Inspect an App's Code Signature with codesign -dv

See the signing identity, TeamID, CDHash, and entitlements of any application on your Mac.

macOSsignaturecodesignauditLow risk

Run `codesign -dv --verbose=4 /Applications/Safari.app` to display the app's full signature details.

01Command

Command

$ codesign -dv --verbose=4 /Applications/Safari.app

02What it does

codesign -d displays a signature instead of creating one, and higher -v levels add the certificate authority chain, TeamID, CDHash, and (at level 4+) the embedded entitlements. This tells you at a glance whether an app is Apple-signed, notarized by a real developer, or ad-hoc signed (Authority=(unavailable) / Signature=adhoc). It's the first step when diagnosing 'app is damaged' or Gatekeeper rejection messages.

03Risk

RiskLow risk

RequirementsBuilt-in on macOS (Xcode Command Line Tools).

04Undo

✓No undo needed — this command does not change persistent state.

05Sources

codesign — create and manipulate code signatures (macOS)
SS64 · technical · 2026-09-17
Evidence: Documents -d (display), -v (verbose) and the detail levels that reveal authority chain, CDHash and entitlements.

Last verified: 2026-09-17 · Category: Security & Privacy

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macOSGatekeepersignaturecodesign

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Inspect the certificate chain of a macOS package file before you install anything from it.

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