Apple Working on Fix for Spotify Kernel Panic Bug on OS X

Spotify team member Johan Lindstrom has confirmed that Apple is working on a fix for a bug that occasionally triggers a kernel panic on OS X when running the streaming music service's official Mac desktop app.

The issue first arose in the Spotify support community in October, when a user claimed that OS X 10.9.5 was crashing after updating to Spotify version 1.0.15.133. Since then, dozens of other affected users have shared kernel panic logs.

Spotify-OS-X

I've been in contact with Apple and they have confirmed that this is a known bug in the current and recent versions of OS X. They are working on a fix, but I don't know when they will roll that out. The bug that is causing the kernel panic is being triggered when running Spotify simply because the Spotify app is making network requests (to stream music etc.) and there are several other apps that also cause the same kernel panic to occur.

In the meantime, the user-suggested workaround is to disable OS X's built-in system firewall under System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Firewall. The firewall is normally used to control which apps send or receive network traffic, so be aware of the potential security implications of disabling it.

Spotify has sent the kernel panic logs to Apple and pointed them towards the support community topic, but it remains unclear when the bug will be fixed. Apple seeded the fourth beta of OS X 10.11.4 to developers for testing earlier this week, while OS X 10.12 will likely be previewed at WWDC in June.

(Thanks, Daniel!)

Tags: Spotify, OS X

Top Rated Comments

tuartboy Avatar
102 months ago
I mean it sounds like it's Spotify's software causing the crash. Why can't they fix their own code? I wouldn't exactly be expecting a swift response from Apple when their  Music competitor is having issues.
User space code should never be able to cause a kernel panic. If it's happening, it's the fault of the kernel space code.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ocyrus Avatar
102 months ago
Yeah let me just turn off my Firewall.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
happywaffle Avatar
102 months ago
I mean it sounds like it's Spotify's software causing the crash. Why can't they fix their own code? I wouldn't exactly be expecting a swift response from Apple when their  Music competitor is having issues.
A perfectly-designed OS should never kernel panic at all because of malfunctioning third-party software. There are surely bugs to fix at both Apple and Spotify.

Agreed on that last sentence, though.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macsrcool1234 Avatar
102 months ago
I mean it sounds like it's Spotify's software causing the crash. Why can't they fix their own code? I wouldn't exactly be expecting a swift response from Apple when their  Music competitor is having issues.

Edit: I'm not saying that Apple's shouldn't fix whatever bug is on their end. Just that Spotify wasn't crashing until they changed something in their own code for 1.0.15.133. Yes, Apple needs to fix their OS, but Spotify shouldn't just let their customers suffer in the interim— what's preventing them from reverting to the code that wasn't causing their user's computers to crash?
Clearly you have absolutely no idea how programming works.

If Apple provides an API, it's Apple's responsibility to make sure that API doesn't cause a kernel panic. Simple.

Also, it's not just Spotify crashing.....
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macfacts Avatar
102 months ago
I mean it sounds like it's Spotify's software causing the crash. Why can't they fix their own code? I wouldn't exactly be expecting a swift response from Apple when their  Music competitor is having issues.
I think it is a serious bug/exploit if a end user program can crash the OS.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
69Mustang Avatar
102 months ago
I mean it sounds like it's Spotify's software causing the crash. Why can't they fix their own code? I wouldn't exactly be expecting a swift response from Apple when their  Music competitor is having issues.
I don't know how you came to that conclusion. It seems pretty clear according to the article:
"I've been in contact with Apple and they have confirmed that this is a known bug in the current and recent versions of OS X. They are working on a fix, but I don't know when they will roll that out. The bug that is causing the kernel panic is being triggered when running Spotify simply because the Spotify app is making network requests (to stream music etc.) and there are several other apps that also cause the same kernel panic to occur."

Did you read something somewhere else that lead you to think it's the Spotify software? Apple confirmed the bug after all.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 17

iOS 17.2 Will Add These 12 New Features to Your iPhone

Friday December 1, 2023 12:19 pm PST by
iOS 17.2 has been in beta testing for over a month, and it should be released to all users in a few more weeks. The software update includes many new features and changes for iPhones, including the dozen that we have highlighted below. iOS 17.2 is expected to be released to the public in mid-December. To learn about even more features coming in the update, check out our full list. Journal ...
anker new xmas 1

Anker's Cyber Week Sale Enters Final Days With Up to 60% Off Sitewide

Friday December 1, 2023 12:05 pm PST by
Anker's Black Friday/Cyber Week event is entering its final days this weekend, and it's still offering up to 60 percent off sitewide. There are also a few "mystery boxes" that can include hundreds of dollars in savings, if you're willing to risk not knowing what you're buying ahead of time. All of these sales will end on December 3. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Anker. When you...
General Apps Messages

Green Bubbles on iPhone to Gain These 7 New Features Next Year

Thursday November 30, 2023 9:00 am PST by
Earlier this month, Apple announced that it will finally support RCS in the Messages app on the iPhone starting later next year. This change will result in several improvements to the messaging experience between iPhones and Android devices. RCS will become the new default standard for messaging between iPhones and Android devices, but these conversations will still have green bubbles like...
top stories 2dec2023

Top Stories: iOS 17.1.2 Released, NameDrop Misinformation, and More

Saturday December 2, 2023 6:00 am PST by
Apple employees are back to work following a Thanksgiving break, and that means this week saw a number of new operating system updates for both public release and beta testing. This week also saw some misinformation about Apple's new NameDrop feature making the rounds, while Apple and Goldman Sachs appear to be on the verge of a break-up in their Apple Card and savings account partnership,...
instagram messenger

Instagram and Facebook Messenger Chats to Disconnect This Month

Tuesday December 5, 2023 1:57 am PST by
Meta has revealed plans to end Instagram users' ability to chat with Facebook accounts later this month, rolling back a feature that it introduced over three years ago. In September 2020, Meta (then Facebook) announced it was merging its Facebook Messenger service with Instagram direct messaging, allowing Instagram users to chat with Facebook users and vice versa using the same platform....
iphone 5g mmwave

Apple's Work on 6G Connectivity Already Expanding

Monday December 4, 2023 7:00 am PST by
Apple's work on implementing 6G cellular connectivity on its devices appears to be ramping up, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman explained that Apple is increasingly turning its attention to 6G, even amid its widely reported difficulties developing a custom 5G cellular modem. In 2021, the first highly specific Apple job...