OpenAI macOS security alert
OpenAI disclosed a security problem tied to a third‑party developer tool used in certifying its macOS apps and said user data was not accessed. The company has been rotating certificates and forcing macOS app updates, with older versions losing support after May 8, 2026, according to reporting and vendor notices. (reuters.com, timesnownews.com)
OpenAI is telling every macOS user of its apps to update now after a security problem touched the system that proves those apps are genuine. (openai.com) The company said on April 10, 2026 that a GitHub Actions workflow in its macOS app-signing process downloaded and ran a malicious version of Axios on March 31, 2026. That workflow had access to a certificate and notarization material used for ChatGPT Desktop, Codex, Codex CLI, and Atlas. (openai.com) A signing certificate is the digital stamp that tells a Mac an app really came from the named developer. OpenAI said it found no evidence that user data was accessed, its systems or intellectual property were compromised, or its software was altered. (openai.com) OpenAI said its analysis found the certificate was likely not successfully stolen, but it is revoking and rotating that certificate anyway. The company said the forced updates are meant to reduce the chance that a fake app could appear to come from OpenAI. (openai.com) That is why the change matters to Mac users now: after May 8, 2026, older versions of OpenAI’s macOS desktop apps will no longer get updates or support and may stop working. OpenAI said users should update through the app itself or through official company links. (openai.com) OpenAI listed the first versions signed with the new certificate as ChatGPT Desktop 1.2026.051, Codex App 26.406.40811, Codex CLI 0.119.0, and Atlas 1.2026.84.2. Users on versions older than those builds are the ones most directly affected by the cutoff. (openai.com) The company said the issue was part of a broader software supply chain attack, meaning attackers tampered with a widely used code package so downstream developers could pull in the bad version automatically. CNBC reported OpenAI said the broader incident was believed to involve actors linked to North Korea. (openai.com, cnbc.com) OpenAI said passwords and OpenAI application programming interface keys were not affected, and it said the root cause was a misconfiguration in the GitHub Actions workflow that has since been addressed. The company also said it hired a third-party digital forensics and incident response firm and worked with Apple so software signed with the old certificate cannot be newly notarized. (cnbc.com, openai.com) For users, the practical change is simple: update the Mac app, check that it came from OpenAI, and expect older builds to lose support on May 8. OpenAI’s public position is that this was a certification risk, not a user-data breach. (openai.com)
