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RichardSwearinger
Known Participant
December 7, 2018
Answered

PS Suddenly Wants Access To System Prefs...Why?

  • December 7, 2018
  • 3 replies
  • 3232 views

I'm on a Mac running 10.14.1 and in the last day or two Photoshop CS6 has started asking for access to my Mac OS system preferences, specifically the Accessibility settings. i wouldn't ordinarily worry but we're living in strange times right now.

I have been using Photoshop for more than 20 years and this is the first time any Adobe product has asked for access to anything.

So, is this an exploit by bad actors? Or is it just a new feature?

And if it is a genuine request, will Photoshop be adding accessibility features (which are long overdue).

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Conrad_C

RFSLeander  wrote

I'm on a Mac running 10.14.1 and in the last day or two Photoshop CS6 has started asking for access to my Mac OS system preferences, specifically the Accessibility settings. i wouldn't ordinarily worry but we're living in strange times right now.

I have been using Photoshop for more than 20 years and this is the first time any Adobe product has asked for access to anything.

The change in that time is not what Adobe is doing, but what Apple is now doing. In response to the increasing sophistication of security threats, Apple has been closing more potential security holes in each successive major upgrade of macOS. Part of this involves restricting access to areas that we regular users would not expect, like Accessibility options. The following article explains much of what's going on:

macOS Mojave: For app permissions, what’s the difference between Accessibility and Full Disk Access? | Macworld

That was written by Glenn Fleishman, who has been a Mac expert for just about the entire history of the Mac.

Also…

Understanding New macOS Mojave App Security Alerts | The Mac Security Blog

Many applications, especially older ones like Photoshop CS6 (now 6 years old), are not coded for the latest Mac security safeguards, so they trip over these new rules. At least CS6 still runs for you; Photoshop CS5 might crash until you change the Accessibility setting.

RFSLeander  wrote

So, is this an exploit by bad actors? Or is it just a new feature?

And if it is a genuine request, will Photoshop be adding accessibility features (which are long overdue).

Neither. As the articles linked above explain, it's actually the opposite of an exploit: It's an unintended consequence of Apple's ongoing effort to protect us from the latest exploits by bad actors.

Also as explained in the articles, it probably doesn't have anything to do with whether Photoshop is going to add accessibility features. Accessibility permission alerts are being triggered by application access requests that were formerly not restricted by macOS, and this is happening to a lot more Mac applications than just Photoshop.

3 replies

Conrad_C
Community Expert
Conrad_CCommunity Expert
Community Expert
December 7, 2018

RFSLeander  wrote

will Photoshop be adding accessibility features (which are long overdue).

I forgot to mention:
If there are specific accessibility features that Adobe should add, go over to the Photoshop Feedback site and let Adobe know. Doing that will also let others see your request, and add votes and comments. If what you're interested in doesn't match the two requests below, you can start your own:

Lack of accessibility / inclusive features | Photoshop Family Customer Community

Accessibility contrast checking in Photoshop | Photoshop Family Customer Community

R
RichardSwearingerAuthor
Known Participant
December 7, 2018

Thanks. Excellent answer.

Conrad_C
Community Expert
Conrad_CCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
December 7, 2018

RFSLeander  wrote

I'm on a Mac running 10.14.1 and in the last day or two Photoshop CS6 has started asking for access to my Mac OS system preferences, specifically the Accessibility settings. i wouldn't ordinarily worry but we're living in strange times right now.

I have been using Photoshop for more than 20 years and this is the first time any Adobe product has asked for access to anything.

The change in that time is not what Adobe is doing, but what Apple is now doing. In response to the increasing sophistication of security threats, Apple has been closing more potential security holes in each successive major upgrade of macOS. Part of this involves restricting access to areas that we regular users would not expect, like Accessibility options. The following article explains much of what's going on:

macOS Mojave: For app permissions, what’s the difference between Accessibility and Full Disk Access? | Macworld

That was written by Glenn Fleishman, who has been a Mac expert for just about the entire history of the Mac.

Also…

Understanding New macOS Mojave App Security Alerts | The Mac Security Blog

Many applications, especially older ones like Photoshop CS6 (now 6 years old), are not coded for the latest Mac security safeguards, so they trip over these new rules. At least CS6 still runs for you; Photoshop CS5 might crash until you change the Accessibility setting.

RFSLeander  wrote

So, is this an exploit by bad actors? Or is it just a new feature?

And if it is a genuine request, will Photoshop be adding accessibility features (which are long overdue).

Neither. As the articles linked above explain, it's actually the opposite of an exploit: It's an unintended consequence of Apple's ongoing effort to protect us from the latest exploits by bad actors.

Also as explained in the articles, it probably doesn't have anything to do with whether Photoshop is going to add accessibility features. Accessibility permission alerts are being triggered by application access requests that were formerly not restricted by macOS, and this is happening to a lot more Mac applications than just Photoshop.

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