Updated Many Mac users today found, to their surprise, they are unable to print to their HP Inc printers.
This is due to a code-signing snafu affecting macOS Catalina (version 10.15) and Mojave (10.14), specifically. HP's printer driver software is cryptographically signed with a certificate that macOS uses to determine whether the application is legit and can be trusted. However, that certificate was today revoked through an XProtect update, causing the software to be rejected by Macs.
HP Printer Problem with Catalina and download HP printer drivers My computer is no longer talking to my HP Photosmart C7280 All-in-One. Not clear why all of a sudden I have this problem as up until a couple of days ago the printer was working just fine, and I did not see any Mac OS Catalina software update. This HP Utility for Mac will help you to monitor and manage your HP printer so that you can get the best out of it. If your HP printer supports wireless and USB then you can select these options from within this the HP printer utility Mac software. The HP Utility is a very useful Mac download. You can also configure your HP scanning devices. Download macOS Catalina 10.15.7 Update. MacOS Catalina 10.15.7 provides important security updates and bug fixes for your Mac. Resolves an issue where macOS would not automatically connect to Wi-Fi networks. Fixes an issue that could prevent files syncing through iCloud Drive. Addresses a graphic issue that may occur on. On the printer, touch or press HP ePrint icon or button, select Settings or Setup, and select the option to update the firmware. F you do not have an HP ePrint icon, open the Setup, Service, or Settings menu, select Preferences, Printer Maintenance, or Tools if necessary, and then select Web Services, Printer Update, or LaserJet Update. This download includes the HP Photosmart driver, HP Printer Utility, and HP Photosmart Studio imaging software for Mac OS X v10.3.9, v10.4 and v10.5.
XProtect is the mechanism Apple uses to inform Macs to no longer trust and run certain programs, and it does this by revoking their code-signing certificates. There is no central database of certs cancelled by XProtect, there's one for each OS version it seems, and Catalina and Mojave were selected in particular. Apple chose to revoke the HP driver cert, or perhaps was asked to do so by HP.
In any case, HP's driver software no longer works on those two particular operating system flavors. Users are told when trying to print, for instance, that HP's application 'will damage your computer,' and are given the option to run it anyway or send it to the trash. Trying to continue just loops you back round to the error message, with no work done. Punters are also encouraged to report this 'malware' to Apple.
Unofficial workarounds for now include using AirPrint to an HP printer, or uninstalling the HP software and using a generic PostScript driver.
A Reg reader who tipped us off about the blunder told us he was able to jerry rig some IPP connectivity to get an older device to print: 'We had a handful of printers where macOS would print into the ether. Windows had no problem. I found some IPP trickery on macOS Catalina worked on an older HP4650.'
We had a handful of printers where macOS would print into the ether. Windows had no problem
Complaints from punters are building up on the Apple and HP support forums.
'Trying to open Printer Utility on MacOS 10.15.7 and I get a crash dump every time saying 'Code Signature Invalid' for the binary /Library/Printers/hp/Utilities/HP Utility.app/Contents/MacOS/HP Utility,' said one netizen.
'Yes, my Deskjet F4140 abruptly stopped working with both my Mac mini desktop AND my partner's AirBook,' complained another. 'The AirBook keeps insisting it's malware (it's not), while my desktop says the certificate has expired. Suddenly, HP and Apple are NOT playing well together! I've redownloaded and reinstalled the printer software TWICE now but nothing has changed, just the same message about HP Utility now missing. Our jobs depend on this printer, HP.'
Thomas Reed, director of Mac and mobile at Malwarebytes, tweeted to say his users were up in arms at the tech breakdown: 'We're seeing a significant influx of support cases where users are seeing macOS identify what appear to be legit processes as malware.'
Mac blogger Howard Oakley has some more background, here. 'You’re seeing that [error] message because macOS is checking the signature on your HP printer software, and being told that its signing certificate has been revoked,' he observed.
Amazon's Music desktop app is also, weirdly enough, no longer working, either, it's reported.
Spokespeople for HP and Amazon were not available for immediate comment. Apple declined to comment. ®
The Register understands from sources familiar with the matter that HP Inc asked Apple to revoke its printer driver code-signing certificates. It appears this request backfired as it left users unable to print. A HP Inc spokesperson told us on Friday night:
We unintentionally revoked credentials on some older versions of Mac drivers. This caused a temporary disruption for those customers and we are working with Apple to restore the drivers. In the meantime, we recommend users experiencing this problem to uninstall the HP driver and use the native AirPrint driver to print to their printer.
If you are currently running any HP hardware on your Mac then you will need to use the Mac HP Utility download.
This HP Utility for Mac will help you to monitor and manage your HP printer so that you can get the best out of it. If your HP printer supports wireless and USB then you can select these options from within this the HP printer utility Mac software.
The HP Utility is a very useful Mac download. You can also configure your HP scanning devices with the HP Scan Utility Mac functions.
From here you can set up your scanning quality and other settings. You can find the right version of the app for Mac OS X, which will help you to get the most out of your HP hardware.
Perhaps the biggest reason for Mac OS users to install this utility is for the full driver support that it offers. Without the correct software drivers, it is difficult to use hardware like printers and scanners. All in-one-devices also need software drivers, which the HP utility provides during installation.
Download the app from MacUpdate if you don’t have it installed on your Mac already. Launch Finder and go to your 'Applications' folder and then look for an HP Folder which will have the app located within there.
The HP Utility allows users to view the installed hardware on their system in a list. The information in this window allows the user to actively monitor the printer and look at its current status.
This section shows users the current levels of ink or toner that are available in their HP devices. There is also a security feature called Ink Cartridge Protection which can be used if you do not want your ink cartridges to be used in another printer. This means that you can block other people from wasting your ink.
Supply info shows details about the model type and name of the replacement supplies that you will require if they run out. The HP Utility also shows you what your replacement options are for your particular printer setup.
From this section of the HP Utility you can find out about your printer’s model, the current printer driver that is installed on your Mac for that HP device, and the type of connection that it is using to communicate with your system.
This is also where you can print out a printer configuration page if you need to.