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Sparkle 2.8.1: macOS 15 update fails after successful download/EdDSA with "Timeout: agent connection was never initiated" and "remote port connection was invalidated" #2851

Description

@jkalez

Description of the problem

We are seeing updater/agent connection failures on macOS 15 (user machine), while the same build updates successfully on macOS 26.

The failure happens after download + signature verification. The update archive is fetched and EdDSA validation succeeds, but then Autoupdate times out waiting for the agent connection and the updater reports agent invalidation.

Do you use Sandboxing in your app?

No.

Version of Sparkle.framework in the latest version of your app

2.8.1

Version of Sparkle.framework in the old version of app that your users have (or N/A)

2.8.1

Sparkle's output from Console.app

2026-02-19 17:29:08.723 Df WarpStations[...] [com.apple.xpc:connection] ... activating connection ... name=com.warpstations.WarpStations-spks
2026-02-19 17:29:08.724 Df WarpStations[...] [com.apple.xpc:connection] ... failed to do a bootstrap look-up: xpc_error=[3: No such process]

2026-02-19 17:29:11.174 E  Autoupdate[...] [org.sparkle-project.Sparkle:Sparkle] Error: bookmark data for update download is stale.. but still continuing.
2026-02-19 17:29:11.648 Df Autoupdate[...] [org.sparkle-project.Sparkle:Sparkle] OK: EdDSA signature is correct

2026-02-19 17:29:30.361 E  Autoupdate[...] [org.sparkle-project.Sparkle:Sparkle] Error: Timeout: agent connection was never initiated (null) (URL (null))

2026-02-19 17:29:32.322 E  WarpStations[...] [org.sparkle-project.Sparkle:Sparkle] Error: An error occurred while running the updater. Please try again later. The remote port connection was invalidated from the updater. If your
application is sandboxed, please ensure Installer Connection & Status entitlements are correctly set up: https://sparkle-project.org/documentation/sandboxing/ . Otherwise if Autoupdate is not adhoc signed, your app must be signed
with a matching team ID. For additional details, check Console logs for Autoupdate (URL (null))
2026-02-19 17:29:32.322 E  WarpStations[...] [org.sparkle-project.Sparkle:Sparkle] Error: Timeout: agent connection was never initiated (null) (URL (null))

2026-02-19 17:29:32.720 E  Updater[...] [org.sparkle-project.Sparkle:Sparkle] Agent failed..
2026-02-19 17:29:32.720 E  Updater[...] [org.sparkle-project.Sparkle:Sparkle] Error: Error: Agent Invalidating without having the chance to reply to installer (null) (URL (null))

### Steps to reproduce the behavior

1. Use macOS 15 machine
2. Install app to /Applications/WarpStations.app.
3. Launch app and choose Check for Updates….
4. Sparkle finds update and downloads DMG successfully.
5. Attempt install/relaunch.
6. Wait ~18 seconds; update fails with:
    - Timeout: agent connection was never initiated
    - remote port connection was invalidated from the updater
    - updater log shows Agent Invalidating without having the chance to reply to installer.

Additional reproduction artifacts:

- Appcast: https://zetier.github.io/Warpstations-MacOS/releases/appcast.xml
- Current DMG URL from appcast: https://zetier.github.io/Warpstations-MacOS/releases/WarpStations.dmg
- Old DMG: [WarpStations.dmg.zip](https://github.com/user-attachments/files/25446676/WarpStations.dmg.zip)

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