Apple reminds developers on important deadlines for receipt certificate changes and notarization tools

Apple notifies developers on upcoming changes in purchase receipt signing certificate. Developers who use custom receipt validation should update their software accordingly.

If your app validates App Store receipts on device, make sure your app will support the SHA-256 version of this certificate. New apps and app updates that don’t support the SHA-256 version of this certificate will no longer be accepted by the App Store starting August 14, 2023.

Apple Developer

Apple also notifies developers that they should migrate to Xcode 14 or notarytool utility by November 1, 2023. Submissions from Xcode 13 and altool utilities will be no longer accepted then.

Important dates:

  • June 20, 2023. Receipts in the sandbox environment will be signed with the SHA‑256 version of this certificate for devices running a minimum of iOS 16.6, iPadOS 16.6, tvOS 16.6, watchOS 9.6, or macOS Ventura 13.5.
  • August 14, 2023. Receipts in new apps and app updates submitted to the App Store, as well as all apps in sandbox, will be signed with the SHA‑256 intermediate certificate.
  • November 1, 2023. Notarization requests will be only accepted by Xcode 14 and newer or notarytool.

Apple Developer:

Apple stops signing iOS 16.2

Apple now no longer allows downgrade from iOS 16.3. This comes together with the news that previous iOS releases were subject to exploit allowing to get user's location if that permission was not given to the application.

Apple did not disclose details of this exploit.

Maps

Available for: iPhone 8 and later, iPad Pro (all models), iPad Air 3rd generation and later, iPad 5th generation and later, and iPad mini 5th generation and later

Impact: An app may be able to bypass Privacy preferences

Description: A logic issue was addressed with improved state management.

CVE-2023-23503: an anonymous researcher

About the security content of iOS 16.3 and iPadOS 16.3

Apple Support: About the security content of iOS 16.3 and iPadOS 16.3

References:

Weekend good reads for Apple developers, issue #56

It's Christmas weekend, and to give you time to celebrate, we've made slightly smaller list of articles. But those are really good.

And that is it for today. Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

Weekend good reads for Apple developers, issue #55

It is last weekend before Christmas, so we have a bit more time to read something interesting.

And returning with video section! Great talk on JavaScriptCore usage – Make your app securely extensive with JavaScriptCore.

https://youtu.be/u1iJAalE8lw
https://youtu.be/u1iJAalE8lw

And that is for today! Have a great weekend!