In the LightweightCodeRequirements framework, there is a LaunchCodeRequirement object which can be used as a requirement object for a Process for example. What I don't understand (I admit my macOS low-level knowledge is limited) is that how can this be used in a secure way that doesn't fall victim of a Time-of-Check/Time-of-Use issue. e.g. I specify a LaunchCodeRequirement via Process.launchRequirement for my process, let's say /usr/local/bin/mycommandlinetool. The LaunchCodeRequirement specifies my development team and a developer ID certificate. The process must be started in some form, before a SecCode/SecTask object can be created, rather than a SecStaticCode object (which only guarantees its validity checks to be intact as long as the file is not modified). But if the process was started, then I have no tools in my set to prevent it from executing its initialization code or similar. Then, by the time I'm able to check via SecCode/SecTask functions the LaunchCodeRequirement, I might have already ran malicious code - if mycommandlinetool was maliciously replaced. Or does the operating system use a daemon to copy the executable specified for Process to a secure location, then creates the SecStaticCode object, assesses the LaunchCodeRequirement and if passed, launches the executable from that trusted location (which would make sure it is immutable for replacement by malicious actors)? I have a hard time understanding how this works under the hood - if I remember correctly these are private APIs.

Coming from Windows, I'm finding Mac app packaging farcically complicated, to the level of a Python sketch. I mastered Windows packaging, via Inno, in an hour or so, but it has taken me, on and off, the best part of a week to get to the point I am at with the Mac OS, and I'm nowhere near finished (rather, it hasn't finished with me). Every time I surmount one hurdle, another pops up, seemingly just for the jollies. I'm currently stuck at: '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.' My account lists no agreements in this category. I understand the need for security, but not the labyrinthine nature of the process. An inner-party member in the former Soviet Union overheard a drunken Stalin say, “I trust no one; not even myself". Apple trusts no one, but has true contempt for developers. Is there a simple way to work through the packaging process? Let me rephrase that: please God, let there be a simpler way of working through the process! Regards, in extremis, Richard

I've signed an app, zipped it, and uploaded it to github. When I download it on another Mac, I get "it can't be opened because it could not be verified for malware". But on that computer, I can verify it with codesign, and it appears to be correct (as far as I can tell). I can copy/paste the app from my other Mac, and that copy will run without problem. sys_policy, however, gives: Notary Ticket Missing File: ReView.app Severity: Fatal Full Error: A Notarization ticket is not stapled to this application. Type: Distribution Error This is the same for the copy that runs, and the copy that doesn't. The difference between them appears to be a quarantine xattr. I can delete this, and the app launches without incident. Is this expected? Why should a signed app be quarantined just because it's been downloaded? The whole point of paying the fee is to avoid the security obstacles...! ;-)

One of our apps (built with Xcode 26.1.1 and distributed via TestFlight) crashes upon launch on iOS 17 with Exception Type: EXC_BAD_ACCESS (SIGKILL) and Termination Reason: CODESIGNING 2 Invalid Page. I have never seen this before. Any pointers? On iOS 18 & 26 this does not happen btw.

I am facing this error on every flutter project build. Although it runs ok. The error happens on the codesign command What do I need to fix ? I have validated that every *.plist file is ok using plutil -lint ERROR MESSAGE /usr/bin/codesign --force --sign MY_SHA_CODE --verbose /Users/macbookair/workspace/flutter_application_1/build/ios/Release-iphoneos/Runner.app/Frameworks/libswiftCore.dylib)` exited with status 0. The command's output was: /Users/macbookair/workspace/flutter_application_1/build/ios/Release-iphoneos/Runner.app/Frameworks/libswiftCore.dylib: a required plist file or resource is malformed Info.plist <?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>CFBundleDevelopmentRegion</key> <string>$(DEVELOPMENT_LANGUAGE)</string> <key>CFBundleDisplayName</key> <string>Flutter Application 1</string> <key>CFBundleExecutable</key> <string>$(EXECUTABLE_NAME)</string> <key>CFBundleIdentifier</key> <string>$(PRODUCT_BUNDLE_IDENTIFIER)</string> <key>CFBundleInfoDictionaryVersion</key> <string>6.0</string> <key>CFBundleName</key> <string>flutter_application_1</string> <key>CFBundlePackageType</key> <string>APPL</string> <key>CFBundleShortVersionString</key> <string>$(FLUTTER_BUILD_NAME)</string> <key>CFBundleSignature</key> <string>????</string> <key>CFBundleVersion</key> <string>$(FLUTTER_BUILD_NUMBER)</string> <key>LSRequiresIPhoneOS</key> <true/> <key>UILaunchStoryboardName</key> <string>LaunchScreen</string> <key>UIMainStoryboardFile</key> <string>Main</string> <key>UISupportedInterfaceOrientations</key> <array> <string>UIInterfaceOrientationPortrait</string> <string>UIInterfaceOrientationLandscapeLeft</string> <string>UIInterfaceOrientationLandscapeRight</string> </array> <key>UISupportedInterfaceOrientations~ipad</key> <array> <string>UIInterfaceOrientationPortrait</string> <string>UIInterfaceOrientationPortraitUpsideDown</string> <string>UIInterfaceOrientationLandscapeLeft</string> <string>UIInterfaceOrientationLandscapeRight</string> </array> <key>CADisableMinimumFrameDurationOnPhone</key> <true/> <key>UIApplicationSupportsIndirectInputEvents</key> <true/></dict> </plist> Please help.

In Swift I'm using unzip by launching a Process to unzip a file. I added a launchRequirement to the process in order to make sure the executable is code signed by Apple and the identifier is com.apple.unzip. After testing out my code on another machines (both physical and virtual), I found out that in some the identifier is actually com.apple.zipinfo, which broke the SigningIdentifier requirement. It's safe to assume that /usr/bin/unzip can be trusted since it's in a System Integrity Protection (SIP) location, but I'm wondering why this executable has different identifiers?

Hi, This is my first time developing for iPhone, and I believe I have encountered an unusual edge case related to user management. Background: I work at a very small company currently in the proof-of-concept stage of building an iOS app. We created an Apple account under the company name: Green Vibe, using our corporate email. Initially, I developed the app under the free account on my local iPhone, and everything worked smoothly. When NFC functionality became necessary, we upgraded to a paid Apple Developer account. At that point, I enrolled as a developer under my personal name (Or Itach) while logged in with the Green Vibe Apple account. I want to emphasize that only one Apple account was created — the Green Vibe account. The Issue: When attempting to add NFC, I was able to create the required certificate under the name Or Itach. However, when compiling the project, Xcode prompts me to enter the login password for the user Or Itach. This is problematic because there is no Apple ID associated with that name — only the Apple Developer enrollment under Green Vibe exists. Request: Could you please advise on the proper way to resolve this situation? Specifically: Should the developer enrollment be tied directly to the Green Vibe account rather than to an individual name? How can I correctly configure the account so that Xcode no longer requires a nonexistent Apple ID password? Thank you very much for your support and clarification.

Hi! I've been scratching my brain for a few days now to no avail. I have a Perl project that I need to embed within my app. Perl includes a pp command (https://metacpan.org/pod/pp) which takes the runtime binary and then slaps the Perl code at the end of the binary itself which in brings some woes in a sense that the binary then needs to be "fixed" (https://github.com/rschupp/PAR-Packer/tree/master/contrib/pp_osx_codesign_fix) by removing the linker-provided signature and fixing LINKEDIT and LC_SYMTAB header sections of the binary. Nevertheless, I've successfully gotten the binary built, fixed up and codesigned it via codesign -s '$CS' mytool (where $CS is the codesigning identity). I can verify the signature as valid using codesign -v --display mytool: Identifier=mytool Format=Mach-O thin (arm64) CodeDirectory v=20400 size=24396 flags=0x0(none) hashes=757+2 location=embedded Signature size=4820 Signed Time=5. 1. 2026 at 8:54:53 PM Info.plist=not bound TeamIdentifier=XXXXXXX Sealed Resources=none Internal requirements count=1 size=188 It runs without any issues in Terminal, which is great. As I need to incorporate this binary in my app which is sandboxed, given my experience with other binaries that I'm including in the app, I need to codesign the binary with entitlements com.apple.security.app-sandbox and com.apple.security.inherit. So, I run: codesign -s '$CS' --force --entitlements ./MyTool.entitlements --identifier com.charliemonroe.mytool mytool ... where the entitlements file contains only the two entitlements mentioned above. Now I add the binary to the Xcode project, add it to the copy resources phase and I can confirm that it's within the bundle and that it's codesigned: codesign -vvvv --display MyApp.app/Contents/Resources/mytool Identifier=com.xxx.xxx.xxx Format=Mach-O thin (arm64) CodeDirectory v=20500 size=24590 flags=0x10000(runtime) hashes=757+7 location=embedded VersionPlatform=1 VersionMin=1703936 VersionSDK=1704448 Hash type=sha256 size=32 CandidateCDHash sha256=0a9f93af81e8e5cb286c3df6e638b2f78ab83a9e CandidateCDHashFull sha256=0a9f93af81e8e5cb286c3df6e638b2f78ab83a9edf463ce45d1cd3f89a6a4a00 Hash choices=sha256 CMSDigest=0a9f93af81e8e5cb286c3df6e638b2f78ab83a9edf463ce45d1cd3f89a6a4a00 CMSDigestType=2 Executable Segment base=0 Executable Segment limit=32768 Executable Segment flags=0x1 Page size=16384 CDHash=0a9f93af81e8e5cb286c3df6e638b2f78ab83a9e Signature size=4800 Authority=Apple Development: XXXXXX (XXXXXX) Authority=Apple Worldwide Developer Relations Certification Authority Authority=Apple Root CA Signed Time=9. 1. 2026 at 5:12:22 PM Info.plist=not bound TeamIdentifier=XXXXX Runtime Version=26.2.0 Sealed Resources=none Internal requirements count=1 size=196 codesign --display --entitlements :- MyApp.app/Contents/Resources/mytool <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "https://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd"><plist version="1.0"><dict><key>com.apple.security.app-sandbox</key><true/><key>com.apple.security.inherit</key><true/></dict></plist> All seems to be in order! But not to Gatekeeper... Attempting to run this using the following code: let process = Process() process.executableURL = Bundle.main.url(forResource: "mytool", withExtension: nil)! process.arguments = arguments try process.run() process.waitUntilExit() Results in failure: process.terminationStatus == 255 Console shows the following issues: default 17:12:40.686604+0100 secinitd mytool[88240]: root path for bundle "<private>" of main executable "<private>" default 17:12:40.691701+0100 secinitd mytool[88240]: AppSandbox request successful error 17:12:40.698116+0100 kernel exec of /Users/charliemonroe/Library/Containers/com.charliemonroe.MyApp/Data/tmp/par-636861726c69656d6f6e726f65/cache-9c78515c29320789b5a543075f2fa0f8072735ae/mytool denied since it was quarantined by MyApp and created without user consent, qtn-flags was 0x00000086 Quarantine, hum? So I ran: xattr -l MyApp.app/Contents/Resources/mytool None listed. It is a signed binary within a signed app. There are other binaries that are included within the app and run just fine exactly this way (most of them built externally using C/C++ and then codesigned exectly as per above), so I really don't think it's an issue with the app's sandbox setup... Is there anyone who would be able to help with this? Thank you in advance!

Background We are using a Developer ID application certificate to sign our application. We lost the private key and we need to revoke it before we can receive a new one. Per documentation (https://developer.apple.com/support/certificates/), I know that previously installed applications will still be able to run, but new installations will not be able to work. I want to confirm what will happen when we revoke the certificate so we know how to prepare customers for this upcoming change. Questions Will existing installations of the application receive a notice that the certificate has been revoked? Will previously installed applications be able to launch again after they are closed? What will the user see when they try to install the application with the revoked certificate?

Is there a way to check your app signature to verify if any one has tampered with the ipa file. I want to know specifically how to determine and handle this type of situation. How can i do a check for this in code(swift).

Hi Developers, I'm encountering persistent validation errors in Xcode 16.3 (16E140) on macOS 15.4.1 (24E263) with M1 when archiving and distributing a macOS app (Developer ID signing + notarization). App Structure: A native Swift/Obj-C wrapper app that launches a nested .app inside its Resources. The nested app is built with PyInstaller and includes: A Python core Custom C++ binaries Many bundled .so libraries (e.g., from OpenCV, PyQt/PySide) Issues During Validation: App Sandbox Not Enabled Error: App Sandbox missing for NestedApp.app/Contents/MacOS/NestedExecutable. Question: For Developer ID (not App Store), is sandboxing strictly required for nested PyInstaller apps? If the wrapper is sandboxed, must the nested app be as well? Given the PyInstaller app's nature (requiring broad system access), how should entitlements be managed? Upload Symbols Failed Errors for missing .dSYM files for: The nested app’s executable Custom C++ binaries .so files (OpenCV, PyQt, etc.) These are either third-party or built without DWARF data, making .dSYM generation impractical post-build. Question: Are these symbol errors critical for Developer ID notarization (not App Store)? Can notarization succeed despite them? Is lack of symbol upload a known limitation with PyInstaller apps? Any best practices?

This is a Math+CS Educational app written in Java. I have been able to distribute the Intel-Mac version downloaded as a .dmg (code-signed, notarized and stapled). I also need to support Apple silicon hw. I re-created the entire sw manufacturing structure on my M2 Macbook. I'm using the exact same command scripts that work on the older hardware. I am expecting the jpackage script to run the same way on the M2....but no. The first sign of trouble is I'm not getting an authentication password dialog , which I believe is thrown up by the MacOS when codesign asks to access my Keychain certificates. My keychain is setup the default way. Here is the error msg: [07:38:08.719] Running /usr/bin/codesign [07:38:08.749] java.io.IOException: Command [/usr/bin/codesign, -s, Developer ID Application: Pierre Bierre (SL7L4YU8GT), -vvvv, --timestamp, --options, runtime, --prefix, ST_DFG2D_ARM, /var/folders/v7/06pp2_5d6gz9593k96n2z0v40000gn/T/jdk.jpackage11705714069544945060/images/image-2753484488940359178/DataflowGeom2D.app/Contents/runtime/Contents/Home/lib/libnet.dylib] exited with 1 code at jdk.jpackage/jdk.jpackage.internal.Executor.executeExpectSuccess(Executor.java:90) at jdk.jpackage/jdk.jpackage.internal.IOUtils.exec(IOUtils.java:215) If I build the .dmg installer WITHOUT code-signing it, it produces a good .dmg, but I can't distribute it to my students with M2-M3-M4 rigs. The error feedback from "codesign" is nonspecific and inactionable. As a developer, I need specific, actionable error messages. I expect that from the wealthiest computer company in the world. Need the info.

Hi guys, New to publishing apps on Apple Store. I encounter some notarization error before and resolved it in this post. By solving the previous issue, I updated the Trust setting from "Always Trust" to "Use System Defaults" for Apple certificates. The codesign and notarization no longer give me any problem. But now, I encountered another issue. When I ran the .app on my local Macbook, it now gives me "zsh: trace trap" error. Dive a little further and check the crash report, I found the some details as following. Process: my_app [30652] Path: /Users/USER/my_app_path Identifier: my_app Version: 0.0.0 (???) Code Type: ARM-64 (Native) Parent Process: launchd [1] User ID: 501 Date/Time: 2025-07-15 14:57:58.9874 -0400 OS Version: macOS 15.5 (24F74) Report Version: 12 Anonymous UUID: 2335F0B6-A26E-6446-6074-0FCE620C4B6A Time Awake Since Boot: 6000 seconds System Integrity Protection: enabled Crashed Thread: 0 Dispatch queue: com.apple.main-thread Exception Type: EXC_BAD_ACCESS (SIGKILL (Code Signature Invalid)) Exception Codes: UNKNOWN_0x32 at 0x00000001064b4000 Exception Codes: 0x0000000000000032, 0x00000001064b4000 Termination Reason: Namespace CODESIGNING, Code 2 Invalid Page VM Region Info: 0x1064b4000 is in 0x1064b4000-0x1064b8000; bytes after start: 0 bytes before end: 16383 REGION TYPE START - END [ VSIZE] PRT/MAX SHRMOD REGION DETAIL mapped file 1064ac000-1064b4000 [ 32K] r-x/rwx SM=COW Object_id=d2a02fbf ---> VM_ALLOCATE 1064b4000-1064b8000 [ 16K] r-x/rwx SM=PRV __TEXT 1064b8000-1068a4000 [ 4016K] r-x/rwx SM=COW my_app.app/Contents/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.12/Python I can tell it's about codesign and signature invalid. I have tried to rebuild, re-codesign and re-notarize. But the error still persists. Could someone help me? Thanks!

I made a macOS application using Swift Package and distributed it in dmg format through Apple Notary service. However, we received a report from a user that it can be launched from a disk image mounted from dmg, but when copied to /Applications, the app is broken and does not start. I looked into why this happened, I noticed that the codesign command returned different results when copying the application bundle and /Applications on the volume mounted dmg with Finder. Mounted dmg: OK ❯ codesign --verify --deep --verbose /Volumes/azoo-key-skkserv/azoo-key-skkserv.app /Volumes/azoo-key-skkserv/azoo-key-skkserv.app: valid on disk /Volumes/azoo-key-skkserv/azoo-key-skkserv.app: satisfies its Designated Requirement Copied by Finder: Bad codesign reports that there are 148 added/missing files. ❯ codesign --verify --deep --verbose /Applications/azoo-key-skkserv.app /Applications/azoo-key-skkserv.app: a sealed resource is missing or invalid file added: /Applications/azoo-key-skkserv.app/Contents/Resources/AzooKeyKanakanjiConverter_KanaKanjiConverterModuleWithDefaultDictionary.bundle/Contents/Resources/Dictionary/louds/グ1.loudstxt3 (skip...) file missing: /Applications/azoo-key-skkserv.app/Contents/Resources/AzooKeyKanakanjiConverter_KanaKanjiConverterModuleWithDefaultDictionary.bundle/Contents/Resources/Dictionary/louds/グ1.loudstxt3 (skip...) Copied by ditto: OK ❯ ditto /Volumes/azoo-key-skkserv/azoo-key-skkserv.app /Applications/azoo-key-skkserv.app ❯ codesign --verify --deep --verbose /Applications/azoo-key-skkserv.app /Applications/azoo-key-skkserv.app: valid on disk /Applications/azoo-key-skkserv.app: satisfies its Designated Requirement I made a simple macOS application to explain this problem in an easy-to-understand way. You can download dmg in github releases, mount dmg, copy it in the Finder, and check if there is a problem by running the codesign command. https://github.com/mtgto/example-utf8-mac-notarization As a result, I learned the following two things. Occurs only with resources with file names whose values change due to NFC/NFD normalization No problems occur with the resources of the application itself. Generated by the Swift Package resources that the application depends on I think this is a problem with Finder or Gatekeeper.

I added a watchkit extension to an existing app. I get this error when uploading to App Store Connect. Building the archive itself is fine: Prepared archive for uploading Upload failed error: Validation failed Missing Info.plist value. A value for the key “WKApplication”, or “WKWatchKitApp” if your project has a WatchKit App Extension target, is required in “Runner.app/Watch/watch_Watch_App.app” bundle. For details, see: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/watchkit/creating_independent_watchos_apps/setting_up_a_watchos_project have the exact same issue when bundling. I added the flag manually in a additional plist fields entry with WKApplication=1 because my Info.Plist is generated and it didn't help. I wrote a custom Run Script Phase that added the flag and that didn't help as well. I need a reply from someone from Apple here. This needs to be fixed.

Hi, I developed a Flutter app that works well in the iOS simulator, but that fails to deploy on my physical iPhone 13 Pro Max. Here is the error I get: Target debug_unpack_ios failed: Exception: Failed to codesign /Users//Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/Runner-/Build/Products/Debug-iphoneos/Flutter.framework/Flutter with identity I've followed all the instructions that I found online, like moving my project from cloud storage to my local hard drive, but nothing has worked. Thank you so much for your help!

Is it possible to have some additional content at Versions/A/ in a macOS Framework bundle that is not in any of the standard folders? Will there be any side-effects during signing and notarization? The reason is it'd be a lot easier in my use case to be able to put content here instead of the Resources folder.

I’m facing an issue with my macOS app after code signing and notarization. The app is signed with my Developer ID and notarized using xcrun notarytool. Everything works fine on the machine where the signing was done — Gatekeeper accepts it, no warning appears, and codesign/spctl checks pass. However, when running the same .app on other Macs, users receive a Gatekeeper warning saying the app is "malicious software and cannot be opened". The signature is valid and the notarization log shows status: Accepted. What I've tried: Verified signature with codesign --verify --deep --strict --verbose=2 Checked notarization status via xcrun notarytool log Assessed Gatekeeper trust with spctl --assess --type execute Everything passes successfully on the development machine. Why would the app be treated as malicious on other systems even after notarization? I'm happy to share logs and technical details if needed.

I am responsible for the mobile app and thus also of the apple developer and app store connect accounts of a company. An external freelancer developed a software package for us which we aim to offer for installation and use on macOS systems of our customers; distributed exclusively outside of the Apple App Store. The software package has nothing to do with the mobile app. MacOS' Gatekeeper currently warns or even prevents our customers regarding the installation of the package on their device; pretty much as described here: https://developer.apple.com/developer-id/. According to a previous talk with Apple's Support, the software package (.app) the Freelancer developed must be signed with one of our own certificates. As we cannot grant selective app store connect access to third persons (only for the concerned certificates), we prefer to not provide access to our entire apple developer account to the freelancer, for the sole reason of the certificate & signing process. According to previous attempts with Apples' support regarding the most feasible solution in this case, they recommended me to manage the signing of the package of the freelancer, and simply request the package from the freelancer. I've thus generated an according Developer ID Certificate, but regarding the signing process, I'm confused. I know how signing works with mobile apps in XCode, but regarding software that is not distributed throughout the App Store on macOS, I'm unsure about the process. Also, as far as I know, the entitlements of the application are involved in the signing process. So my concern is that simply having the software package (.app) from the freelancer is not really enough to complete the signing + notarization process? Won't I need further information about the app's entitlements etc.? I would like to have a clear solution about the procedure that is required in these cases, as online documentations and / or forums as well as previous talks with your non-technical support from Apple did not resolve the issue.

I'm currently befuddled by the entire signing and certificate process. I don't understand what I need, what the team admin needs to do, or how to go about doing it so that I can build the project. We've managed to have this working in the past but I guess the system has changed somewhat. Here's what we have going: A Unity project which hasn't changed from a few years ago. I build the project in unity, open the Xcode project and this: There's an issue with the Signing and Capabilities. If I choose automatic setup it shows an error saying that it requires a development team. I had the account admin add my Apple ID to the team so I'm not sure why that's an issue still. Do I need to pay the 99$ to be able to building Xcode? If I try to do it manually I select the provisioning profile that the account admin sent me and it auto selects the team associated with the provisioning profile I guess but then there's no singing certificate. The error says: There is no signing certificate "iOS Development" found. No "iOS Development" signing certificate matching team ID "V7D5YBZRMV" with a private key was found. So, if someone could explain to me like I'm 5 the entire signing and certificate process is and let me know what we're doing wrong with the team/provisioning profile/certificate setup I would be very much appreciative.