Apple released macOS Sequoia to the general public last Monday. On Thursday, TechCrunch reported that several third-party security tools have flagged issues with the new version of the Mac operating system.
According to TechCrunch, the source of the problem is unclear. Security firm CrowdStrike made a vague reference to “network stack changes” in an alert sent to its customers and decided to suspend support for the new operating system. In a statement to TechCrunch, DoubleYou’s Patrick Wardle joked, “Maybe if Apple spent less time and money on marketing and more time actually testing their software, we’d all be better off!”
TechCrunch’s report doesn’t specify whether companies have been testing macOS Sequoia betas before its official release and whether this is a new issue that has surfaced. Apple released the Sequoia beta to developers at WWDC in June and has been regularly updating the beta before its public release on Monday.
Other companies named in TechCrunch’s report include ESET, Microsoft, and SentinelOne. ESET addresses the issue in a blog post, noting that the problem affects version 6 of ESET Cyber Security, an older version that “will soon reach end-of-life.”
The same report also indicated that Firefox was having issues with Sequoia. A Reddit post suggests that the issue is firewall-related and that a Terminal command provides a solution.
There’s a lot of excitement surrounding the release of a major macOS update, which can prompt people to upgrade their Macs as soon as the software is available. But it’s usually a good idea to wait a few days or weeks before updating, especially if you’re particularly concerned about security or can’t afford downtime.
It may even be a good idea to wait for Apple’s first update or any updates to your business-critical apps. If you’re using a company-issued Mac, you should check with your IT department first. IT probably has measures in place on your Mac to prevent installation anyway.
A CrowdStrike sales engineer said the company was working on the issue but was not optimistic about a fix from Apple: “While we would love for there to be a quick fix that would resolve this issue for us, we are assuming there won’t be one and that we will have to fix it in our code with a sensor release.”
Learn more about the new version of the Mac operating system in our macOS Sequoia superguide.
