Demystify code signing and its importance in app development. Get help troubleshooting code signing issues and ensure your app is properly signed for distribution.

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Third party SDKs signing requirement and expiration
Hi, I have some doubts about certificates expiration given this "new" requirement around signing for some common third party SDKs: https://developer.apple.com/support/third-party-SDK-requirements/ Use case: I build an SDK that will be distributed as an XCFramework and will be used in AppStore apps from different people. My SDK internally uses some other third party libraries that are integrated as binaries Let's assume some of those third party libraries are from the list above and therefore seem to be required to be signed. I distribute my SDK with all in order (third party SDKs from that list with valid signatures) People using my SDK over the time provide an update to their apps on the AppStore but by then some of the third party libraries of my SDK has an expired certificate. What would happen? People using my SDK won't have any issues as far as my SDK has a valid signature (despite third party libraries from the list have expired signatures) People using my SDK will get a warning about it but still will be able to submit to the AppStore. In that case, would AppStore Review process decline the update? People using my SDK will get an error, not being able to submit to the AppStore and will require me an update version of the SDK with those third party libraries re-signed. My understanding is that all would work as far as my SDK has a valid signature (after all is the one taking responsibility of the code inside), independently of what happens with the signature of those libraries themselves, am I correct?.
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Apr ’25
"this identity cannot be used for signing code"
When building to macOS on GameMaker, I get the error "this identity cannot be used for signing code" when using the Developer ID Installer certificate. The certificate was neither expired nor revoked, but nonetheless I created new certificates to start fresh but am still getting that error. I don't get issues building to iOS via GameMaker, just to macOS. If it makes any difference, I only noticed this issue started happening after I converted my Apple Developer Program account from an individual account to an organizational account, although it was weeks to months before I built to macOS via GameMaker before then, so I don't know if it correlates with that.
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Apr ’25
Notarization Stuck “In Progress” for Over 32 Hours
Hi all, I've submitted multiple notarization requests for an Electron app using notarytool since (april 12) at 6:30. All are stuck in the "In Progress" state Successfully received submission history. history -------------------------------------------------- createdDate: 2025-04-13T12:38:56.866Z id: 51897340-9547-4172-bad4-ae15f78e1ab0 name: theAIParalegal.zip status: In Progress -------------------------------------------------- createdDate: 2025-04-13T12:38:55.790Z id: ebcd8a15-613c-41e0-b8cc-6895a0a6785a name: theAIParalegal.zip status: In Progress -------------------------------------------------- createdDate: 2025-04-13T12:14:33.553Z id: 59a078dc-e613-4933-b440-8695e2204eac name: theAIParalegal.zip status: In Progress -------------------------------------------------- createdDate: 2025-04-13T12:14:32.108Z id: 987879aa-db15-405b-bd1d-76db31218f49 name: theAIParalegal.zip status: In Progress -------------------------------------------------- createdDate: 2025-04-12T22:06:30.869Z id: b1f4231c-6d13-4292-88f0-e8ce53cb0141 name: theAIParalegal.zip status: In Progress nicolasserna@Mac ~ %
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Apr ’25
Getting a public service app not to send scary messages
I’ve developed a macOS app, but I’ve had trouble using a script to fully codesign it and package it into a .dmg file. I was only able to complete codesigning using the third-party app itself—not via command-line scripts. Is it possible to write a script that automates the entire process of codesigning the app? To provide the best user experience for those downloading the app outside of the Mac App Store, is it correct to first package it as a .app and then wrap that into a .dmg file for distribution? Currently, the app is available on the web as a .dmg. When downloaded, it appears in a folder and can be double-clicked to launch. However, macOS displays a warning that it was downloaded from the internet. Can I use a script to remove that quarantine warning? If possible, I’d appreciate a step-by-step explanation and a sample command-line script to: Codesign the app properly Package it into a signed .dmg Remove the quarantine attribute for local testing or distribution Is the reason I was only able to codesign it inside the third-party app due to how that app was built, or can this always be done from the command line?
Topic: Code Signing SubTopic: General
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Apr ’25
Notarization: The operation couldn't be completed. (SotoS3.S3ErrorType.multipart error 1.)
Hello, For my macOS app, on Xcode version 15.4 (15F31d) on macOS 14.5 (23F79) I follow Organizer > Distribute App > Direct Distribution, and I get a Notary Error "The operation couldn't be completed. (SotoS3.S3ErrorType.multipart error 1.)" It's been happening since 3 days. In the IDEDistribution.verbose.log file I see: https://gist.github.com/atacan/5dec7a5e26dde0ec06a5bc4eb3607461
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1.7k
Apr ’25
Can't enable an iOS Driverkit driver when using an older app ID
Hi there, We've discovered a problem with our iOS app. We've been attempting to add a Driverkit driver to it, but any time we run the app through Testflight, the driver installs fine, but when we go to enable the driver toggle in the app's settings, the toggle stays on, but in the device logs I can see: could not insert bundle at <private> into manager: <private> As you would expect - this means the driver is not actually enabled and does not respond to a device being connected to the iPad. This does not happen when building & running the app locally, nor does it happen when installing an Ad Hoc build. We also have a different app, not yet shipped. We are able to add the driver to that app without issue. It works after going through Testflight. What we have discovered now is that everything works fine even if we just create an entirely new app with it's own bundle IDs. I should point out that in all cases, we're keeping the capabilities the same for each of these apps/IDs - including the managed capabilities. The bundle IDs that have this problem are older (5 years old or more). It seems like any newer ID will work, but trying to add the driver (and the associated managed capabilities) to an older app/ID results in this vague error message, with no further details. If we inspect the resulting dexts, we can also see that the "Internal requirements code size" is different on the ones that fail. The failing ones have a size of 204 bytes, whereas the working ones all have a size of 220 bytes. Not sure if that's related but it's strikingly consistent. Does this mean there is an issue with older app IDs, and we need Apple to manually refresh them in some way before the driverkit capabilities will work after going through Testflight? We have two apps in this state, both are of the same vintage (~5 years+). We've been battling this issue for months on and off, so would appreciate some help.
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Apr ’25
macOS Malware Warning Despite Successful Notarization Validation
Hello, I recently had my Electron app notarized by Apple and then performed the following steps: Stapling the Notarization Ticket: xcrun stapler staple "appPath/Aiparalegal.app" Zipping the App for Distribution: ditto -c -k --keepParent "appPath/Aiparalegal.app" theAIParalegal.zip However, after unzipping and attempting to launch the app, macOS displays the following message: Apple could not verify "theAIParalegal" is free of malware that may harm your Mac or compromise your privacy. Yet, when I run validation using: xcrun stapler validate "theAIParalegal.app" I receive confirmation: The validate action worked! spctl -a -vvv -t install "theAIParalegal.app" theAIParalegal.app: accepted source=Notarized Developer ID origin=Developer ID Application: NIPartnership LLC (M92N2796Q9) Could you help me understand why the notarization validation appears successful, yet macOS still displays this security warning? Any advice on how to resolve this would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
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Apr ’25
I got my app notarized but I am still getting the malware warning message
Hello, I recently had my Electron app notarized by Apple and then performed the following steps: Stapling the Notarization Ticket: xcrun stapler staple "appPath/Aiparalegal.app" Zipping the App for Distribution: ditto -c -k --keepParent "appPath/Aiparalegal.app" theAIParalegal.zip However, after unzipping and attempting to launch the app, macOS displays the following message: Apple could not verify "theAIParalegal" is free of malware that may harm your Mac or compromise your privacy. Yet, when I run validation using: xcrun stapler validate "theAIParalegal.app" I receive confirmation: The validate action worked! I then tried restarting my computer but the problem persist Could you help me understand why the notarization validation appears successful, yet macOS still displays this security warning? Any advice on how to resolve this would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
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Apr ’25
Keychain Data Recovery After App ID Prefix Update
We had an issue with IDrive Online Backup which has started discussing on the Developer forum at https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/756904 and as suggested raised a technical support ticket Case-ID: 7747625. At last the old legacy bundle ID prefix changed to to the new Team ID prefix. As a result  one-time loss of keychain data occurs, however we requested and were granted an additional keychain capability that allowed access to keychain data stored under the old legacy prefix, even after transitioning to the new Team ID prefix. We are currently facing a similar challenge with our other application, IBackup. As with the earlier case, we had a mismatch between the App ID prefix and the Team ID, which we resolved by updating the prefix to match the Team ID. Again now encountered a blocker with Keychain data recovery. We have already requested the additional Keychain capability that would allow access to keychain data stored under the old legacy prefix, even after transitioning to the new Team ID prefix. Unfortunately, the team responsible for this has some uncertainty about the process. Please review the details under case 102398017929 and extend this capability to our application to ensure a seamless user experience.
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Apr ’25
AppStore submission for Ruby/Glimmer app on MacOS without Xcode
Background I've repeatedly run into codesigning (and missing provisioning profile) issues for my Ruby/Glimmer app and am looking for ways to troubleshoot this outside of Xcode. The app structure is as follows: PATHmanager.app └── Contents ├── Info.plist ├── MacOS │   └── PATHmanager ├── PkgInfo ├── Resources │   └── AppIcon.icns ├── _CodeSignature │   └── CodeResources └── embedded.provisionprofile Architecture I have a Mac mini Apple M2 Pro with macOS Ventura 13.4. Xcode is not used directly, but the underlying command line tools (e.g., codesign, productbuild, pkgutil, xcrun) are run from a custom Ruby script. xcodebuild -version Xcode 14.3.1 Build version 14E300c Questions Is the .app directory and file structure/naming sufficient? If not, can you point me in the direction of a minimal example that does not use Xcode? Info.plist is an XML text document (not binary), which I believe is in an acceptable format, but how do I lint this file and determine if it contains all of the necessary key/value pairs? <?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>en</string> <key>CFBundleDisplayName</key> <string>PATH manager</string> <key>CFBundleExecutable</key> <string>PATHmanager</string> <key>CFBundleIconFile</key> <string>AppIcon.icns</string> <key>CFBundleIdentifier</key> <string>com.chipcastle.pathmanager</string> <key>CFBundleInfoDictionaryVersion</key> <string>6.0</string> <key>CFBundleName</key> <string>PATHmanager</string> <key>CFBundlePackageType</key> <string>APPL</string> <key>CFBundleShortVersionString</key> <string>1.15</string> <key>CFBundleSupportedPlatforms</key> <array> <string>MacOSX</string> </array> <key>CFBundleVersion</key> <string>1.15</string> <key>ITSAppUsesNonExemptEncryption</key> <false/> <key>LSApplicationCategoryType</key> <string>public.app-category.developer-tools</string> <key>LSMinimumSystemVersion</key> <string>12.0</string> <key>LSUIElement</key> <false/> <key>NSAppTransportSecurity</key> <dict> <key>NSAllowsArbitraryLoads</key> <true/> </dict> <key>NSHumanReadableCopyright</key> <string>© 2025 Chip Castle Dot Com, Inc.</string> <key>NSMainNibFile</key> <string>MainMenu</string> <key>NSPrincipalClass</key> <string>NSApplication</string> </dict> </plist> PATHmanager is a Mach-O 64-bit executable arm64 file created by using Tebako. Does this executable need to be codesigned, or is codesigning the .app folder sufficient? Does the .app directory need an entitlements file? Here's how I codesign it: codesign --deep --force --verify --verbose=4 --options runtime --timestamp --sign 'Apple Distribution: Chip Castle Dot Com, Inc. (BXN9N7MNU3)' '/Users/chip/Desktop/distribution/PATHmanager.app' Does the PATHmanager binary need an entitlements file? Here's how I codesign it: codesign --deep --force --verify --verbose=4 --options runtime --timestamp --entitlements '/Users/chip/Desktop/PATHmanager.entitlements' --sign 'Apple Distribution: Chip Castle Dot Com, Inc. (BXN9N7MNU3)' '/Users/chip/Desktop/distribution/PATHmanager.app/Contents/MacOS/PATHmanager' How can I verify what entitlements, if any, are required for codesigning the binary? The PATHmanager.entitlements file is an XML text file containing only the following: <?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.security.app-sandbox</key> <true/> </dict> </plist> Is the embedded.provisionprofile necessary, and if so, how do I know determine if it matches the certificate or entitlements that I'm using? Additionally, is it named and located properly? I submitted this to the AppStore several weeks ago and the reviewer reported that the executable would not load on their machine (even though it worked on mine.) Is it better for me to release via TestFlight for testing, and if so, do I need to following a separate process for codesigning (i.e., using different entitlements, profiles, certs, etc) when doing so? I've been playing whack-a-mole with this for too long to mention and am hoping to nail down a better deployment flow, so any suggestions for improvement will be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.
Topic: Code Signing SubTopic: General
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Apr ’25
Inquiry about CarPlay Entitlements Application - Black Box Integration for Device Settings & Communication - No Response After 7 Days
Hi everyone, I applied for CarPlay Entitlements on [Date 04. 26, 2024] using CarPlay is Case ID "13045151". I haven't received any updates or responses regarding my application yet. It's been 7 days since the application. My service requires CarPlay integration with a Black Box device. The primary purpose of this integration is to allow users to configure device settings through CarPlay. Furthermore, we plan to utilize the "Communication" category of Entitlements to notify users of parking incidents detected by the Black Box device while parked. This functionality is crucial for alerting drivers to potential issues affecting their vehicles. Could anyone share their experience with the typical turnaround time for CarPlay Entitlements, especially for applications involving device integration and the "Communication" category? Is this delay normal? Is there any way to check the application status or contact the appropriate team to inquire about its progress? Thank you for any insights or advice you can provide! Sincerely,
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Apr ’25
notarization - not a valid developer certificate
I have a binary which I have signed with a valid developer certificate. Here is how I verify the signature was correctly applied: % codesign -dvv ./test_program.exe Executable=/Users/REDACTED/code_signing/test_program.exe Identifier=com.REDACTED.hello_world Format=Mach-O thin (arm64) CodeDirectory v=20500 size=489 flags=0x10000(runtime) hashes=9+2 location=embedded Signature size=9071 Authority=Mac Developer: REDACTED NAME (REDACTED_ID) Authority=Apple Worldwide Developer Relations Certification Authority Authority=Apple Root CA Timestamp=Apr 16, 2025 at 11:26:43 AM Info.plist=not bound TeamIdentifier=REDACTED Runtime Version=14.2.0 Sealed Resources=none Internal requirements count=1 size=192 ============================== Additionally, I have confirmed in keychain access that my certificate is valid. Here is the output from the GUI: Issued by: Apple Worldwide Developer Relations Certification Authority Expires: Wednesday, April 15, 2026 at 3:50:14 PM Eastern Daylight Time This certificate is valid ============================== When I zip then send the executable for notarization, I get an "Invalid" response. Here is the log from that response: % xcrun notarytool submit ./test_program.zip --keychain-profile REDACTED --wait Conducting pre-submission checks for test_program.zip and initiating connection to the Apple notary service... Submission ID received id: 0d64c285-eb59-4b34-b911-0e6cbb1dbc16 Upload progress: 100.00% (6.39 KB of 6.39 KB) Successfully uploaded file id: 0d64c285-eb59-4b34-b911-0e6cbb1dbc16 path: /Users/REDACTED/code_signing/test_program.zip Waiting for processing to complete. Current status: Invalid......... Processing complete id: 0d64c285-eb59-4b34-b911-0e6cbb1dbc16 status: Invalid =============================== And here is the log indicating the reason for the notarization failure: xcrun notarytool log "0d64c285-eb59-4b34-b911-0e6cbb1dbc16" --keychain-profile REDACTED "./log_file.txt" { "logFormatVersion": 1, "jobId": "0d64c285-eb59-4b34-b911-0e6cbb1dbc16", "status": "Invalid", "statusSummary": "Archive contains critical validation errors", "statusCode": 4000, "archiveFilename": "test_program.zip", "uploadDate": "2025-04-16T16:23:38.993Z", "sha256": "9e3bd03301f4930a0e4015873b435c8d64c291e7c63d0552f17652dc7ce16195", "ticketContents": null, "issues": [ { "severity": "error", "code": null, "path": "test_program.zip/test_program.exe", "message": "The binary is not signed with a valid Developer ID certificate.", "docUrl": "https://developer.apple.com/documentation/security/notarizing_macos_software_before_distribution/resolving_common_notarization_issues#3087721", "architecture": "arm64" } ] } ============================== The notarization server saying that it's not signed by a valid developer certificate, but to the best of my ability I have confirmed that a valid developer certificate is being used.
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Apr ’25
codesign fails with no explanation
When I first tried to sign my local unit test with the identity generated by Xcode, it failed because the intermediate certificate was missing. In that case, the error message explained that the trust chain could not be completed. But after installing the correct intermediate, codesign still fails, but no longer gives any explanation: codesign -f -s '0EFE7E591A4E690842094B8EC5AFDFE059637D3C' build/Darwin-Xcode-arm64_obf/bin/Release/UNITTEST build/Darwin-Xcode-arm64_obf/bin/Release/UNITTEST: replacing existing signature build/Darwin-Xcode-arm64_obf/bin/Release/UNITTEST: errSecInternalComponent It's the same error line "errSecInternalComponent". Is there a log somewhere that might explain what exactly is the error?
Topic: Code Signing SubTopic: General
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Apr ’25
Replacing binary within app (in-situ upgrade) without breaking signing?
Yes, this is very likely the completely wrong way to do things but I would like to ask regardless. Currently with windows/linux I can perform an in-situ upgrade of an application by performing a download of the binary 'foo' and then doing a rename-and-replace and subsequently requesting the licencee to restart the program and all is good. With macOS, as the binary is within the foo.app ( Contents/macOS/foo ) I imagine I cannot perform a similar operation without breaking the signing of the foo.app itself? ....or, can I individually sign the binary foo for macOS and perform the same type of operation? Download new foo as foo.new rename current foo.app/Content/macOS/foo -> foo.old rename foo.new -> foo Restart application Again, I know this is very likely an un-macOS way of performing the task but as you can imagine with supporting cross-platform development it's usually easier to maintain a consistent method even if it's "not ideal".
Topic: Code Signing SubTopic: General
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Apr ’25
Notarize taking 24+ hours to complete
I have been notarizing the same program for 3 years now and it's usually completed in minutes. I have not changed anything on my end, is there a reason it's taking 24+ hours all of a sudden? I have seen the posts regarding this issue for new applications where it has to "learn", but I have been notarizing the same apps for 3 years now.
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Apr ’25
store-credentials for notarizing failed – Apple ID locked
Thanks in advance for any hint to solve the following account problem: I tried to store credentials for notarizing. Presumably with the wrong combination of entries (similar to signing) – using the name of my university instead of my Apple Account. xcrun notarytool store-credentials "notarytool-password" --apple-id "Berliner Hochschule fuer Technik" --team-id "8YAW3HL2QP" --password "my Apple-Account-pw" .. retried assuming a syntax error (like missing "). Got the error message: This process stores your credentials securely in the Keychain. You reference these credentials later using a profile name. Validating your credentials... `Error: HTTP status code: 401. Your Apple ID has been locked. Visit iForgot to reset your account (https://iforgot.apple.com), then generate a new app-specific password. Ensure that all authentication arguments are correct.` Happy to see: Signing is not affected and I still an can log in to my account on developer.apple.com. So notarizing “only” seems to be affected. But how to reset the account to resolve the issue? The iforgot.apple.com link does not help - I provided my iPhone-number but did not receive further messages – neither on the iPhone nor on my “developer” macbook. Many thanks in advance All the best Florian
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Apr ’25
Devices upgraded to iOS 18 fail to launch apps signed with an enterprise certificate.
We are using an app distributed via an iOS enterprise certificate. There is an exceptional user who could normally use the app signed with this certificate before upgrading to iOS 18. However, after updating to iOS 18 (currently on version 18.3), the app crashes immediately upon launch. Real-time logs indicate that the application fails to start. This issue is unique to this user, as other users on the same iOS 18.3 system do not experience the problem. console log
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Apr ’25
codesign add extended attributes to some files
The Codesign command adds extended attributes to files that previously had no extended attributes. In my case codesign add following extended attributes to text file in Frrameworks folder: com.apple.cs.CodeDirectory com.apple.cs.CodeRequirements com.apple.cs.CodeRequirements-1 com.apple.cs.CodeSignature Can I somehow prevent this behavior? Thank you.
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Apr ’25
Multiple Executables in a Single Bundle Fails to Launch Others After Codesign
We have a rather complex network of dependencies for our application stack and, from it, we create multiple unique executables that are placed into the Contents/MacOS directory of our bundle. MyApp.app `- Contents/ `- Frameworks/... `- MacOS/ `- exec_a `- exec_b `- Resources/... Both executables require the same dependencies (and use the same shared .dylib files built as targets in the same project) so it makes sense for them to be in the same place rather than in their own .app folder as I understand it. Qt Libs -> core_lib.dylib -> gui_lib.dylib -> exec_a `-> exec_b etc. We've confirmed build artifacts are correct and the rpath/dependencies are all clean. When in development, all executables run as expected and we can command exec_a (the executable we're listing in the primary Info.plist) to launch exec_b at any time. Once the bundle is signed, however, we cannot get exec_b to launch in any capacity. Even lldb dies right away because it can't attach to anything. We assume this is something in the gatekeeper area of blocking these additional executables. We get the following when trying to run those additional exes in any way: Trace/BPT trap: 5 We're using macdeployqt to finalize the bundle and bring in the correct packages - perhaps something it's doing is causing the additional executables to fail or we're missing an entitlement. We've submitted the app to TestFlights successfully even with these invalid executables to see if there was something the processing of the app would find but so far nothing. We've seen other example of applications with multiple executables in the same MacOS directory and are wondering what the difference is. Any hints or guidance would be great. Thank you!
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Apr ’25