FIXED: Do you want the application “iTunes.app” to accept incoming network connections?

If you are a keen believer in protected device usage (which you should be) and you employ a strict security regime including a strict firewall policy, you may find yourself constantly having to allow access to stock applications such as iTunes. This is because these applications are ‘codesigned’ to ensure the firewall only lets them through if, they have not been modified in anyway. So if you have installed any iTunes plugins, or modified iTunes in anyway, you will find this pop up will appear each time despite which option you choose.

To stop this for coming up, you will either need to reverse the modifications to iTunes or obtain a self sign certificate and sign it yourself.

If you’d rather reverse the modifications (Recommended) launch a terminal window (/Applications/Utilities/Terminal) and type in the following:

This will return one of the following results:

(Which actually suggests iTunes has not been modified, so if you get this at this stage – this tutorial will not help you)

Or you will get the following (particular files may vary):

So as you can see, the codesign application suggests the signed version of iTunes has been modified, therefore it’s no longer ‘signed’

To resolve this issue, launch a finder window location iTunes in your Applications folder, right click on it and click show contents. Now remove each of the files listed in the terminal window. It’s worth noting that removing the wrong files from this folder may well prevent iTunes from working all together. So you may want to either back them up somewhere or simply leave them in the ‘Trash’ until you are happy.

If you would prefer to leave iTunes in it’s modified state, then you will need to follow the Code Signing Guide over at Apples website

Mike Hudson

Mike Hudson is a Lead Cyber Security Analyst living and working in Kingston Upon Hull. With extensive experience in Microsoft and Apple technologies, ranging from desktop OS’s to Server OS’s and hardware. By day working as part of an infrastructure team, and by night ridding the world of IT issues through blog posts..

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