claude-code - 💡(How to fix) Fix Claude overwrote notarized DMG with unnotarized build, no awareness of distribution pipeline [1 comments, 2 participants]

Official PRs (…)
ON THIS PAGE

Recommended Tools

×6

Utilities matched from this issue’s tags and category — try them while you read without losing context.

GitHub issue graph ai analysis

Paste a GitHub issue URL. We fetch that issue, discover linked issues from bodies/comments/timeline, collect linked pull requests, and produce a structured English report.

The report is written in English Markdown for sharing and archival.

Helpful · Quick feedback

Loading…
GitHub stats
anthropics/claude-code#46624Fetched 2026-04-12 13:37:22
View on GitHub
Comments
1
Participants
2
Timeline
6
Reactions
0
Author
Timeline (top)
labeled ×4commented ×1cross-referenced ×1

Root Cause

This is a live product being distributed to real users. The app was blocked by Gatekeeper because Claude replaced a notarized build with an unnotarized one.

RAW_BUFFERClick to expand / collapse

What happened

I asked Claude to fix a small UI issue (license activation window not coming to front on first launch). Instead of making the code fix and telling me to re-archive in Xcode, Claude:

  1. Rebuilt the app from CLI using xcodebuild
  2. Overwrote my existing notarized DMG with an unnotarized build
  3. Didn't check whether notarytool credentials were set up before replacing the file
  4. Then told me to right-click > Open to bypass Gatekeeper - on a LIVE product
  5. Tried to get my Apple ID password
  6. Wasted 30+ minutes going in circles

This is a live product being distributed to real users. The app was blocked by Gatekeeper because Claude replaced a notarized build with an unnotarized one.

Expected behavior

  • Make the code fix
  • Tell me to archive and export in Xcode (which handles notarization automatically)
  • Done in 2 minutes

Actual behavior

  • Went down a CLI rabbit hole
  • Destroyed my working notarized DMG
  • Produced a broken build that Gatekeeper blocks
  • Asked for my passwords
  • No awareness of macOS distribution requirements

Impact

Live product was affected. Users would have been blocked by Gatekeeper if this had been distributed.

extent analysis

TL;DR

Re-archive and export the app in Xcode to restore notarization and ensure compatibility with Gatekeeper.

Guidance

  • Verify that notarytool credentials are set up before rebuilding the app to avoid notarization issues.
  • Use Xcode's archive and export features to handle notarization automatically, rather than relying on CLI tools.
  • Test the rebuilt app to ensure it passes Gatekeeper checks before distributing it to users.
  • Establish clear communication channels to prevent similar mistakes, such as confirming the build process with the team before making changes to a live product.

Example

No code snippet is necessary in this case, as the issue is related to the build process rather than code implementation.

Notes

This guidance assumes that the notarization credentials are properly set up and that Xcode is configured correctly. If issues persist, further investigation into the notarization process may be necessary.

Recommendation

Apply workaround: Re-archive and export the app in Xcode to restore notarization, as this approach ensures compatibility with Gatekeeper and avoids the risks associated with manual CLI builds.

Vote matrix · Quick signals

Works
Did the solution work? Tap to confirm.
Easy Fix
Was it a quick fix?
Time Saver
Did it save you time?
Blocking
Was it severely blocking?
Common Issue
Are others likely hitting this too?
Flaky / Intermittent
Is it intermittent?
Verified / Reproducible
Can you reproduce it reliably?
Loading…

FAQ

Expected behavior

  • Make the code fix
  • Tell me to archive and export in Xcode (which handles notarization automatically)
  • Done in 2 minutes

Still need to ship something?

×6

Another batch ranked right after the header list — different links, same matching logic.

Back to top recommendations

TRENDING