OpenAI flags macOS security issue
OpenAI identified a security issue tied to a third‑party developer tool called Axios and said user data was not accessed. The company said it is taking steps to protect the process that certifies macOS apps as legitimate OpenAI applications. (reuters.com)
OpenAI said on April 10 that a security issue in a third-party developer tool touched its macOS app-signing process, and it told Mac users to update its apps. (openai.com) The company said it found no evidence that user data was accessed, its systems or intellectual property were compromised, or its software was altered. OpenAI said the issue involved Axios, a widely used software library, in an incident on March 31, 2026 Coordinated Universal Time. (openai.com) OpenAI said a GitHub Actions workflow in its macOS signing pipeline downloaded and ran a malicious Axios version, 1.14.1. That workflow had access to a signing certificate and notarization material for ChatGPT Desktop, Codex App, Codex Command Line Interface, and Atlas. (openai.com) A signing certificate is the digital stamp that tells Apple and users an app really came from the named developer. OpenAI said it believes the certificate was likely not exfiltrated, but it is revoking and rotating the credential anyway. (openai.com) The practical risk was not stolen chats, according to OpenAI; it was the chance that someone could try to distribute a fake Mac app that appeared to be from OpenAI. The company said updating certificates and forcing app updates reduces that risk. (openai.com) OpenAI said all macOS users must update to the latest releases of its affected apps. It listed the earliest safe builds as ChatGPT Desktop 1.2026.051, Codex App 26.406.40811, Codex Command Line Interface 0.119.0, and Atlas 1.2026.84.2. (openai.com) The company said older versions will stop receiving updates or support on May 8, 2026, and may stop functioning. CNBC reported OpenAI also said passwords and OpenAI application programming interface keys were not affected. (openai.com) (cnbc.com) OpenAI said the Axios compromise was part of a broader software supply-chain attack, a type of breach that hits the tools companies use to build software rather than the finished app itself. CNBC reported the attackers were believed to be linked to North Korea. (openai.com) (cnbc.com) As part of the response, OpenAI said it hired a third-party digital forensics firm, rotated the Mac signing certificate, shipped new builds, and is working with Apple so software signed with the old certificate cannot be newly notarized. That leaves Mac users with a simple next step: install the latest OpenAI apps before the May 8 cutoff. (openai.com)
