macOS Content Filter: Entitlement Error - Legacy vs. -systemextension Mismatch

Question

LeThanh1 OP

Created Aug ’25

Replies 4

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Hello everyone,

I'm developing a macOS application with an integrated Content Filter System Extension. Both the main app and the extension are signed with a Developer ID Application provisioning profile. When building in Xcode, I'm encountering an entitlement mismatch error.

I've inspected the provisioning profile using the command: security cms -D -i FilterContentExtension-prod-profile.provisionprofile | grep -A 10 com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension

And found that the com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension section only contains values with the -systemextension suffix, for example: content-filter-provider-systemextension.

However, when I enable Network Extension → Content Filter in Xcode, the .entitlements file is generated with:

<string>content-filter-provider</string>.

This leads to the error: "Provisioning profile 'FilterContentExtension-prod-profile' doesn't match the entitlements file’s value for the com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension entitlement."

My specific questions are:

Why does this error occur?
How can I use the content-filter-provider entitlement?
If I want to use the content-filter-provider entitlement inside com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension for my Content Filter System Extension, what should I do?

Answered by DTS Engineer in 852127022

When building in Xcode, I'm encountering an entitlement mismatch error.

Right. There’s a surface level explanation of this, but it raises a bigger issue.

It sounds like you’re trying to use your Developer ID signing identity for day-to-day development. That is a mistake. Rather, use an Apple Development signing identity for your day-to-day development. See The Care and Feeding of Developer ID for an explanation of why that’s important, and for other general hints about dealing with Developer ID signing identities.

Once you make that switch, you’ll only encounter when you go to distribute your app. And the fact that Xcode isn’t aware of the -systemextension suffix is a known bug. I talk about that in detail in Exporting a Developer ID Network Extension.

Finally, the Network Extension Resources has lots of links to useful docs and other resources in this space, and I think you’ll find Debugging a Network Extension Provider particularly useful.

Share and Enjoy
—
Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple
let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com"

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Answer 1

DTS Engineer OP

Apple

Aug ’25

Recommended

When building in Xcode, I'm encountering an entitlement mismatch error.

Right. There’s a surface level explanation of this, but it raises a bigger issue.

It sounds like you’re trying to use your Developer ID signing identity for day-to-day development. That is a mistake. Rather, use an Apple Development signing identity for your day-to-day development. See The Care and Feeding of Developer ID for an explanation of why that’s important, and for other general hints about dealing with Developer ID signing identities.

Once you make that switch, you’ll only encounter when you go to distribute your app. And the fact that Xcode isn’t aware of the -systemextension suffix is a known bug. I talk about that in detail in Exporting a Developer ID Network Extension.

Finally, the Network Extension Resources has lots of links to useful docs and other resources in this space, and I think you’ll find Debugging a Network Extension Provider particularly useful.

Share and Enjoy
—
Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple
let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com"

1

Answer 2

LeThanh1 OP

Aug ’25

Accepted Answer

I followed the instructions in the link you provided: Exporting a Developer ID Network Extension: https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/737894

However, when I try to open the application, I receive a popup error: "The application can’t be opened."

When I check the macOS console log, I see the error:

"Unsatisfied entitlements"

Specifically: error 12:01:34.578205+0700 taskgated-helper com.xxx.xxx: Unsatisfied entitlements: com.apple.developer.system-extension.install, com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension, com.apple.developer.team-identifier

However, when I inspect the application using the terminal command: codesign -d --entitlements I see that my application is signed and contains all the necessary entitlements, including:

com.apple.developer.system-extension.install

com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension with the value "content-filter-provider-systemextension"

com.apple.developer.team-identifier = 63D4662568

Can you please help me resolve this issue?

0

Answer 3

DTS Engineer OP

Apple

Aug ’25

This typically means that the app claims the entitlements but those claims aren’t authorised by its provisioning profile. Make sure that:

The app has an embedded profile.
That profile is a Developer ID profile.
That profile includes the certificate you used to sign the app.
That profile’s entitlement allowlist includes all of the restricted entitlements the app claims.

The number one cause of the problem is forgetting to embed a Developer ID profile. See the “replace the embedded provisioning profiles” step in Exporting a Developer ID Network Extension.

You can find a lot more background to this in TN3125 Inside Code Signing: Provisioning Profiles. And I have more focused instructions in Resolving Code Signing Crashes on Launch.

Share and Enjoy
—
Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple
let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com"

1

Answer 4

LeThanh1 OP

Aug ’25

Thank you very much. I have solved this problem.

0