All of a sudden I can't easily open PDFs. I get this message:
Apple could not verify “document name” is free of malware that may harm your Mac or compromise your privacy.
I know the files are safe. I have to go and allow in settings every time I want to open these files. It doesn't work with any PDF reader and I prefer Preview.
This has only just started and my previous downloads work.
iMac 24″, macOS 15.2
The easiest fix for this is to allow apps from anywhere under Privacy & Security
If there’s no “Anywhere” option like in newer macOS versions, open Terminal and type in the following command: sudo spctl --master-disable. Now, press Return and repeat the steps above.
Looks like a weird Gatekeeper bug for certain applications if you change defaults in Finder. Documents will open fine if opened in a downloaded application, but right-clicking, choosing Open With -> Other (and/or then choosing Always Open With) will cause Gatekeeper to activate and fail to open the file. Even if you open your own created file on the computer.
Steps to repro:
It seems spctl used to have flags to whitelist apps to make this go away, to just mass-flag everything in /Applications/ as valid, but those features were obsoleted (even though the man page says deprecated) so spctl --add and spctl --enable are both non-functional and can't be used to fix it. Probably also what's causing the bug on Finder side.
spctl scan of a file I created on my computer and has no reason to fail:
% sudo spctl -a ~/Desktop/file.csv
/Users/username/Desktop/file.csv: rejected
Something Apple will have to fix.
alexanderfromsalem wrote:
I found this solution that worked for me:
* Get Info on any PDF file (or whatever file of a type that is causing the issue)
* In "Open With" choose Preview (or whatever app you want to use to open all files of that type)
* Click "Change All..."
This worked like a breeze! It happened to me when the double click on the PDF automatically pulls the file up on Adobe Acrobat, and when I tried switching to another app and selecting "Always Open With", the error started showing up. These steps resolved it, and the double click opens it with no problem (int the app I wanted it to).
This has nothing to do with malware. It's a Gatekeeper and sandbox problem. I think the cause is downloading a PDF using a sandboxed, possibly Mac App Store app. The documents that the app creates are sandboxed and can't be double-clicked in the Finder. You can open them from within another app using File > Open.
I found this solution that worked for me:
Switch to Preview as the default app, and check again.
From Terminal, post the file protections and attributes:
ls -ale@ filename.pdf
BeamQueen82 wrote:
All of a sudden I can't easily open PDFs. I get this message:
Apple could not verify “document name” is free of malware that may harm your Mac or compromise your privacy.
I know the files are safe. I have to go and allow in settings every time I want to open these files. It doesn't work with any PDF reader and I prefer Preview.
This has only just started and my previous downloads work.
Downloaded from where...
seems odd— Can you Control click on the —>Open
Can you supply a link to one of your problem PDF and I'll check it here on my macOS 15.2 ...(?)
what about this example: https://help.apple.com/pdf/security/en_US/apple-platform-security-guide.pdf
The vast majority of PDF files are fine.
There is, however, a PDF around that plays the game Doom.
Yes, PDFs can contain code.
frustrated_macbook_user_1 wrote:
I'm having the same issue. I'm trying to open PDF's from Dropbox and Sharepoint, and I get the same error message. Maybe it has something to do with the most recent MacOS update?
I would venture to guess that it has more to do with the source of those PDF files. Sharepoint is part of the Microsoft Windows ecosystem. Filed placed there could be from infected PCs which are more prone to malware.
I am having a similar problem. I can't open any PDFs, even ones that I created on this computer by printing from a Word document (that I created) to PDF. I keep getting a malware error and a prompt to delete the files, even though I know they are safe since I created them.
It is ridiculous that I need to type in my password and click three buttons to open a file I made entirely on this computer. It's interfering with my work that I can't open PDFs easily. Are there any workarounds??
I'm having a similar problem in that I can open certain df files when working on the computer on which they are stored, but not when working on other computers on the network. Copying the files to the other computers does not make them openable on those computers.
John Link wrote:
I'm having a similar problem in that I can open certain df files when working on the computer on which they are stored, but not when working on other computers on the network. Copying the files to the other computers does not make them openable on those computers.
Which PDF reader app is in use?
Are there any add-on anti-malware apps around?
Which PDF tool is set to open these PDF files, as shown in the Get Info details for the PDF?
I am also having this issue. I basically cannot use my Mac the way I used to. Issues like this --issues that relate to such simple everyday needs- happen a lot and the Apple devs seem disinterested in solving them, so that Mac users had to go through so many hoops, intricate solutions that they know nothing about and make their OS practically unusable Just Because the OS is so protective of our safety. Meh....
spaceleviathan wrote:
This is still an issue. Happens with even the simplest PDFs created by Affinity / Adobe on-device.
On device? So iPhone or iPad, and not a Mac as was discussed above? Which iOS or iPadOS? 18.5?
I'm having the same issue. I'm trying to open PDF's from Dropbox and Sharepoint, and I get the same error message. Maybe it has something to do with the most recent MacOS update?
Downloaded PDFs not opening due to possible malware
