A Mac tool idea to warn when an app changes ownership
An installed Mac app can move from a trusted developer to a new owner without the user noticing. If that app updates itself under a new developer identity, it may keep sensitive permissions such as screen recording, accessibility, and full disk access. macOS checks whether an app has a valid signature, but it does not warn when the owner or signing team changes.
MacUpdater previously helped notice this kind of signing change, but it shut down in January. permcheck is planned as a lightweight menu-bar tool that records the developer identity and signing certificate of installed Mac apps, then alerts the user when one changes. The main focus is warning when an app with sensitive permissions is re-signed by a different team.
The proposed tool would work locally on the Mac, use no cloud service, and be sold as a one-time purchase instead of a subscription.
Key points
- A trusted Mac app can change owners and still keep sensitive permissions already granted by the user.
- macOS checks that an app is validly signed, but it does not alert users when the signing team changes.
- permcheck would record each app’s developer identity and signing certificate, then warn when they change.
- The highest-risk cases involve screen recording, accessibility, and full disk access permissions.
- The proposed design is local-only, with no cloud service and a one-time purchase model.
Quick term guide
- developer identity
- The information macOS uses to identify the developer or team behind an app.
- permissions
- Settings that define what files or actions a system or user is allowed to access.
- Screen Recording
- A system permission that lets an app view what is on the screen.
- accessibility
- Designing a site so people with different abilities and devices can use it.
- full disk access
- A powerful Mac permission that lets an app read many files and folders on the computer.
- signing certificate
- A digital proof that helps confirm who signed an app and that it has not been changed improperly.
- subscription
- A pricing model where you pay a fixed amount of money every month for access.
- automation
- A way to make repeated work happen without doing every step by hand.