apple.developer.endpoint-security.client</key> <true/> </dict> </plist> Code signing: codesign --sign -vvv --timestamp --options=runtime --force --entitlements ./UES.entitlements -s "Developer ID Application: XXXX Ltd. (XXXXXX)" ./UES.app When I run it on macOS 13.x, it works fine. If I run the system on macOS 11.x, it reports a "killed" error (if codesign remove --entitlements ./UES.entitlements, Then the startup will not report an error, but the endpoint security rights cannot be used) System log: 2025-04-21 13:58:27.039638+0800 0xd5941 Default 0x0 149 0 amfid: /Applications/UES.app/Contents/MacOS/UES signature not valid: -67050 2025-04-21 13:58:27.039762+0800 0xd5bbf Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: mac_vnode_check_signature: /Applications/UES.app/Contents/MacOS/UES: code signature validation failed fatally: When validating /Applications/UES.app/Contents/MacOS/UES: 2025-04-21 13:58:27.039815+0800 0xd5bbf Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: proc 29354: load code signature error 4 for file "UES" 2025-04-21 13:58:27.040720+0800 0xd5bc0 Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: (AppleSystemPolicy) ASP: Security policy would not allow process: 29354, /Applications/UES.app/Contents/MacOS/UES 2025-04-21 13:58:27.045974+0800 0xd58be Error 0x0 66405 0 CoreServicesUIAgent: [com.apple.launchservices:uiagent] handle LS launch error: {\n Action = oapp;\n AppMimimumSystemVersion = "10.13";\n AppPath = "/Applications/UES.app";\n ErrorCode = "-10826";\n} 2025-04-21 13:58:39.121619+0800 0xd5941 Default 0x0 149 0 amfid: /Applications/UES.app/Contents/MacOS/UES signature not valid: -67050 2025-04-21 13:58:39.121832+0800 0xd5e0f Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: mac_vnode_check_signature: /Applications/UES.app/Contents/MacOS/UES: code signature validation failed fatally: When validating /Applications/UES.app/Contents/MacOS/UES: 2025-04-21 13:58:39.121861+0800 0xd5e0f Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: proc 29415: load code signature error 4 for file "UES" 2025-04-21 13:58:39.122571+0800 0xd5e10 Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: (AppleSystemPolicy) ASP: Security policy would not allow process: 29415, /Applications/UES.app/Contents/MacOS/UES 2025-04-21 13:58:46.297915+0800 0xd5941 Default 0x0 149 0 amfid: /Applications/UES.app/Contents/MacOS/UES signature not valid: -67050 2025-04-21 13:58:46.298031+0800 0xd5f85 Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: mac_vnode_check_signature: /Applications/UES.app/Contents/MacOS/UES: code signature validation failed fatally: When validating /Applications/UES.app/Contents/MacOS/UES: 2025-04-21 13:58:46.298072+0800 0xd5f85 Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: proc 29485: load code signature error 4 for file "UES" 2025-04-21 13:58:46.300248+0800 0xd5f86 Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: (AppleSystemPolicy) ASP: Security policy would not allow process: 29485, /Applications/UES.app/Contents/MacOS/UES May I ask what the reason is?
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101
Activity
Apr ’25
: Live Activity Capability Missing from App ID Configuration – Cannot Resolve Entitlement Error in Xcode
Hi Apple Developer Community, I'm trying to resolve the following Xcode build error: *"Provisioning profile 'iOS Team Provisioning Profile: ' doesn't include the com.apple.developer.live-activities entitlement." To fix this, I understand I need to add the Live Activity capability to my App ID and ensure it’s included in the provisioning profile. However, when I go to Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles, select my App ID, and click Edit under "App ID Configuration," the Live Activity capability is not available in the list of capabilities. As a result, I can’t proceed with enabling the entitlement or regenerating a correct provisioning profile. I’ve confirmed: My App ID is explicit (not a wildcard). The app’s deployment target is set to iOS 16.1 or later. I’m signed in with the correct Apple Developer Team account. etc. Has anyone experienced this? Is there a prerequisite that I might be missing? Thanks in advance for your help! Best regards, David Winograd Rokfin, Inc.
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519
Activity
Jul ’25
Is there an entitlement for screen capture on macOS?
I have a macOS app that captures screen images. The first time I run this application, a dialog is shown directing the user to give my app Screen Recording permission. Is there a way I can trigger this dialog earlier and detect whether the permission was granted?
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6
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4.0k
Activity
May ’25
App doesn't trigger Privacy Apple Events prompt after a while.
I've developed a Mac app distributed through the App Store that uses NSAppleScript to control Spotify and Apple Music. I'm experiencing inconsistent behavior with automation permission prompts that's affecting user experience. Expected Behavior: When my app first attempts to send Apple Events to Spotify or Apple Music, macOS should display the automation permission prompt, and upon user approval, the app should appear in System Preferences &gt; Security &amp; Privacy &gt; Privacy &gt; Automation. Actual Behavior: Initial permission prompts work correctly when both apps are actively used after my app download. If a user hasn't launched Spotify/Apple Music for an extended period, the permission prompt fails to appear when they later open the music app. The music app doesn't appear in the Automation privacy pane too. Once this happens, permission prompts never trigger again for that app Steps to Reproduce: Fresh install of my app Don't use Spotify for several days/weeks Launch Spotify Trigger Apple Events from my app to Spotify No permission prompt appears, app doesn't show in Automation settings If you're using Apple Music during this time it runs without any problems. Troubleshooting Attempted: Used tccutil reset AppleEvents [bundle-identifier] - no effect Verified target apps are fully launched before sending Apple Events Tried different AppleScript commands to trigger permissions Problem occurs inconsistently across different Macs Technical Details: macOS 13+ support Using standard NSAppleScript with simple commands like "tell application 'Spotify' to playpause" App Store distribution (no private APIs) Issue affects both Spotify and Apple Music but seems more prevalent with Apple Music Questions: Is there a reliable way to programmatically trigger the automation permission prompt? Are there timing dependencies for when macOS decides to show permission prompts? Could app priority/usage patterns affect permission prompt behavior? I use MediaManager to run the functions and initialize it on AppDidFinishLaunching method and start monitoring there. Any insights or workarounds would be greatly appreciated. This inconsistency is affecting user onboarding and app functionality.
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264
Activity
Jul ’25
Notarization Issue – Team Not Configured
I came across your contact on the Apple Developer Forums. I'm encountering an unusual issue during the notarization process. The error message states: "Team is not yet configured for notarization. Please contact Developer Programs Support at developer.apple.com under the topic Development and Technical / Other Development or Technical Questions." Any guidance you could provide would be greatly appreciated. Here are the error details for reference: json { "logFormatVersion": 1, "jobId": "b6023a7c-dc85-4fa5-91dd-fba92c9ed831", "status": "Rejected", "statusSummary": "Team is not yet configured for notarization. Please contact Developer Programs Support at developer.apple.com under the topic Development and Technical / Other Development or Technical Questions.", "statusCode": 7000, "archiveFilename": "Bytemonk.dmg", "uploadDate": "2025-07-02T07:07:07.945Z", "sha256": "b9494170cc040a76045ed263de22e6b89a5455142af16ce502530e1c1ee72ddf", "ticketContents": null, "issues": null }
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152
Activity
Jul ’25
Handling Permissions After Transferring macOS App to a New Developer ID
I have a macOS application that was previously distributed under my personal Apple Developer account using a Developer ID certificate. We’ve recently transitioned distribution to our company’s Apple Developer account. The app’s bundle identifier has been successfully transferred, and I’ve signed a new build of the app using the company’s Developer ID certificate. The app installs and runs correctly under the new signature. However, I’ve encountered a problem: the app is no longer able to access previously granted permissions (e.g., Screen Recording, System Audio Recording, and Input Monitoring). Furthermore, it cannot re-prompt for these permissions because they appear as already granted in System Settings. From what I understand, this issue is due to the change in the code signing identity. Specifically, the designated requirements used by macOS to identify an app have changed, so the system no longer associates the new version of the app with the previously granted permissions (as outlined in Apple's Technical Note TN3127). The only workaround I’ve found so far is to manually reset the app's permissions using Terminal commands (e.g., tccutil reset), but this is not something we can reasonably ask end users to do. Question: Is there a recommended or supported approach to either preserve permissions when changing Developer ID identities, or programmatically trigger a permissions reset for existing users? We're looking for a seamless solution that doesn't degrade user experience.
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128
Activity
May ’25
Maximum Development Certificates?
I recently had to update my certificates for a project. I deleted a few old ones, and I currently have one Development certificate. I needed to create another Development certificate specifically, it's saying "Maximum number of certificates generated." I thought the maximum was two Development certificates? Has anyone else had this issue? Thinking it could be a stuck workflow or something like that.
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176
Activity
Jul ’25
Notarization stuck in progress for new Apple Developer Account
I use the 'notarytool' to notarize applications and .pkg installers for Developer ID distribution. When using the notary tool with a fresh Apple Developer account, the notarization process remains stuck in the 'In progress' state. However, if I try the same app with an older developer account (one that has notarized at least one app in the past), the notarization works. All agreements are accepted in developer portal and Appstore Connect.
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121
Activity
Apr ’25
Missing entitlement com.apple.developer.system-extension.install
Hi I am building obs studio using cmake and Xcode. I used cmake --preset macos -DOBS_CODESIGN_IDENTITY="" to generate the build folder and inside X code used Provisioning Profile with Developer ID Application certification. The build was generated successfully but when I tried to turn on the virtual camera I see missing Missing entitlement com.apple.developer.system-extension.install error. (My Provisioning profile has System Extension Capability checked on apple developer portal) If I use this flow instead: cmake --preset macos -DOBS_CODESIGN_TEAM=63B5A5WDNG Build using Xcode with Automatic manage signing with Apple Developer Certificate. Obs studio builds successfully and Virtual camera extension also works fine. My primary goal is to notarise my app which contains OBS studio and Blackhole Audio driver for distribution outside app store. If I try to sign my obs app generated in second step codesign --deep --force --timestamp --verify --verbose \ --options runtime --sign "Developer ID Application:***" "OBS.app" The obs app fails to launch due to some errors. Can anyone please guide me which step I might be doing wrong, Much Appreciated. Thanks
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464
Activity
Jul ’25
How can I export the "Notary Profile" used by notarytool for CI/CD
Once I have built my macOS .app and signed it I run notarytool using this simple shell script: #!/bin/sh ditto -c -k --keepParent "$1.app" "$1.zip" xcrun notarytool submit "$1.zip" --keychain-profile "Notary Profile for DeepSkyStacker" --wait xcrun stapler staple $1.app rm -f $1.zip How can I export that "keychain-profile" (notary profile) so I can use it in CI/CD actions? Clearly I don't wish to expose the full invocation of xcrun notarytool store-credentials.
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3
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225
Activity
Jun ’25
证书导出无法选择p12格式
mac .cer证书不能导出.p12证书 不知道那个步骤出错
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2k
Activity
Jul ’25
App Rejected – Binary Invalid Despite Correct Code Signing Setup (Flutter + WebView App)
Hello everyone, I'm currently experiencing repeated "Invalid Binary" rejections when submitting my Flutter-based iOS app ("Master Tere") through App Store Connect. I've followed all the expected steps and guidelines, but the rejection contains no additional explanation beyond the "Invalid Binary" status. Here’s my current setup: Built using Flutter and Xcode 15.3 WebView-based app loading a professional portfolio site Runner target is signed automatically using Xcode Managed Profiles Certificates: Apple Development and Apple Distribution (auto-managed) Bundle ID: com.actuain.mastertere1 Version: 1.0.0, Build: 6 Deployment target: iOS 18.0 Device family: iPhone only All signing identities and provisioning profiles match for Debug and Release In my Info.plist, I’ve cleaned up legacy keys that might cause conflicts: ✅ Removed <key>UIMainStoryboardFile</key> (no storyboard is used) ✅ Removed <key>CFBundleSignature</key> as it was set to ???? ✅ Display name and Bundle ID align with Xcode project settings Despite all this, every time I upload through Xcode Organizer, I get an "Invalid Binary" error after processing. No issues are shown during archive validation. I suspect the issue may be related to: Flutter WebView integration with latest iOS SDKs Residual metadata in the archive from unused iOS storyboard references Possibly missing entitlements or capabilities not flagged by Xcode Questions: Are there any known issues affecting Flutter WebView apps recently (especially around Xcode 15.3 or iOS 18 SDK)? Is it mandatory to remove Main.storyboard from the project bundle even if it's not used? Could this issue be related to background modes, UIRequiredDeviceCapabilities, or entitlements even if not directly flagged? I’d appreciate any insights or experiences from others who’ve faced this issue recently. Thanks in advance! Luis Antonio Pinto Acosta
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194
Activity
Apr ’25
Notarization taking forever
Tried notarizing my app yesterday afternoon via Mac terminal, and when I came back to work this morning it was still "In Process...". I closed terminal, and checked appleid.apple.com, and it was asking me to reset my password- maybe because the notarization timed out? Either way, I reset my password, generated a new app-specific password and tried notarizing the app again, but it's now been 3 hours and it's still "In Process..." again. When I check the status via terminal, nothing seems off- and the status is In Progress. How can I determine if there's a bigger issue I need to fix before notarizing? UUID: e7ae29c8-2478-41a3-93b4-3f274de643d0
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235
Activity
Aug ’25
How to Share Provisioning Profiles with Customers for macOS App Distribution
I am distributing a macOS application outside the App Store using Developer ID and need to provide provisioning profiles to customers for installation during the package installation process. I have two questions: How can I package and provide the provisioning profile(s) so that the customer can install them easily during the application installation process? Are there any best practices or tools that could simplify this step? In my case, there are multiple provisioning profiles. Should I instruct the customer to install each profile one by one, or is there a way to combine them and have them installed all at once? Any insights, resources, or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
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Activity
Jun ’25
Resolving Trusted Execution Problems
I help a lot of developers with macOS trusted execution problems. For example, they might have an app being blocked by Gatekeeper, or an app that crashes on launch with a code signing error. If you encounter a problem that’s not explained here, start a new thread with the details. Put it in the Code Signing > General subtopic and tag it with relevant tags like Gatekeeper, Code Signing, and Notarization — so that I see it. Share and Enjoy — Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com" Resolving Trusted Execution Problems macOS supports three software distribution channels: The user downloads an app from the App Store. The user gets a Developer ID-signed program directly from its developer. The user builds programs locally using Apple or third-party developer tools. The trusted execution system aims to protect users from malicious code. It’s comprised of a number of different subsystems. For example, Gatekeeper strives to ensure that only trusted software runs on a user’s Mac, while XProtect is the platform’s built-in anti-malware technology. Note To learn more about these technologies, see Apple Platform Security. If you’re developing software for macOS your goal is to avoid trusted execution entanglements. You want users to install and use your product without taking any special steps. If, for example, you ship an app that’s blocked by Gatekeeper, you’re likely to lose a lot of customers, and your users’ hard-won trust. Trusted execution problems are rare with Mac App Store apps because the Mac App Store validation process tends to catch things early. This post is primarily focused on Developer ID-signed programs. Developers who use Xcode encounter fewer trusted execution problems because Xcode takes care of many code signing and packaging chores. If you’re not using Xcode, consider making the switch. If you can’t, consult the following for information on how to structure, sign, and package your code: Placing content in a bundle Embedding nonstandard code structures in a bundle Embedding a command-line tool in a sandboxed app Creating distribution-signed code for macOS Packaging Mac software for distribution Gatekeeper Basics User-level apps on macOS implement a quarantine system for new downloads. For example, if Safari downloads a zip archive, it quarantines that archive. This involves setting the com.apple.quarantine extended attribute on the file. Note The com.apple.quarantine extended attribute is not documented as API. If you need to add, check, or remove quarantine from a file programmatically, use the quarantinePropertiesKey property. User-level unarchiving tools preserve quarantine. To continue the above example, if you double click the quarantined zip archive in the Finder, Archive Utility will unpack the archive and quarantine the resulting files. If you launch a quarantined app, the system invokes Gatekeeper. Gatekeeper checks the app for problems. If it finds no problems, it asks the user to confirm the launch, just to be sure. If it finds a problem, it displays an alert to the user and prevents them from launching it. The exact wording of this alert varies depending on the specific problem, and from release to release of macOS, but it generally looks like the ones shown in Apple > Support > Safely open apps on your Mac. The system may run Gatekeeper at other times as well. The exact circumstances under which it runs Gatekeeper is not documented and changes over time. However, running a quarantined app always invokes Gatekeeper. Unix-y networking tools, like curl and scp, don’t quarantine the files they download. Unix-y unarchiving tools, like tar and unzip, don’t propagate quarantine to the unarchived files. Confirm the Problem Trusted execution problems can be tricky to reproduce: You may encounter false negatives, that is, you have a trusted execution problem but you don’t see it during development. You may also encounter false positives, that is, things fail on one specific Mac but otherwise work. To avoid chasing your own tail, test your product on a fresh Mac, one that’s never seen your product before. The best way to do this is using a VM, restoring to a snapshot between runs. For a concrete example of this, see Testing a Notarised Product. The most common cause of problems is a Gatekeeper alert saying that it’s blocked your product from running. However, that’s not the only possibility. Before going further, confirm that Gatekeeper is the problem by running your product without quarantine. That is, repeat the steps in Testing a Notarised Product except, in step 2, download your product in a way that doesn’t set quarantine. Then try launching your app. If that launch fails then Gatekeeper is not the problem, or it’s not the only problem! Note The easiest way to download your app to your test environment without setting quarantine is curl or scp. Alternatively, use xattr to remove the com.apple.quarantine extended attribute from the download before you unpack it. For more information about the xattr tool, see the xattr man page. Trusted execution problems come in all shapes and sizes. Later sections of this post address the most common ones. But first, let’s see if there’s an easy answer. Run a System Policy Check macOS has a syspolicy_check tool that can diagnose many common trusted execution issues. To check an app, run the distribution subcommand against it: % syspolicy_check distribution MyApp.app App passed all pre-distribution checks and is ready for distribution. If there’s a problem, the tool prints information about that problem. For example, here’s what you’ll see if you run it against an app that’s notarised but not stapled: % syspolicy_check distribution MyApp.app App has failed one or more pre-distribution checks. --------------------------------------------------------------- Notary Ticket Missing File: MyApp.app Severity: Fatal Full Error: A Notarization ticket is not stapled to this application. Type: Distribution Error … Note In reality, stapling isn’t always required, so this error isn’t really Fatal (r. 151446728 ). For more about that, see The Pros and Cons of Stapling forums. And here’s what you’ll see if there’s a problem with the app’s code signature: % syspolicy_check distribution MyApp.app App has failed one or more pre-distribution checks. --------------------------------------------------------------- Codesign Error File: MyApp.app/Contents/Resources/added.txt Severity: Fatal Full Error: File added after outer app bundle was codesigned. Type: Notary Error … The syspolicy_check isn’t perfect. There are a few issues it can’t diagnose (r. 136954554, 151446550). However, it should always be your first step because, if it does work, it’ll save you a lot of time. Note syspolicy_check was introduced in macOS 14. If you’re seeing a problem on an older system, first check your app with syspolicy_check on macOS 14 or later. If you can’t run the syspolicy_check tool, or it doesn’t report anything actionable, continue your investigation using the instructions in the following sections. App Blocked by Gatekeeper If your product is an app and it works correctly when not quarantined but is blocked by Gatekeeper when it is, you have a Gatekeeper problem. For advice on how to investigate such issues, see Resolving Gatekeeper Problems. App Can’t Be Opened Not all failures to launch are Gatekeeper errors. In some cases the app is just broken. For example: The app’s executable might be missing the x bit set in its file permissions. The app’s executable might be subtly incompatible with the current system. A classic example of this is trying to run a third-party app that contains arm64e code on systems prior to macOS 26 beta. macOS 26 beta supports arm64e apps directly. Prior to that, third-party products (except kernel extensions) were limited to arm64, except for the purposes of testing. The app’s executable might claim restricted entitlements that aren’t authorised by a provisioning profile. Or the app might have some other code signing problem. Note For more information about provisioning profiles, see TN3125 Inside Code Signing: Provisioning Profiles. In such cases the system displays an alert saying: The application “NoExec” can’t be opened. [[OK]] Note In macOS 11 this alert was: You do not have permission to open the application “NoExec”. Contact your computer or network administrator for assistance. [[OK]] which was much more confusing. A good diagnostic here is to run the app’s executable from Terminal. For example, an app with a missing x bit will fail to run like so: % NoExec.app/Contents/MacOS/NoExec zsh: permission denied: NoExec.app/Contents/MacOS/NoExec And an app with unauthorised entitlements will be killed by the trusted execution system: % OverClaim.app/Contents/MacOS/OverClaim zsh: killed OverClaim.app/Contents/MacOS/OverClaim In some cases running the executable from Terminal will reveal useful diagnostics. For example, if the app references a library that’s not available, the dynamic linker will print a helpful diagnostic: % MissingLibrary.app/Contents/MacOS/MissingLibrary dyld[88394]: Library not loaded: @rpath/CoreWaffleVarnishing.framework/Versions/A/CoreWaffleVarnishing … zsh: abort MissingLibrary.app/Contents/MacOS/MissingLibrary Code Signing Crashes on Launch A code signing crash has the following exception information: Exception Type: EXC_CRASH (SIGKILL (Code Signature Invalid)) The most common such crash is a crash on launch. To confirm that, look at the thread backtraces: Backtrace not available For steps to debug this, see Resolving Code Signing Crashes on Launch. One common cause of this problem is running App Store distribution-signed code. Don’t do that! For details on why that’s a bad idea, see Don’t Run App Store Distribution-Signed Code. Code Signing Crashes After Launch If your program crashes due to a code signing problem after launch, you might have encountered the issue discussed in Updating Mac Software. Non-Code Signing Failures After Launch The hardened runtime enables a number of security checks within a process. Some coding techniques are incompatible with the hardened runtime. If you suspect that your code is incompatible with the hardened runtime, see Resolving Hardened Runtime Incompatibilities. App Sandbox Inheritance If you’re creating a product with the App Sandbox enabled and it crashes with a trap within _libsecinit_appsandbox, it’s likely that you’re having App Sandbox inheritance problems. For the details, see Resolving App Sandbox Inheritance Problems. Library Loading Problem Most library loading problems have an obvious cause. For example, the library might not be where you expect it, or it might be built with the wrong platform or architecture. However, some library loading problems are caused by the trusted execution system. For the details, see Resolving Library Loading Problems. Explore the System Log If none of the above resolves your issue, look in the system log for clues as to what’s gone wrong. Some good keywords to search for include: gk, for Gatekeeper xprotect syspolicy, per the syspolicyd man page cmd, for Mach-O load command oddities amfi, for Apple mobile file integrity, per the amfid man page taskgated, see its taskgated man page yara, discussed in Apple Platform Security ProvisioningProfiles You may be able to get more useful logging with this command: % sudo sysctl -w security.mac.amfi.verbose_logging=1 Here’s a log command that I often use when I’m investigating a trusted execution problem and I don’t know here to start: % log stream --predicate "sender == 'AppleMobileFileIntegrity' or sender == 'AppleSystemPolicy' or process == 'amfid' or process == 'taskgated-helper' or process == 'syspolicyd'" For general information the system log, see Your Friend the System Log. Revision History 2025-08-06 Added the Run a System Policy Check section, which talks about the syspolicy_check tool (finally!). Clarified the discussion of arm64e. Made other editorial changes. 2024-10-11 Added info about the security.mac.amfi.verbose_logging option. Updated some links to point to official documentation that replaces some older DevForums posts. 2024-01-12 Added a specific command to the Explore the System Log section. Change the syspolicy_check callout to reflect that macOS 14 is no longer in beta. Made minor editorial changes. 2023-06-14 Added a quick call-out to the new syspolicy_check tool. 2022-06-09 Added the Non-Code Signing Failures After Launch section. 2022-06-03 Added a link to Don’t Run App Store Distribution-Signed Code. Fixed the link to TN3125. 2022-05-20 First posted.
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Aug ’25
Issues Signing .app with Developer ID Certificate — Missing Private Key and Pipeline Concerns
I’m having issues trying to codesign a .app file. We generated the Developer ID Application certificate using the organization owner’s account. I downloaded the certificate to my Mac and imported it into my keychain, but when I run the codesign command below, I get the following error. Could you help me? What am I doing wrong? Is there any other way to sign the .app executable? From what I’ve seen in other posts, it looks like the certificate needs to have a private key, but the certificate I download from the developer portal doesn’t include the key. Also, about exporting it as a .p12 — I couldn’t quite understand if that’s considered a safe practice, since the organization owner’s private key would be included in this certificate that we plan to use in our pipeline.
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May ’25
Notarizing taking 6+ hours?
I am building an electron app bundled with python. My code signing was fast, but when it came to notarization, it has already taken over 6+ hours. How can I speed things up?
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Aug ’25
Using restricted entitlements in a macOS 26 VM
We have a Mac app that uses some restricted macOS entitlements, thus to test it we embed a development provisioning profile, that needs to contain the correct provisioning UDID. Typically, for test VMs, we extract the provisioning and UDID and add it to the developer portal and then re-generate the provisioning profiles. However when we try to do this in our newly created VM (Apple Silicon), our executable won't run, and macOS logs that the provisioning profile doesn't allow the device: 2025-06-12 12:37:52.168 E taskgated-helper[27489:e97da] [com.apple.ManagedClient:ProvisioningProfiles] embedded provisioning profile not valid: file:///Applications/foo.app/Contents/embedded.provisionprofile error: Error Domain=CPProfileManager Code=-212 "Provisioning profile does not allow this device." UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=Provisioning profile does not allow this device.} 2025-06-12 12:37:52.169 E taskgated-helper[27489:e97da] [com.apple.ManagedClient:ProvisioningProfiles] Disallowing com.company.foo because no eligible provisioning profiles found 2025-06-12 12:37:52.169 Df amfid[112:e99b0] [com.apple.xpc:connection] [0xb34c74a00] invalidated because the current process cancelled the connection by calling xpc_connection_cancel() 2025-06-12 12:37:52.169 Df taskgated-helper[27489:e97da] [com.apple.xpc:connection] [0x839144000] invalidated because the client process (pid 112) either cancelled the connection or exited 2025-06-12 12:37:52.169 E amfid[112:e91ac] [com.apple.MobileFileIntegrity.framework:default] Failure validating against provisioning profiles: &lt;private&gt; 2025-06-12 12:37:52.169 E amfid[112:e91ac] [com.apple.MobileFileIntegrity.framework:default] Restricted entitlements not validated, bailing out. Error: Error Domain=AppleMobileFileIntegrityError Code=-413 "No matching profile found" UserInfo={NSURL=&lt;private&gt;, NSLocalizedDescription=No matching profile found} 2025-06-12 12:37:52.169 Df amfid[112:e91ac] /Applications/foo.app/Contents/MacOS/foo not valid: Error Domain=AppleMobileFileIntegrityError Code=-413 "No matching profile found" UserInfo={NSURL=file:///Applications/foo.app/, NSLocalizedDescription=No matching profile found} The UDID for this VM does look weird, in System Profiler: But I can verify that this UDID string is present in the provisioning profile embedded in the app bundle: $ security cms -D -i /Applications/foo.app/Contents/embedded.provisionprofile | grep -i 7cd9234e9aa4fa8ba528ee417f857b2c993a20a3 &lt;string&gt;7CD9234E9AA4FA8BA528EE417F857B2C993A20A3&lt;/string&gt; I also tried deleting the manually added device from the Developer portal and installing Xcode on the VM and letting Xcode register the device, but I end up in the same situation there. Even after letting Xcode itself register the device, it says that "this device not registered to your account" and then when I click "Register device" it changes into " already exists". Has anyone else managed to get Mac development provisioning profiles to work in a VM?
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Jun ’25