Analyzing macOS Binaries

macOS reverse engineering is Mach-O plus a specific security model: code signing, entitlements, the sandbox, TCC privacy, and XPC between processes. The binary tells you what the code does; the entitlements and load paths tell you what it is allowed to do and where an attacker could get in. Read both — most macOS findings live in the gap between the two.

When to Use

• Analyzing a .app bundle or a Mach-O executable/dylib/framework on macOS
• Reading entitlements, hardened-runtime flags, notarization, and Gatekeeper quarantine state
• Auditing an XPC service or privileged helper for an authorization bug
• Hunting dylib hijacking / proxying via @rpath and weak dylibs
• Reasoning about TCC privacy exposure and sandbox escape surface

When NOT to Use