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Software Update Server: "product file URL contains possible security violation"

I've been having trouble with my Software Update Server lately. I thought I had my issues fixed until I checked my logs this morning and saw hundreds of these errors:

Tue Jun 12 10:52:02 [myserver] swupd_syncd[50836] <Error>: *** Product file URL contains possible security violation.

Tue Jun 12 10:52:02 [myserver] swupd_syncd[50836] <Error>: *** Product ID: "041-5503"; file URL: "http://swcdn.apple.com/content/downloads/43/11/041-5503/1ofjlseui736n8jfxkil6vm7 a9vwmovzag/MacBookProMid2012SoftwareUpd1.0.dst/041-5503.pl.dist"

Tue Jun 12 10:52:02 [myserver] swupd_syncd[50836] <Error>: *** Reason: file download path cannot be reached / does not exist.

Tue Jun 12 10:52:02 [myserver] swupd_syncd[50836] <Error>: *** The suspect product file will not be downloaded.

First it says the file URL contains a possible security violation. Not sure what's going on there. Then it says the file download path cannot be reached / doesn't exist.

At first I thought the security violation might have been a DNS issue. On our network I run DNS redirects so that our SUS is transparent. This also involved manually entering IPs of Apple's swcdn,swdownload,swquery,and swscan.apple.com servers into the SUS' hosts file. I thought that there might be a misconfiguration somewhere so I removed the entries from the hosts file and set the DNS to an external DNS (Google's 8.8.8.8) and flushed the cache. Nope, still getting these errors.

The 'file download path cannot be reached / does not exist' puzzles me because, well, the path *does* exist. I changed the folder to which the SUS downloads its updates (since I was out of room on my main drive) to /Volumes/Storage/Apple. In the past, other updates have downloaded there just fine.

Can anyone help me troubleshoot / fix this problem?

Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Jun 12, 2012 8:47 AM

28 replies

Jun 14, 2012 12:28 PM in response to JeffMurchison

I was dealing with this as well. I then looked in the Software Update Error log and saw that I was getting a message of: "Syntax error on line 241 of /etc/swupd/swupd.conf: Port must be specified"

A bit of google-fu and I came across a solution of:

http://macmule.com/2012/04/11/error-syntax-error-on-line-241-of-etcswupdswupd-co nf-port-must-be-specified/

Which was to open the swupd.conf file while the update server is running and change line 241 from "Listen *:portToUse" to "Listen *:8088".

This resolved the errors and produced this entry in the Software Update Error log:

"...[notice] mod_bw : Memory Allocated 32 bytes (each conf takes 32 bytes)

...[notice] mod_bw : Version 0.8 - Initialized [1 Confs]

...[notice] Apache/2.2.21 (Unix) configured -- resuming normal operations"

as well as updates being downloaded.

Jun 14, 2012 12:37 PM in response to solaufein

I think this is a different issue. All of my SUS boxes are already configured for "Listen *:8088" ... they are all Snow Leopard though. Perhaps you are on Lion?

Jun 14, 2012 12:38 PM in response to solaufein

Sounds like a different issue, my server is already set to listen on port 8088.

Jun 14, 2012 1:08 PM in response to Todd Fleisher

Sorry, yup on Lion. Had too many tabs open and posted in the wrong one. Though I will mention that the Server Admin application showed port 8088 being used. When I looked at the swupd.conf it said the "*:portToUse".

Jun 14, 2012 1:17 PM in response to solaufein

Thanks for validating why I'm not running Lion anywhere 😉

EddieMT

Level 1

4 points

Jul 25, 2012 12:44 PM in response to JeffMurchison

I am also having the same issue, but only on certain updates. Does anyone know if you can setup SUS for Mountain Lion Updates also?

buckster

Level 4

2,819 points

Jul 25, 2012 1:37 PM in response to EddieMT

I am having this problem also. Is this doc relevant?

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5198

Before I go ahead and delete/reload my software update library can anyone confirm that the info on that tech doc will fix the problem?

Thanks,

Jul 26, 2012 3:06 AM in response to buckster

After the problem resolved by itself (apple fixit i guess) it starts again now with the new RDC

Thu Jul 26 03:03:23 swupd_syncd[86680] <Error>: *** Reason: file download path cannot be reached / does not exist.

Thu Jul 26 03:03:23 swupd_syncd[86680] <Error>: *** The suspect product file will not be downloaded.

Thu Jul 26 03:03:23 swupd_syncd[86680] <Error>: *** Product file URL contains possible security violation.

Thu Jul 26 03:03:23 swupd_syncd[86680] <Error>: *** Product ID: "041-5433"; file URL: "http://swcdn.apple.com/content/downloads/31/58/041-5433/xt9k9paj5zu8rx258rdccohk 236ee77clh/RemoteDesktopClient.dst/041-5433.ar.dist"

10.6.8 xserver

Jul 26, 2012 7:10 AM in response to Peter-Erik

I'm also having this issue with the new RDC. Sigh.

Jul 27, 2012 3:20 PM in response to JeffMurchison

Ditto here with RDC.

Jul 31, 2012 12:09 AM in response to Ast A. Moore

Seems that Apple solved the problem no error anymore on my server. (server 10.6.8)

Feb 2, 2013 2:27 AM in response to JeffMurchison

everytime i run software update it shows that i need to download security update Security Update 2012-004 however when i ok to update it shows The update ould be saved. The file "SecUpd2012-004.pkg couldnt be found on the server swcdn.apple.com. I've attached the screen shot of the popup. I'm using version 10.6.8 snow leopard. This has been happening for a while now. Every time i try this is what comes.

Feb 2, 2013 2:50 AM in response to preety_mishra

forgot attachement.

I've also read about horror stories about this update. Should i update not update not sure please help.

Software Update Server: "product file URL contains possible security violation"