Gatekeeper gone crazy

Question

Gatekeeper gone crazy

After installing some Adobe CC updates, Java & Flash updates as well as some security & Safari updates to my 300 Macs at the school where I work, Gatekeeper has now gone crazy. Instead of preventing you from launching an app that was not installed from the App Store, Gatekeeper is now preventing everyone from opening FILES from anywhere except the internal hard drive. Files downloaded from the Internet and Intranet. Files downloaded from a school server. Files still on the server (being opened over the network). Files on external hard drives and USB flash drives. No one can open any file without the:

"FileName" is damaged and can't be opened. You should move it to the Trash.

The only solution is turning Gatekeeper off entirely from the Security & Privacy System Preferences (General tab, select "Allow applications downloaded from: Anywhere"). If this was a one-time click of the button, that would be fine. However, Gatekeeper keeps turning itself back on! I have to push out the Terminal command to all 300 Macs every day via ARD or it comes back on. These are not applications, Gatekeeper should not be preventing users from opening Photoshop files from their personal hard drives. All of the workstations were imaged from the same disk image a couple of months ago. They're all now running Mac OS X 10.8.5 (12F45) and there's a variety of iMacs and Mac Pro towers. What do I have to do to stop this from happening?

-Doug

Posted on Oct 17, 2014 10:11 AM

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Answer 1

Mace

Level 3

500 points

Aug 12, 2017 8:40 AM in response to etresoft

While an old thread, I have this same problem with Sierra 10.4.2. Any file (jpg, pdf) gives me this error about it being damaged, even if I created it. Gatekeeper in the System Preferences turns itself on immediately if I turn it off. I can open the files just fine from within the apps. My workaround it to use the Terminal sudo spctl --master-disable and then try to remember to "enable" when I'm done. What a pain.

If anyone has a solution which works permanently (i.e., allows Gatekeeper to not call everything damaged) it would be great to share it.

Thanks,

Mace

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Answer 2

etresoft

Level 9

56,476 points

Oct 17, 2014 5:32 PM in response to Douglas McLaughlin

What does the console log say?

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Answer 3

Oct 22, 2014 11:13 AM in response to etresoft

Sorry that took a while... When you try to open a file the Console says:

"10/22/14 11:10:20.707 AM CoreServicesUIAgent[639]: Error SecAssessmentCreate: The operation couldn’t be completed. (OSStatus error -67032.)"

-Doug

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Answer 4

etresoft

Level 9

56,476 points

Oct 22, 2014 6:07 PM in response to Douglas McLaughlin

Look at your Java software. You may have a problem with the signing on Java apps. See: http://fractalsoftworks.com/forum/index.php?topic=3627.15

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Answer 5

Oct 23, 2014 11:57 AM in response to etresoft

Thanks for that. Java 7 version 65 was installed (this was one of the updates installed during our recent break). Since then, Java 7 version 71 has become available. I ran the update but it did not resolve the issue. Java applications appear to be running normally.

-Doug

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Answer 6

etresoft

Level 9

56,476 points

Oct 24, 2014 8:20 AM in response to Douglas McLaughlin

I don't think it is as simple as that. It sounds like there is a signing issue with some software that your other software is linking with. When the other software launches, it tries to load the library, fails due to the code signing issue, and then you get the error. Java is one candidate. You could have another Java that is the source of the problem. It could be some other library too. But that is almost certainly what the problem is.

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Answer 7

Oct 24, 2014 11:29 AM in response to etresoft

Here's what I need to figure out: Why is Gatekeeper flagging documents? Isn't it a service to flag potentially harmful applications? If I double-click on an Excel spreadsheet file on one of the Macs encountering this problem, I'm challenged that the file is damaged and to put it in the trash. However, I can open Excel and open the file from inside Excel, make changes and save the spreadsheet. If I quit Excel and double-click on the file from the Finder I get the exact same challenge from the Mac claiming that the file is damaged. This is not how this service is supposed to work. I'm not concerned with launching applications (which is the only process I've been able to find examples and help with). I'm not having a problem launching applications. I'm having a problem double-clicking on documents in the Finder and Gatekeeper freaking people out that their documents are damaged.

If I must leave the Security & Privacy System Preferences set to allow applications from anywhere, fine. But it randomly keeps switching back to "Mac App Store and identified developers".

-Doug

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Answer 8

etresoft

Level 9

56,476 points

Oct 24, 2014 11:47 AM in response to Douglas McLaughlin

I don't think GateKeeper makes any differentiation between documents and executable files. It is pretty common to get a GateKeeper error when trying to double-click a document in the Finder. You just have to track down the correct application, launch it, and then double-click the file.

I don't know why it would be randomly switching back to the default setting. In Yosemite, it does that automatically after 30 days.

Unfortunately, this is the new Apple. Things like this aren't ever going to be fixed. Apple sells devices and delights users. It is your responsibility to track down and report bugs. If 20 million other people do the same, then it might get fixed. What you describe does not occur in a standard setup, so you have to figure out what is different about your setup from the standard. Perhaps even re-create your setup from scratch. If you are really running 10.8, then it would be a good time to update because that old version is no longer supported. You do the best you can and then live with the result.

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