Code Signing Services

Examine and validate signed code running on the system.

Overview

Code signing is a macOS security technology that you use to certify that an app was created by you. Once an app is signed, the system can detect any change to the app—whether the change is introduced accidentally or by malicious code. You can control how your signed code loads signed plug-ins and other signed code without invalidating the signatures of the host code or of the guest (dynamically loaded) code.

You work with code objects that represent uniquely identified elements of running code in the system. In addition to UNIX processes, these elements can include scripts, applets, widgets, and so forth. You also work with static code objects that represent code in the file system. Static code includes applications, tools, frameworks, plug-ins, scripts, and so on. Generally, a code object has a specific static code object from which it originates and that holds its static signing data. The reverse, however, is not true—given a static code object, it is not possible to find, enumerate, or control any code object that originated from it.

Topics

Code Objects

Work with signed code loaded into memory.

class SecCode

A code object representing signed code running on the system.

func SecCodeCopySelf(SecCSFlags, UnsafeMutablePointer<SecCode?>) -> OSStatus

Retrieves the code object for the code making the call.

struct SecCSFlags

Values that can be used in the flags parameter to most code signing functions.

func SecCodeGetTypeID() -> CFTypeID

Returns the unique identifier of the opaque type to which a code object belongs.

Static Code

Work with signed code on disk.

class SecStaticCode

A static code object representing signed code on disk.

func SecStaticCodeCreateWithPath(CFURL, SecCSFlags, UnsafeMutablePointer<SecStaticCode?>) -> OSStatus

Creates a static code object representing the code at a specified file system path.

func SecStaticCodeCreateWithPathAndAttributes(CFURL, SecCSFlags, CFDictionary, UnsafeMutablePointer<SecStaticCode?>) -> OSStatus

Creates a static code object representing the code at a specified file system path using an attributes dictionary.

Code Attributes

Specify these keys from the attribute dictionary when you create a static code instance.

func SecStaticCodeGetTypeID() -> CFTypeID

Returns the unique identifier of the opaque type to which a static code object belongs.

Working with Code Objects

func SecCodeCopyPath(SecStaticCode, SecCSFlags, UnsafeMutablePointer<CFURL?>) -> OSStatus

Retrieves the location on disk of signed code, given a code or static code object.

func SecCodeCopyStaticCode(SecCode, SecCSFlags, UnsafeMutablePointer<SecStaticCode?>) -> OSStatus

Returns a static code object representing the on-disk version of the given running code.

Code Signing Architecture Flags

Use these supplemental flags to get static code.

Code Signatures

func SecCodeCopySigningInformation(SecStaticCode, SecCSFlags, UnsafeMutablePointer<CFDictionary?>) -> OSStatus

Retrieves various pieces of information from a code signature.

Code Signing Information Flags

Use these supplemental flags to retrieve signing information.

Signing Information Dictionary Keys

Use these keys from the information dictionary when you retrieve information from a code signature.

struct SecCodeSignatureFlags

Specify option flags that can be embedded in a code signature during signing and that govern the use of the signature.

enum SecCSDigestAlgorithm

The list of digest algorithms available for code signatures.

Code Requirements

Applying Code Requirements

Manage the code requirements that apply to your signed code.

func SecCodeCopyDesignatedRequirement(SecStaticCode, SecCSFlags, UnsafeMutablePointer<SecRequirement?>) -> OSStatus

Retrieves the designated code requirement of signed code.

class SecRequirement

A code requirement object.

func SecRequirementGetTypeID() -> CFTypeID

Returns the unique identifier of the opaque type to which a code requirement object belongs.

enum SecRequirementType

An enumeration indicating different types of internal requirements for code.

Code Requirements as Data

func SecRequirementCopyData(SecRequirement, SecCSFlags, UnsafeMutablePointer<CFData?>) -> OSStatus

Extracts a binary form of a code requirement from a code requirement object.

func SecRequirementCreateWithData(CFData, SecCSFlags, UnsafeMutablePointer<SecRequirement?>) -> OSStatus

Creates a code requirement object from the binary form of a code requirement.

Code Requirements as Text

func SecRequirementCopyString(SecRequirement, SecCSFlags, UnsafeMutablePointer<CFString?>) -> OSStatus

Converts a code requirement object into text form.

func SecRequirementCreateWithString(CFString, SecCSFlags, UnsafeMutablePointer<SecRequirement?>) -> OSStatus

Creates a code requirement object by compiling a valid text representation of a code requirement.

func SecRequirementCreateWithStringAndErrors(CFString, SecCSFlags, UnsafeMutablePointer<Unmanaged<CFError>?>?, UnsafeMutablePointer<SecRequirement?>) -> OSStatus

Creates a code requirement object by compiling a valid text representation of a code requirement and returns detailed error information in the case of failure.

Guest Code

Hosting Guest Code

Securely launch and manage plug-ins and other executable entities, known as guest code, from within your app acting as a host.

func SecHostCreateGuest(SecGuestRef, UInt32, CFURL, CFDictionary?, SecCSFlags, UnsafeMutablePointer<SecGuestRef>) -> OSStatus

Creates a new guest and describes its initial properties.

func SecHostSetGuestStatus(SecGuestRef, UInt32, CFDictionary?, SecCSFlags) -> OSStatus

Updates the status and attributes of a particular guest.

func SecCodeCopyGuestWithAttributes(SecCode?, CFDictionary?, SecCSFlags, UnsafeMutablePointer<SecCode?>) -> OSStatus

Asks a code host to identify one of its guests given the type and value of specific attributes of the guest code.

Null Guest Handle

Use this special value to stand in for a null guest object.

struct SecCodeStatus

Operational flags attached by code signing services to running code.

Guest Creation Flags

Use these supplemental flags to create a guest object.

Guest Attribute Dictionary Keys

Specify attributes of guest code.

typealias SecGuestRef

A reference to a guest object, which identifies a particular block of guest code in the context of its code signing host.

Guest Management

func SecCodeCopyHost(SecCode, SecCSFlags, UnsafeMutablePointer<SecCode?>) -> OSStatus

Retrieves the code object for the host of specified guest code.

func SecHostRemoveGuest(SecGuestRef, SecGuestRef, SecCSFlags) -> OSStatus

Removes a guest from a host.

func SecHostSelectGuest(SecGuestRef, SecCSFlags) -> OSStatus

Makes the calling thread the proxy for a specified guest.

func SecHostSelectedGuest(SecCSFlags, UnsafeMutablePointer<SecGuestRef>) -> OSStatus

Retrieves the handle for the guest currently selected for the calling thread.

func SecHostSetHostingPort(mach_port_t, SecCSFlags) -> OSStatus

Tells code signing services that the calling code will directly respond to hosting inquiries over the given port.

func SecCodeMapMemory(SecStaticCode, SecCSFlags) -> OSStatus

Asks the kernel to accept the signing information currently attached to a code object and uses it to validate memory page-ins.

Tasks

func SecTaskCreateFromSelf(CFAllocator?) -> SecTask?

Creates a task object for the current task.

func SecTaskCreateWithAuditToken(CFAllocator?, audit_token_t) -> SecTask?

Creates a task object for the task that sent the Mach message represented by the audit token.

class SecTask

The Core Foundation type representing a task.

func SecTaskGetTypeID() -> CFTypeID

Returns the unique identifier of the opaque type to which a task object belongs.

func SecTaskCopySigningIdentifier(SecTask, UnsafeMutablePointer<Unmanaged<CFError>?>?) -> CFString?

Returns the value of the code signing identifier.

func SecTaskCopyValueForEntitlement(SecTask, CFString, UnsafeMutablePointer<Unmanaged<CFError>?>?) -> CFTypeRef?

Returns the value of a single entitlement for the represented task.

func SecTaskCopyValuesForEntitlements(SecTask, CFArray, UnsafeMutablePointer<Unmanaged<CFError>?>?) -> CFDictionary?

Returns the values of multiple entitlements for the represented task.

Code Signature Validity

func SecCodeCheckValidity(SecCode, SecCSFlags, SecRequirement?) -> OSStatus

Performs dynamic validation of signed code.

func SecCodeCheckValidityWithErrors(SecCode, SecCSFlags, SecRequirement?, UnsafeMutablePointer<Unmanaged<CFError>?>?) -> OSStatus

Performs dynamic validation of signed code and returns detailed error information in the case of failure.

func SecStaticCodeCheckValidity(SecStaticCode, SecCSFlags, SecRequirement?) -> OSStatus

Validates a static code object.

func SecStaticCodeCheckValidityWithErrors(SecStaticCode, SecCSFlags, SecRequirement?, UnsafeMutablePointer<Unmanaged<CFError>?>?) -> OSStatus

Performs static validation of static signed code and returns detailed error information in the case of failure.

Static Code Validation Flags

Use these supplemental flags to test the validity of a static code signature.

Result Codes

Code Signing Services Result Codes

Recognize result codes specific to the code signing services API.

User Info Dictionary Error Keys

Recognize the keys of the user info dictionary provided by functions that return error objects.

Code Signing Services

Overview

Topics

Code Objects

Static Code

Working with Code Objects

Code Signatures

Code Requirements

Code Requirements as Data

Code Requirements as Text

Guest Code

Guest Management

Tasks

Code Signature Validity

Result Codes

See Also

Secure Code

Code Signing Services

Overview

Topics

Code Objects

Static Code

Working with Code Objects

Code Signatures

Code Requirements

Code Requirements as Data

Code Requirements as Text

Guest Code

Guest Management

Tasks

Code Signature Validity

Result Codes

See Also

Secure Code

Related Documentation