How to Handle macOS System Extension Authorization Requests When Installing the Binance Client

When some users install Binance on a Mac, they might see prompts in System Settings like "Binance wants to load a system extension" or "Binance wants to use a network extension." Should you click agree? What happens if you deny it? This note thoroughly explains this issue. Download the client from the Binance Official Website entry, or directly use the Binance Official APP; for iPhone installation, refer to the iOS Setup Tutorial.

macOS's Extension Permission System

Since Big Sur, macOS has strengthened its control over "system extensions." A system extension refers to an additional component that an APP wants to load into the system kernel or network layer, including:

• Kernel Extension (KEXT, legacy kernel extension, deprecated).
• System Extension (SEXT, modern user-space system extension).
• Network Extension (NE, for network packet filtering, VPNs).
• Endpoint Security (ES, for security monitoring).

Each of these requires explicit user authorization in System Settings before it can be loaded.

What Extensions Will the Binance Client Request?

For normal use, the Binance macOS client does not require any system extensions. It runs in regular user space, with the same permissions as a browser or an email APP. If you see a "system extension required" prompt, common reasons include:

Reason 1 · Installed the wrong, unofficial version A counterfeit Binance client might have embedded ad SDKs or mining components that require system extensions.

Reason 2 · False alarms from other APPs on the system Certain security APPs (like Little Snitch or LuLu) might pop up similar prompts when monitoring the network, but the prompt is about themselves, not Binance.

Reason 3 · Apple's notarization component updates Apple occasionally requires re-authorization for certain notarized helper tools.

If it is the authentic official Binance client and you downloaded it via the normal process from the official website, you will almost never encounter these prompts.

What to Do After Receiving a Prompt

When you receive a prompt saying "Binance wants to use a system extension":

1. Pause your operation; do not click "Allow" immediately.
2. Check if this Binance.app was downloaded from the official website.
3. Verify that the APP signature is "Binance Holdings Limited".
4. Verify that the file's SHA-256 hash matches the one on the official website.
5. Only decide to authorize if all three checks pass.

If it is not the official package, immediately discard the APP and redownload it from the official website.

Special Discussion on Network Extensions

A few enhanced security software programs (like Little Snitch on Mac) might display "Binance.app wants to connect to..." while monitoring. This is Little Snitch itself asking, not Binance requesting permission. How to handle:

• Select "Allow Forever" to let Binance connect freely.
• Or only allow known domains like binance.com, api.binance.com, etc.

This fine-grained authorization is meaningful for security-conscious users, but regular users can just allow everything.

Consequences of Denying Extension Authorization

If you deny an extension that is genuinely needed (which is extremely rare), the results might be:

• The APP launches but with limited functionality.
• Some network requests fail.
• A prompt pops up at startup asking you to authorize it again.

The official Binance client will not become completely unusable because of a denied authorization, as it doesn't rely on extensions in the first place.

Checking Authorization Status in System Settings

To proactively check which APPs on your Mac have requested extensions:

1. System Settings → Privacy & Security.
2. Scroll to the bottom.
3. Find the "System Extensions" or "Network Extensions" categories.
4. Check the APP names and their statuses in the list.

If Binance is in the list and the status is "Approved", you can choose to remove it (the APP will re-request it upon restarting).

Differences from KEXT

The old KEXT (kernel extensions) required restarting into Recovery Mode to authorize, which was very troublesome. Now, macOS's SEXT (system extensions) has greatly simplified this:

• You simply click "Allow" in System Settings.
• No system restart is required.
• No Recovery Mode is needed.
• It can be revoked at any time.

Binance has never used KEXT, so you won't encounter prompts like "Please restart into Recovery Mode."

Collaboration with Security Software

If you have third-party security software installed on your Mac, Binance's network requests might be intercepted multiple times:

• macOS's own "Application Firewall" intercepts incoming connections.
• Little Snitch intercepts outgoing connections.
• LuLu monitors the activity of all binaries.
• Enterprise MDM enforces policies.

Every additional layer of security software you install increases the number of pop-ups. To handle this: add Binance to the allowlist of each software.

Special Case for Enterprise Macs

If you are using a company-issued Mac (managed by MDM):

• The IT department may reject all non-enterprise-approved extensions by default.
• Installing Binance might be outright prohibited.
• Even if installed, it might be uninstalled remotely.

In this situation, it is recommended to use a personal device to install Binance; do not use a company machine for trading.

Prompts Reappearing After Restarting Mac

Some users report having to re-authorize every time they restart their Mac. Reasons:

• During a macOS system update, some extension authorizations were reset.
• The APP failed signature verification (e.g., an expired signature).
• The system extension mechanism itself had bugs in early versions of Big Sur.

Upgrading to the latest macOS usually resolves this.

FAQ

Q: Does the official Binance client really not need any extensions? A: Yes. The client runs fine under regular user permissions.

Q: How do I verify if an APP requests extension permissions? A: Check for fields like NSSystemExtensionUsageDescription in Info.plist. The official Binance version does not have these fields.

Q: How do I revoke a mistaken authorization? A: System Settings → Privacy & Security → System Extensions → Remove.

Q: Will denying authorization make the APP completely unusable? A: Usually not. The official Binance version will not become unusable because of this.

Further Reading

• Handling Gatekeeper
• xattr Quarantine Attribute
• Complete Uninstallation