[BUG] Desktop app 1.8089.1 crashes on launch: bundled Claude Code 2.1.142 binary is unsigned / malformed Mach-O (macOS arm64)

Preflight Checklist

• [x] I have searched existing issues and this hasn't been reported yet
• [x] This is a single bug report (please file separate reports for different bugs)
• [x] I am using the latest version of Claude Code

What's Wrong?

Summary

The Claude desktop app (macOS) crashes ~20 seconds after launch on every
start. The root cause is the Claude Code component (version 2.1.142)
bundled with Desktop release 1.8089.1: its executable is unsigned and is a
malformed Mach-O, so macOS on Apple Silicon refuses to spawn it and the
app crashes.

This appears to be a distribution/packaging-level problem, not a local
machine issue — a clean reinstall pulls down the same broken component
every time.

## Environment

• Device: MacBook Pro (Apple M3 Pro, Apple Silicon / arm64)
• macOS: 25.2.0
• Claude desktop app version: 1.8089.1
• Bundled Claude Code component: 2.1.142

## Symptom

• App launches, then crashes and closes every time after ~20 seconds.
• No error message shown to the user.
• Started 2026-05-20, immediately after updating the app to 1.8089.1.
• Worked fine through 2026-05-19 (previous version).

## Root cause (investigated)

The bundled Claude Code executable is unsigned and fails Mach-O
validation:

Affected file:
~/Library/Application
Support/Claude/claude-code/2.1.142/claude.app/Contents/MacOS/claude (~157 MB)

• codesign -dv reports: code object is not signed at all
• Attempting to ad-hoc sign it fails with:

main executable failed strict validation (malformed Mach-O)

• App logs show:
• `Failed to get agents from temporary query: spawn Unknown system error

-88`
(errno -88 = EBADMACHO / malformed Mach-O file)

• `[CCD] Binary preflight: .verified marker missing but binary exists ...

Proceeding with spawn.`

macOS on Apple Silicon cannot execute an unsigned/malformed Mach-O, so the
app fails to spawn this binary and crashes.

## Troubleshooting already tried (none resolved it)

• Restarted the Mac multiple times
• Full reinstall of the app (same 1.8089.1 — reinstall pulls the same

broken component)

• Cleared GPU / rendering caches
• Cleared Claude Code session state
• Fully reset ~/Library/Application Support/Claude

(the app regenerates claude-code 2.1.142, still in the same broken state)

• Ad-hoc signing the binary — fails because the Mach-O is malformed

## Additional notes

• The browser version (claude.ai) works fine. Only the desktop app crashes.
• Claude Code CLI installed separately via npm (version 2.1.146) on the

SAME Mac works correctly and is properly signed.

• Only the 2.1.142 component unpacked internally by the desktop app is

broken — strongly suggesting the 2.1.142 component shipped in the
1.8089.1 release is corrupted or unsigned at the distribution source.

## Expected

The bundled Claude Code binary should be signed by "Anthropic PBC" and
notarized, and pass codesign --verify --verbose.

## Request

Please investigate the signing/packaging process for the Claude Code
2.1.142 component in Desktop release 1.8089.1.

What Should Happen?

The Claude Desktop app should launch and run stably without crashing.

Error Messages/Logs

Steps to Reproduce

1. Install Claude Desktop app version 1.8089.1 on macOS (Apple Silicon)
2. Launch the app
3. Wait approximately 20 seconds
4. App crashes and closes automatically — no error message shown to user

Claude Model

None

Is this a regression?

Yes, this worked in a previous version

Last Working Version

1.8088.x (worked fine on 2026-05-19)

Claude Code Version

2.1.142 (bundled with Desktop 1.8089.1 — cannot run claude --version as app crashes)

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

macOS

Terminal/Shell

Terminal.app (macOS)

Additional Information

_No response_