Security Update has broken external device functionality

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Level 1

42 points

Security Update has broken external device functionality

Sorry for the long post but this is a strange issue and I wanted to explain it correctly.

It seems extremely strange but as the title suggests I am 99% sure a Mojave Security Update that I performed on 3rd February has impacted numerous external devices and stopped them working correctly or at all.

For two years I’ve used my 2018 15" MacBook Pro (with TouchBar) with a third-party dual USB-C to multi port adapter (featuring 2 x USB 3 ports), which has had an Aukey 9 port USB 3.0 Hub (externally AC mains powered) plugged into it.

The Aukey 9 Port Hub has always had a portable external Hard Drive plugged into it alongside an iPhone dock and an external DVD writer. I've charged my iPhone on it every night and I've used the external DVD drive for all sorts without any issues whatsoever:- Until the 4th February that is when I first noticed my iPhone battery was at 20% at midday when I had hardly used it during the morning.

A little investigation led to the discovery the iPhone wasn't charging and I assumed the Aukey 9 Port Hub must have broken and a single port on it must have failed. However I then realised that the DVD writer connected to the Aukey 9 Port Hub WOULD spin a disk but WOULDN'T mount a disk on the Mojave desktop (it wouldn't show up as a device within Disk Utility either), but the external seagate 5TB portable hard drive WAS mounting on the desktop and working fine.

So I removed the Aukey 9 Port Hub from the equation and tested all the devices by plugging them into both of the USB 3 ports on the dual USB-C multi-port adapter that's plugged into the side of the MacBook Pro. I found the same results: The DVD Writer would recognise a disk had been inserted and would spin but the disk would not be mounted and the DVD Writer was not shown in Disk Utility, the iPhone would not charge when connected to the dock, but the Seagate portable Hard Drive mounted and worked fine.

Just to be thorough I tested a second external Blu-Ray/DVD Writer I own and that was behaving the same way, spinning the disk but not mounting it and not showing up in disk utility. I also plugged the multi-port dual USB-C adapter into both sides of the MacBook Pro and the results were exactly the same.

Cut a long story as short and I've tested all the devices every which way and the problem appears to come from the MacBook Pro directly following the latest Mojave Security Update. I have rebooted the MacBook Pro and all the devices several times and the problem persists.

To confirm the problem is the MacBook Pro (directly following the Mojave Security Update) I plugged the Aukey 9 Port Hub and all the devices into my Laptop and… Voila!, they all work flawlessly.

So it seems the Mojave Security Update has somehow done something to the control of the USB-C ports that is stopping external devices from operating correctly. In 25 years of Mac ownership I’ve never experienced something like this, but I'm currently unable to use my DVD Writer, Blu-Ray Drive or iPhone charging dock with my MacBook Pro!?

Sorry for length of the post again and thanks for reading.

MacBook Pro with Touch Bar

Posted on Feb 6, 2021 9:07 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

steve626

Level 6

11,489 points

Feb 6, 2021 1:44 PM in response to eyedeeuk

I agree, the single slot USB-C to USB 3 adaptor will help you figure this out. It looked to me like every time you had a device not work, it was going through that multi-slot USB-C to USB 3 adaptor. PCs have a different interface so the fact that it still works on a PC might not be unambiguous.

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Answer 2

steve626

Level 6

11,489 points

Feb 6, 2021 12:04 PM in response to eyedeeuk

Hard to follow all the details as you have many different parts and knobs you can turn.

One common element for you seems to be the "third-party dual USB-C to multi port adapter (featuring 2 x USB 3 ports)." When something did not work, was this multi-slot adaptor always part of the chain?

Combining multi-port adaptors (which do not provide full power to devices when there are multiple ports, each port of the adaptor provides only part of the total power available from the laptop USB-C port, even when only one device is plugged in and one slot is empty) with hubs is somewhat questionable as the powered hub has to negotiate with the reduced power coming from the computer through one of the adaptor slots. The combination should result in your devices getting adequate power when you have a separately powered hub but that doesn't always seem to be true, especially with third party adaptors.

This Security Update did change some power management behaviors:

Power Management

Available for: macOS Mojave 10.14.6, macOS Catalina 10.15.7

Impact: A malicious application may be able to elevate privileges

Description: A logic issue was addressed with improved state management.

CVE-2020-27938: Tim Michaud (@TimGMichaud) of Leviathan

Have you tested each individual device separately with a just a single-slot (not multi-slot) Apple adaptor for USB-C? I have had external USB-powered drives fail to spin up when connected through a multi-slot adaptor but they work properly with a single-slot adaptor. Drives from WD, Apricorn, and LaCie to be specific.

You did say that things worked with your "Laptop," is that a different laptop? Did you use that multi-slot USB-C adaptor with that one? I am suspecting your third party multi-slot USB-C adaptor here.

Lastly, try an SMC reset (disconnect all devices first) and that may restore proper power management if something got set wrong at some point.

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Answer 3

eyedeeuk Author

Level 1

42 points

Feb 6, 2021 12:50 PM in response to steve626

Thanks for your reply. Yes, sorry:- I'd thought it may be difficult as there is a lot there. Trying to put it more simply:

I use a OneAudio Multiport Adapter connected directly to my MacBook Pro (very similar to the Satechi USB-C Multiport Pro adapter sold by Apple).

I have an Aukey 9 Port A/C Mains powered Hub that plugs into the Multiport Adapter mentioned above via USB 3.0.

I plug a 5TB Portable Seagate Hard Drive, External LG DVD-Writer and a Twelve South iPhone Dock into the 9 Port Aukey Hub.

For more than 2 years everything has worked perfectly well. The DVD-Writer worked and my iPhones (both an X and 12 Pro Max) charged when sat on the Twelve South dock. But immediately after performing the Mojave Security Update the DVD-Writer is no longer recognised in Disk Utility and CD's/DVD's won't mount on the desktop. Plus the iPhone no longer charges when on its dock.

As the MacBook Pro only has 4 x Thunderbolt 3 ports I have to use the Satechi-like Multiport Adapter to connect any USB 3 device. Since performing the Mojave Security Update the DVD-Writer and the iPhone Dock no longer work when connected to any compatible Thunderbolt 3 to USB 3 device in my arsenal. I don't own an Apple USB C to USB 3 adapter unfortunately.

I have isolated the Aukey 9 Port Hub and confirmed it is not involved in causing the issues I'm experiencing as it works flawlessly when connected to both my personal and my work Dell Laptops (not Macs).

I am 99% sure that the Satechi-like Multiport adapter has not malfunctioned, causing the issue, as I do not believe it's even able to instruct the USB 3 connected Aukey 9 Port Hub to override the Aukey's own A/C Mains Power that supplies the 9 x USB 3 ports with power, and which did supply the Twelve South iPhone Dock with Power before the Mojave Security Update when plugged into the Mac:- and that still does provide the Twelve South iPhone Dock with power when connected to either of my PC Laptops.

I will try an SMC reset and see if that fixes it. Failing that I think I'll be buying a new Satechi Multiport Adapter from the Apple Store to rule out that link-in-the-chain as the cause, and then I guess it'll be a case of contacting Apple directly.

Fingers crossed for the SMC reset! I'll update shortly.

Thanks again.

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Answer 4

eyedeeuk Author

Level 1

42 points

Feb 6, 2021 1:12 PM in response to eyedeeuk

SMC reset didn't fix it unfortunately. So it seems increasingly more likely that Apple's latest Mojave Security Fix has actually broken the previously working connection with potentially large numbers of should-be compatible external devices.

I've put in an order for a new USB-C to USB 3 adapter which will confirm one way or the other.

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Answer 5

eyedeeuk Author

Level 1

42 points

Feb 7, 2021 7:59 AM in response to steve626

Thank you steve626 for your input and help. I'm happy to say the issue has been resolved by the purchase of a new USB-C to USB 3 adapter and all of my external devices are working correctly once more.

I'm still not entirely sure what exactly caused the issues I experienced. It could simply be a coincidence in which my original multi-port adapter gave up the ghost the same day as I installed the latest Mojave Security Update, but as said multi-port adapter still works perfectly with many external devices (just not all) I wonder if the security update changed something that affected connected external devices and the multi-port adapters ability to pass through power-based instructions to connected devices? Without testing my original multi-port adapter in another MacBook Pro etc. I won't know but, in any case, I'm very happy that all my devices are working correctly again.

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Security Update has broken external device functionality

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