Aug 26, 2021 17:50:00

What is the cause of multiple apps not being able to start on Mac?

Apple delivered updates to its security features 'XProtect' and 'MRT' on August 23, 2021. Rich Trouton, who runs a website that handles Mac- related information, explains why multiple apps have become unlaunchable due to this security update.

Codesigning, untrusted certificate authorities and why certain apps aren't launching | Der Flounder
https://derflounder.wordpress.com/2021/08/24/codesigning-untrusted-certificate-authorities-and-why-certain-apps-arent-launching/

According to Truton, the three apps installed on his Mac, RSA SecurID Software Token 4.2.1, Citrix Receiver, and Cisco AnyConnect 4.7 and earlier, will not launch from August 24, 2021. It is said that it is in a state. Truton points out that these apps couldn't be launched because they were using a certificate issued by a Symantec Certificate Authority.

Certificates issued by Symantec in the past have been revoked by Google and Mozilla due to their unreliability. Similarly, Apple has revoked trust in certificates issued by Symantec in 2018.

While Symantec's certificate revocation measures primarily affected websites, some apps also adopted Symantec's certificate as the code certificate. When Mr. Truton actually checked the installer of 'RSA SecurID Software Token' that could not be started, it stored the certificate issued by 'VeriSign Class 3 Public Primary Certification Authority – G5' which is one of the certificate authorities of Symantec. It turned out that.

Truton speculates that Apple's XProtect and MRT updates included a change that 'doesn't trust certificates issued by Symantec's certificate authorities.' It claims that this made apps signed with Symantec's certificate, including the three types of apps mentioned above, unlaunchable.

As a workaround, Trouton recommends checking for updates to unlaunched apps and contacting the developer if updates haven't been delivered.