Logitech's Mac apps broke because their own security certificate expired

"We dropped the ball here. This is an inexcusable mistake."

by · TechSpot

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LogiBrick: Encryption certificates are an essential component in today's digital infrastructure, safeguarding sensitive data exchanges and software interactions. When one of these certificates fails or expires unexpectedly, widespread disruptions can follow – and users are bound to notice pretty quickly.

Mac users who rely on Logitech hardware recently ran into an unusual reliability issue. On Monday, the two primary macOS applications used to manage Logitech devices suddenly stopped working. As it turned out, the failure stemmed from a major mistake made by the developers with a security certificate embedded within the apps.

As Logitech later explained in a support article, both Options+ and G Hub for macOS failed because an internal certificate had expired. Once the certificate lapsed, the applications could no longer launch, and customized device settings were reset to their default values.

Joe Santucci, Logitech's head of global marketing, explained to disgruntled Reddit users that the expired certificate played a critical role in how the macOS apps function. While device configurations are stored locally, he said, the certificate was used to secure interprocess communications within the software. Without a valid certificate, the applications could no longer start.

"We dropped the ball here. This is an inexcusable mistake. We're extremely sorry for the inconvenience caused," Santucci said in a subsequent comment.

Compounding the problem, the expired certificate also prevented the apps from downloading or installing updates. Logitech is now instructing affected users to manually download a new patch installer for Options+ and G Hub, which restores a valid security certificate and returns the apps to normal operation.

The company has warned users not to remove the existing applications before installing the patched versions, as doing so could result in the loss of customized device settings.

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The new apps are compatible with recent versions of Apple's desktop OS, including macOS 13 Ventura, macOS 14 Sonoma, macOS 15 Sequoia, and macOS 26 Tahoe. Logitech says it is working on a fix for older macOS releases and confirmed that the issue does not affect any Windows-based software.

I've been using Logitech applications on Windows for a while now, so I can confidently say that this macOS-related kerfuffle doesn't impress me in the slightest. While its hardware devices are usually top-notch, Logitech's applications are in the same league as Corsair's in terms of software unreliability and messy design choices. The company also has some truly bonkers ideas about AI agents, planned obsolescence, and subscription-based mice.