Troubleshoot Most Common iOS Code Signing Errors

To perform iOS code signing, a developer or publisher has to utilize an iPhone or a macOS, which works entirely differently from the Windows operating system. Sometimes, newbies and even experienced people face errors while signing an application for Apple machines.

Numerous iOS code sign errors can occur. But here, you will get the details about common mistakes and the appropriate approach to troubleshooting them. As a result, your app will get successfully signed and secure from unauthorized alterations.

iOS Code Signing: What and Why?

iOS Code Signing refers to the tamper-proofing of applications developed for Apple devices. The process is similar to digitally signing Windows, Adobe, Java, or other executable files. It helps the software publisher and developers to embed their signature with the application and enhance its authenticity and security.

Furthermore, iOS Code Signing is an essential procedure, as it helps:

• To secure source code from unauthorized modifications.
• This is to align with Apple App Store’s guidelines for publishing and listing applications.
• To timestamp the app and make it valid for an extended period.
• To prevent software from getting cracked through unlawful activities.
• To eliminate warnings from the user experience.

Common iOS Code Signing Certificate Issues and Their Solutions

Multiple issues can occur while digitally signing the application on iOS or macOS devices. To efficiently resolve them, you can follow the below approaches for the listed primary errors.

#1: Provisional Profile Signing Errors

The most common error under the provisioning profile category is when the system shows your App ID or certificate profile as invalid. It mostly happens when you modify the details of the App ID or change your Apple Code Signing Certificate.

In addition, you can also encounter such an error if your certificate expires or the Certificate Authority revokes it.

Invalid Provisioning Profile

No Such Provisioning Profile Was Found

However, utilizing the XCode application will not face such an error due to its built-in profile managing functionality.

Solution:

To avoid an invalid profile error, you must sync the XCode with the App ID and enable its profile managing services. You can effortlessly execute it by navigating to the Capabilities Tab through the Target menu option in the XCode. Once it gets executed, refresh the application, and you will not see a provisional profile signing error.

#2: Installation of iOS Code Sign Errors

When the system cannot verify the executable file, it displays the “Could not verify executable” error. One of the reasons behind this is invalid provisioning profiles, which you can resolve by following the approach mentioned above. Another root cause can be the corruption of the signature bundle.

Could not verify executable at <path_to_the_app>

Solution:

To resolve the issue, you need to verify the exact root cause behind it by following the below steps:

Step 1: Open the Terminal

Step 2: Run the command:

codesign -vvv /path/to/the.app

Step 3: Check the output for the following results

Result 1: a sealed resource is missing or invalid in architecture: armv7

Result 2: resource missing: my.app/-_*

If the terminal displays any above output, you must go to the file location and remove “._” from its name.

Furthermore, if the terminal shows you the output as “object file format invalid or unsuitable”, then you must set the property of Info.plist to $ {EXECUTABLE_FILENAME}.

Lastly, refresh the system and try to install it again.

#3: Entitlement Issues during MacOS Code Sign Process

Entitlement refers to a specific string through which the operating system allows the application to access a particular service. If the developer doesn’t define and test it appropriately, then macOS systems show the following errors while signing the application.

Error when Entitlements Mismatch

The executable was signed with invalid entitlements. The entitlements specified in your application’s Code Signing Entitlements file do not match those specified in your provisioning profile.

Error During Installation

I could not install the application. Your code signing/provisioning profiles are not correctly configured (Or: 000014). You have an entitlement that is not supported by your current provisioning profile.

Error During App Submission

Invalid Code Signing Entitlements. The entitlements in your app bundle signature do not match those in the provisioning profile.

According to the provisioning profile, the bundle contains a key value that is not allowed: [A1B2C3D4E5.com.appleseedinc.MyGreatApp 1 for the key “keychain-access-groups” in “Payload/MyGreatApp.app/MyGreatApp”

Error when Invalid Values get Detected

entitlement ‘keychain-access-groups’ has value not permitted by a provisioning profile

All these are the primary four entitlement errors that occur while digitally signing the macOS or iOS-based applications.

Solution:

To troubleshoot the entitlement errors, you must follow the below step-by-step procedure.

Step 1: Check the status of entitlements in the XCode. Enable or disable them according to your requirement.

Step 2: Go to the App ID services portal and check running services. If the service you want to run is inactive, modify its state manually.

Step 3: Open the provisioning profiles library to view all the available profiles. You can click on any profile to view active services. It will help you understand which profile needs to be configured again.

Step 4: Utilize XCode for your project and install all the associated profiles. It will help you automate the procedure and reduce your efforts to enable the correct entitlement string in the application.

#4: Missing Apple Code Signing Certificate and Associated Keys Errors

When the system doesn’t detect the Code Signing Certificate or Private Keys, it displays error messages to the publisher. It can happen due to multiple reasons, such as:

• Code Signing Certificate doesn’t get adequately imported to the local machine
• The certificate file gets corrupted.
• The system is unable to fetch the details of private keys.

Solution:

To resolve the missing Code Signing Certificate and private key error, reinstall the certificate file and restart the procedure. If the system continues to display the error, you must contact the Certificate Authority to check for any misconfiguration at their end.

Wrapping Up

While signing applications on iOS and macOS devices, a publisher can encounter multiple errors, including entitlement, missing certificates, and installation errors.

To resolve such errors, the developer/publisher must efficiently troubleshoot them through defined solutions. As a result, the signing process will be streamlined, and the Apple platform will allow the uploading and distribution of applications to end users.

Additionally, you must prefer the XCode application to install profiles and certificates and sign the app bundle. It would help you automate the process and eliminate multiple errors through its synchronization with the project.

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