All app store apps crash on launch with an EXC_CRASH (code signature invalid) code.

Question

Level 1

11 points

All app store apps crash on launch with an EXC_CRASH (code signature invalid) code.

Hi

I've recently bitten the bullet and erased the hard drive on my sluggish 2009 iMac. I then used the recovery boot to install a clean copy of High Sierra, the latest Os that's compatible with my Mac.

I now have a super fast responsive Mac, with just one tiny problem. All apps that I download from the App Store crash on startup. I've tried Pages, Numbers, Word, Powerpoint and all fail with the same error code. See below.

I've even had a phone call with Apple tech support and tried numerous reloads of the Os, safe mode boots, created a different admin user, migrate data from an old time machine back up all to no avail.

Please help!!!

Process: Pages [433]

Path: /Applications/Pages.app/Contents/MacOS/Pages

Identifier: com.apple.iWork.Pages

Version: ???

Build Info: Pages-6369000000000000~2

Code Type: X86-64 (Native)

Parent Process: ??? [1]

Responsible: Pages [433]

User ID: 501

PlugIn Path: (null)

PlugIn Identifier: (null)

PlugIn Version: ??? (551.5)

Date/Time: 2020-11-18 14:03:42.535 +0000

OS Version: Mac OS X 10.13.6 (17G14042)

Report Version: 12

Anonymous UUID: A3CF73F4-C813-5522-6051-8A162BFC975A

Time Awake Since Boot: 280 seconds

System Integrity Protection: enabled

Crashed Thread: 0

Exception Type: EXC_CRASH (Code Signature Invalid)

Exception Codes: 0x0000000000000000, 0x0000000000000000

Exception Note: EXC_CORPSE_NOTIFY

Termination Reason: Namespace CODESIGNING, Code 0x1

kernel messages:

VM Regions Near 0 (cr2):

-->

__TEXT 000000010c11a000-000000010d23e000 [ 17.1M] r-x/rwx SM=COW

Thread 0 Crashed:

0 ??? 0x000000011c35719c _dyld_start + 0

Thread 0 crashed with X86 Thread State (64-bit):

rax: 0x0000000000000000 rbx: 0x0000000000000000 rcx: 0x0000000000000000 rdx: 0x0000000000000000

rdi: 0x0000000000000000 rsi: 0x0000000000000000 rbp: 0x0000000000000000 rsp: 0x00007ffee3ae5c38

r8: 0x0000000000000000 r9: 0x0000000000000000 r10: 0x0000000000000000 r11: 0x0000000000000000

r12: 0x0000000000000000 r13: 0x0000000000000000 r14: 0x0000000000000000 r15: 0x0000000000000000

rip: 0x000000011c35719c rfl: 0x0000000000000200 cr2: 0x0000000000000000

Logical CPU: 0

Error Code: 0x00000000

Trap Number: 0

Binary Images:

0x10c11a000 - 0x10d23dff7 +??? (6369) <26F0E529-C9BC-3387-8970-4E131B9F4CA8> (null)

0x11c356000 - 0x11c3a0adf +??? (551.5) <CB9BFB56-4511-36F1-A546-891FF770C01C> (null)

External Modification Summary:

Calls made by other processes targeting this process:

task_for_pid: 0

thread_create: 0

thread_set_state: 0

Calls made by this process:

task_for_pid: 0

thread_create: 0

thread_set_state: 0

Calls made by all processes on this machine:

task_for_pid: 89

thread_create: 0

thread_set_state: 0

VM Region Summary:

ReadOnly portion of Libraries: Total=18.2M resident=0K(0%) swapped_out_or_unallocated=18.2M(100%)

Writable regions: Total=8668K written=0K(0%) resident=0K(0%) swapped_out=0K(0%) unallocated=8668K(100%)

VIRTUAL REGION

REGION TYPE SIZE COUNT (non-coalesced)

=========== ======= =======

STACK GUARD 56.0M 2

Stack 8192K 2

__DATA 4164K 5

__LINKEDIT 832K 3

__TEXT 17.4M 3

shared memory 8K 3

=========== ======= =======

TOTAL 86.3M 12

Model: iMac10,1, BootROM 215.0.0.0.0, 2 processors, Intel Core 2 Duo, 3.06 GHz, 12 GB, SMC 1.53f13

Graphics: ATI Radeon HD 4670, ATI Radeon HD 4670, PCIe

Memory Module: BANK 0/DIMM0, 4 GB, DDR3, 1067 MHz, 0x859B, 0x435435313236344243313036372E4D313646

Memory Module: BANK 1/DIMM0, 4 GB, DDR3, 1067 MHz, 0x859B, 0x435435313236344243313036372E4D313646

Memory Module: BANK 0/DIMM1, 2 GB, DDR3, 1067 MHz, 0x80CE, 0x4D34373142353637334548312D4346382020

Memory Module: BANK 1/DIMM1, 2 GB, DDR3, 1067 MHz, 0x80CE, 0x4D34373142353637334548312D4346382020

AirPort: spairport_wireless_card_type_airport_extreme (0x168C, 0x8F), Atheros 9280: 4.0.74.0-P2P

Bluetooth: Version 6.0.7f22, 3 services, 27 devices, 1 incoming serial ports

Network Service: Ethernet, Ethernet, en0

Serial ATA Device: ST31000528AS, 1 TB

Serial ATA Device: OPTIARC DVD RW AD-5670SC

USB Device: USB Bus

USB Device: IR Receiver

USB Device: USB Bus

USB Device: BRCM2046 Hub

USB Device: Bluetooth USB Host Controller

USB Device: USB 2.0 Bus

USB Device: Built-in iSight

USB Device: Photosmart C4700 series

USB Device: USB 2.0 Bus

USB Device: Internal Memory Card Reader

Thunderbolt Bus:

iMac Line (2012 and Later)

Posted on Nov 18, 2020 6:22 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Best reply

BDAqua

Level 10

239,279 points

Nov 18, 2020 11:29 AM in response to Wonkypaul

Tons of reports...

stephán193

Nov 18, 2020 10:31 AM in response to GrenadeBait

I was introduced a solution that works with some apps.

Open terminal and type:

sudo codesign —deep -fs - /Applications/Pages.app

After typing -fs - you can drag your desired application. I tried it with pages. While it now opens and gives me the option to either create a new document or open an existing one, it closes again after I chose one of said options. But with some other apps it actually worked.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252030900?answerId=253912973022#253912973022

Reply

Answer 2

Nov 19, 2020 7:29 PM in response to Wonkypaul

I have the same issue as well as many other people. The issue has been reported in eight different discussion threads that I know of.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252030900

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252037712

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252032870

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252060316

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252056821

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252061206

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252030032

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252059424

Observed behaviour is:

Almost all apps downloaded from the Apple App Store crash with a 'Code Sign Invalid' error (CODESIGNING).

It's not conclusive, but the issue seems to...

...have started around Wednesday last week (2020.11.11);

...affect macOS High Sierra (all versions, unpatched and patches);

...affect systems that have had the operating system recently reinstalled.

Reply

Answer 3

Nov 23, 2020 2:46 PM in response to Wonkypaul

I'm posted a request from PeterPeterPeterPeter (https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252030900?answerId=253955318022&page=2) for us to report this issue on the two Apple feedback resources below...

Please help by reporting to Apple here https://apple.com/feedback

and here https://feedbackassistant.apple.com !

Reply

Answer 4

Nov 26, 2020 7:49 PM in response to wayman888

Some reports indicate that this solution does not last. After a certain time period (it seems to vary) the app reverts to the same or different error. It is unclear if it survives a reboot either and some users of this command have indicated the apps stop working the next day or that it does not work for all apps. There has been some extensive testing and progress over at...

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252037712

Reply

Answer 5

Wonkypaul Author

Level 1

11 points

Nov 19, 2020 11:32 PM in response to GrenadeBait

Thanks for your reply.

let’s hope that someone at Apple is taking this seriously.

The tech advisor I spoke to was very helpful but he gave me the impression that because we were using such an ‘old’ Os, it was no longer supported by Apple.

It would be a shame if they don’t fix this, as my newly installed High Sierra is working well on my 2009 iMac apart from the App Store issue.

Reply

Answer 6

Nov 20, 2020 12:32 PM in response to Wonkypaul

The tech support fellow I spoke to last week didn't have a clue what was going on.

Technically High Sierra is still maintained, but I think the last 2020-006 security update may be the last since support may be dropping relatively soon.

Does anyone have a firm end-of-life (support) date for High Sierra. I haven't gotten a straight answer.

Reply

Answer 7

Nov 21, 2020 10:49 AM in response to GrenadeBait

I have spoken with 5 different people from Apple about this issue. None of them were aware. They do not care about old OS X versions. They do not care about what their customers want/need. We should all know this by now. They do what they want and us apple customers are just supposed to follow blindly. There will not be a fix for this issue. Not now not ever. The only possible fix is to upgrade to newer versions. If for some reason you can't do this, just buy a new Mac and give apple more money. That's what they want and that's why they created this glitch so let's not disappoint them.

Reply

Answer 8

Wonkypaul Author

Level 1

11 points

Nov 24, 2020 11:44 AM in response to GrenadeBait

Interestingly, I've just tried to re install Pages from the App Store to see if anythings changed. It has but not in a good way. Whereas before it used to allow me to install the latest version that was compatible with my OS, now it just says that I can't install Pages as I need to have OS 10.15.

It would seem that someone at Apple has fixed the bugs but also nerfed the ability to download that last compatible version of an App that you have previously purchased.

Big Sigh!

Reply

Answer 9

Nov 26, 2020 7:22 PM in response to Wonkypaul

I have the same issue.

After upgraded to Big Sur, i find that the latest OS eats the battery too fast. So i reinstall the High Sierra from a USB drive. But strange happens that Numbers, Pages, iMovies which are installed by App Store can't be opened.

I find a solution in Github. Here it is.

sudo codesign --force --deep --sign - /Applications/Numbers.app

PS: i tried the cmd in this apple forum, but didn't work. The cmd above works fine at last.

Reply