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From time to time, I'll be on my Macbook using a program that accesses the network – whether Firefox, or Sony's Reader Library – really, it seems like it could happen with any program that accesses the network – and for no reason that I can discern so far (that is, it happens intermittently) the OS X firewall dialog pops up to ask me the question:
[OS X firewall dialog] Do you want the application "Reader Library.app" to accept incoming network connections? Clicking Deny may limit the application's behavior. This setting can be changed in the Firewall pane of Security preferences. [Deny] [Allow]
Except it doesn't actually let me click anything before it disappears! That is:
- the dialog pops up, ...
- then goes away by itself a second later,
- then pops up again, ...
- then goes away by itself a second later,
- etc.
It happens a few times before stopping. It wouldn't be so maddening to be interrupted if I could just be allowed to click "Allow" and make the darn thing go away for good.
In Security preferences I have the firewall turned "On", and I would like to keep it that way.
Has anybody seen this problem, found the source, and figured out a solution or workaround?
Thank you.
UPDATE: I had found these message threads confirming the issue: MacRumors.com - Firewall application exceptions: dialog disappears strangely, and Apple - Support - Discussions - Annoying Firewall Allow / Deny Dialog. As of March 27th, 2010, there's still no solution reported at either of those links.
2I've seen this too and I haven't been sure whether or not I was seeing things. Interested in a response. – fideli – 2010-01-24T19:25:11.167
Noticed the same things.... – Felix – 2010-01-24T21:36:26.827
The built-in application firewall is virtually useless. Just turn it off and buy a $40 router. – Hasaan Chop – 2010-03-26T22:00:51.167
1@NSD: I have a few $40 routers already :-) The idea with an application firewall is to prevent applications from going out without my permission. My $40 external router necessarily can't do that. – Chris W. Rea – 2010-03-27T15:53:50.307
1Then buy LittleSnitch. Apple's is terribly documented junk that bases all of its decisions on code-signing voodoo nobody actually understands. – Hasaan Chop – 2010-03-27T18:27:29.330
2
@Hasaan, too many consumer routers nowadays support UPnP by default, and won't tell you when an application uses that to open a port. Keep that firewall running. @Chris, the built-in firewall will only block INCOMING connections; LittleSnitch also monitors outgoing connections, if that's what you want.
– Arjan – 2010-04-28T21:16:26.290Andre's post suggests it might only occur for applications that have changed. It might be interesting to see if that's true in your case. If it's true, then it's related to code signing. So, please see the notes about
codesign --verify -vv
in If Mac code signing is tampered with, what might fail?, and let us known? – Arjan – 2010-11-14T07:37:57.633And How to get rid of annoying and quickly disappearing firewall popups on Mac suggests it might be related to SMB shares. Any such shares? And if so: are you using them (on your Mac, as hosted from another computer), or are you hosting them (from your Mac, to be accessed by other computers)?
– Arjan – 2010-11-14T07:52:28.7071I never saw this on my 2.33 Core 2 Duo machine. I bought the new "early 2011" MBP, transferred all my data from the old machine, and now I'm seeing this problem for the first time ever. It's really aggravating! I don't believe it's just an SMB problem, since obviously, I'm using the same network environment I was before, just a new machine (and a special 10.6.6 build for the new laptop). – Michael H. – 2011-03-28T04:54:52.943