"SmartCard" is apparently disabling ability to "allow accessories to connect" (under Security & Privacy)

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"SmartCard" is apparently disabling ability to "allow accessories to connect" (under Security & Privacy)

I am setting up a CalDigit TS4 hub and went to install an extension provided by CalDigit. To allow extensions to be added, must enable system extensions. Along the way, I need to 'Always allow' accessories to connect, however, this setting says its 'disabled by SmartCard'. I don't use a SmartCard with this system, so I'm not sure what its talking about. My only thought is that I do use a SmartCard PIV for my government-provided Mac, and at some point I inadvertently connected my card reader with gov't issued SmartCard to this Mac (which is my personal Mac laptop) and that SmartCard 'infected' my MBP. If that's the case, I'd like to remove any dependency on my gov't smartcard from this mac.

I did a search using Terminal for smartcards and it reported there were none. I've not connected my gov't smartcard to my personal mac in a couple years at least - and this mac doesn't require the smartcard for access to anything (until now)

Any ideas and help?

This is a MacBook Pro M1 (2022) Model MK1F3LL/A 16 GB running macOS Tahoe 26.0

MacBook Pro 16″, macOS 26.0

Posted on Sep 28, 2025 4:11 PM

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Answer 1

Oct 13, 2025 8:12 AM in response to Kent_LCF

Kent_LCF wrote:

I am setting up a CalDigit TS4 hub and went to install an extension provided by CalDigit.

To allow extensions to be added, must enable system extensions. Along the way, I need to 'Always allow' accessories to connect, however, this setting says its 'disabled by SmartCard'.

I don't use a SmartCard with this system, so I'm not sure what its talking about.

My only thought is that I do use a SmartCard PIV for my government-provided Mac, and at some point I inadvertently connected my card reader with gov't issued SmartCard to this Mac (which is my personal Mac laptop) and that SmartCard 'infected' my MBP. If that's the case, I'd like to remove any dependency on my gov't smartcard from this mac.

I did a search using Terminal for smartcards and it reported there were none. I've not connected my gov't smartcard to my personal mac in a couple years at least - and this mac doesn't require the smartcard for access to anything (until now)

Any ideas and help?

This is a MacBook Pro M1 (2022) Model MK1F3LL/A 16 GB running macOS Tahoe 26.0

Does your "SmartCard PIV for my government-provided Mac" have IT support(?) I would contact them for some insight...

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