After upgrading to Sequoia, I noticed that there are 4 new volume disks on my desktop. They all have the exact same name: "Creedence11M6270.SECUREPKITRUSTSTOREASSETS_SECUREPKITRUSTSTORE_Cryptex", are all the same size/ have the same files, and are APFS format. Can I delete these files? or the duplicates and leave one? Screenshot attached.
iMac 21.5″, macOS 15.0
It seems that at about macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 and later external boot volumes might get the following disk image which annoyingly "litters" the Disk Utility list when booted to such volume (in the screenshot below the Mac was booted from an external macOS 15.2 volume that lists a snapshot):
Creedence11M6270.SECUREPKITRUSTSTOREASSETS_SECUREPKITRUSTSTORE_Cryptex
That .dmg is at (visible or in some setups invisible):
/System/Library/AssetsV2/com_apple_MobileAsset_PKITrustStore/purpose_auto/6dd55b0d06633a00de6f57ccb910a66a5ba2409a.asset/AssetData/Restore/SECUREPKITRUSTSTOREASSETS_SECUREPKITRUSTSTORE_Cryptex.dmg
It seems for some users that .dmg is somehow auto-mounted to the Desktop, sometimes multiple times. But I have not seen that behavior.
That .dmg seems to need more than 'sudo rm' if the user wants to delete it.
For example in my setup (Mac mini 2018 Intel, macOS 15.2, Carbon Copy Cloner 7.0.4):
The internal macOS 15.2 volume that is updated incrementally at every step from a cleanly installed 15.0 to 15.2 does not have that folder or .dmg. But if I use CCC 7.0.4 to make a bootable clone from it to an external volume, boot to it, then that folder and .dmg is somehow generated and visible in Disk Utility list.
On the other hand, if I use CCC to clone an existing old macOS 15.1 bootable clone disk image to a "real" volume, and boot it, then that enclosing folder and .dmg does not exist. But after updating that volume to macOS 15.2 it is generated.
Silicon Macs use the internal disk also for the initial boot sequence to external disks so maybe it is related to this issue also on Intel Macs?
I have decided to ignore this cosmetic issue.
Im not sure what u mean by fixing it cause the Credence bundle is more/less a mobile Trust Store, hidden by default, capable of running MDM functionality privately, and that resides outside the OS (btw iBoot - MacOS) which makes it pretty difficult to remove even more so now that Apple introduced their new firmlinks on APFS volumes.
i know for a fact a DFU alone wont do it.
Its got nothing to do to icloud. The TrustStore image is on your Mac, and its a virus.
It creates local certificates in your computer, it then allows mobile activation, it runs an active directory or a Mac Open directory, remote ssh connections through your terminal. it can upload a developer certificate in Chrome
to curtail your access, setup a local dns server on http, create firmlinks to System frameworks, take advantage of open ports on your router, still cookies, embed iframes on Safari , manipulate headers
etc etc etc because it can create its own paper. I mean certificates.
An Mdm without having to register it with Apple.
Like owning a gun without serial numbers. lol
That doesn’t explain that abnormal background activity, especially network activity I was seeing in activity monitor though. At first I thought it was a developer’s Trojan horse so they could spy on testing machines array. Personally, I have reinstalled everything because it was easy for me cause it was an old machine I was just starting reinstalling everything new on it.😅
I did a shut down and reboot yesterday afternoon after Photoshop locked up on me. Once my computer (2019 iMac) was back up and running I finished up my work and didn't touch my the computer for the rest of the day. Later in the evening I received a notice on my iPhone to reset my Apple ID password. It's been a couple of years since I've last saw one of these. Thinking that someone out in the wild is trying to get access to my Apple account, I just ignored it.
This morning I sit down at my computer and notice this unknown "Creedence ........ cryptex" disk mounted. Thinking that someone actually got into my Apple account my blood pressure started to quickly rise.
Glad to learn that this is something not to worry about but I can't help wondering if the request to reset my Apple ID password and this "Creedence ........ cryptex" disk are related.
These disks do exist in the path you mentioned and also in the Disk Utility list. But they stopped appearing on the desktop, which is much better for my metal health...
JShuai wrote:
So far, no such disks have appeared after the reinstallation.
Not even at:
/System/Library/AssetsV2/com_apple_MobileAsset_PKITrustStore/purpose_auto/6dd55b0d06633a00de6f57ccb910a66a5ba2409a.asset/AssetData/Restore/SECUREPKITRUSTSTOREASSETS_SECUREPKITRUSTSTORE_Cryptex.dmg ?
I think this some Apple item that currently just somehow is visible and might be even automatically mounted in some setups. I have decided to ignore it in that Disk Utility list.
I have erased my external drive and reinstalled macOS on it (due to other issues — the 15.4.1 update did not function properly on the external drive, preventing the system from booting and prompting a reinstallation. This appears to have affected several users, based on what I found online). So far, no such disks have appeared after the reinstallation.
No. No you haven't provided the steps to fix. I followed your instructions, turned off ALL launch daemons and it was still there after a reboot. So I didn't notice what you said I would notice....
I believe that this Creedence/Cryptex issue is due to, and is the result of, ANY Carbonite-Regulated Hard/SSD Drive, Internal or External, (or "CRD" for short), that is attached to any other computer (PC or Mac) different from the "CRD" computer itself, i.e., where the Carbonite App resides and is Licensed to protect.
It looks to be a clandestine means of tracking where the CRD "goes", i.e.,
this particular CRD, a Mac TimeMachine external HDD that was originally connected to a family-member's MacStudio (Sequoia 15.3.2) for regular backups, became full, and was replaced by a newer, larger RAID drive.
The original older CRD HDD (a 4Tb Seagate) was Carbonite "protected", but was removed BEFORE it could be "un-protected" by the CRD MacStudio that had the Licensed Carbonite App on it.
When this original 4Tb Seagate CRD was subsequently attached to a completely different, non-Carbonite-Licensed Mac (an iMac 2019), to be secure-erased and reformatted, the iMac 2019 became "infected" with the Creedence/Cryptex issue, that DID NOT EXIST prior to this connection.
Maybe some Apple or Carbonite folks might like to chime-in here?
It doesn't work. It remains there. Ha a solution been found yet please
I just started seeing these folder on March 16, 2025 after updating to 15.3.2
I mentioned this on 1/24/25
So I had one Creedence .dmg file in my disk utility window-IT SHOULD not be there. I started up with an external drive and made all the files visible on the boot drive and external drive there by seeing the invisible Creedence .dmg in the AssetsV2 folder. I deleted the Creedence .dmg from there.
I figured if it already installed what it needed to install- no need for the .dmg file and it seemed to me as an errant remnant file. Made all the files visible again and restarted from boot drive. Everything is fine and no Creedence image file in disk utility. How and why it appeared, I have no idea. Maybe from a failed start up from an old copy of Ventura on an external drive, possibly!
I have the same problem with the credence cryptex showing as a container disk in disk utility I can’t unmount it because it’s being used so I can delete it either. I did go into settings and turned off everything that launches at startup. I rebooted. No change What is this disk for. Have I been hacked?
FWIW, your claimed solution didn't work for me. I deactivated all login items and rebooted but I still have four of these 4.1MB disk images showing up in disk utility. Sometimes they mount on the desktop and sometimes they don't.
I tried a suggestion on another forum to reformat them in Ex-FAT, erase hidden contents and eject them but this didn't work either.
It's quite mysterious. It's rare for me to come across an issue I can't fix but this has me beat.
Eric James: I don't think the Creedence Cryptexes are anything to do with our performance issues. If they appears in Disk Utility and sometimes in Finder, treat them as an annoyance which can be ignored. If they appear on your Desktop, that is a very much in your face annoyance.
I am using a 2019 27", and they do not cause any performance issues. Look elsewhere for performance - e.g. insufficient RAM or Fusion Drive. Failing that a clean install may help your performance issue if it is caused by some software interaction.
In the event that you decide to do a clean install (erase, install macOS (no Migration Assistant), install apps and recover files (documents, photos, etc.) from backup) please report back whether the cryptexes still get mounted.
4 disks called "Creedence Cryptex" appeared on my desktop
