When Avast’s Web Shield is activated, I cannot login to iCloud with Safari with the error “There was an error connecting to the Apple ID server.”
As soon as I disable the Web Shield, I can log in.
Are you saying that going to iCloud.com services is blocked? Or logging in somewhere in system preferences?
I verified the ability to login in MacOS 10.11 and MacOS 10.12 in Safari with Web Shield running and did not get the error.
Can you give us your MacOS and Safari Version? Click Apple then About this Mac to get the MacOS Version, and in Safari click Safari and then About Safari.
Safari is 11.0 build 13604.1.38.1.6 and MacOS is 10.13. With web shield enabled, I get the following message:
https://i.imgur.com/fQmfc2x.png
Connection Error - iCloud encountered an error while trying to connect to server.
just to be sure - Avast Security 12.9, right?
I have the same problem and I have avast 12.9 with macOS 10.13
Yes Avast 12.9. I also uninstalled and reinstalled but have the same problem
This will be fixed in the next version of Avast. A current workaround is to disable the web shield while accessing icloud.com.
Thanks for the update Ondrej!
just for record - fixed in release 13.0. If you are with older release go to - Preferences > Updates > and click the 2nd Update Now button (Program)
Hello,
unfortunately the newest iteration of HighSierra broke our fix of this issue yet again.
If it is happening to you, please run the terminal app and in it run the two following commands:
sudo sh -c “echo ‘*.icloud.com https’ >> /Library/Application\ Support/Avast/config/com.avast.proxy.excl”
sudo killall -hup com.avast.proxy
Please note that it will prompt you for a password. After that, restart Safari and all should be fine.
This should help until we manage to get a fix out.
Kind regards,
Ondrej Kolacek
the workaround while keeping Avast active using Safari:
- click on support when you get the error
- select your country
- select to login to iCloud on the web
Other workaround - use Firefox.
this issue should be fixed with the recent 13.4 release. Click Preferences > Updates > Program : Update Now to force the update manually.
Having the same issue but with Avast for Business version 13.5. Currently running High Sierra 10.13.3. Issue only occurs with the Safari browser when trying to access iCloud.com. As soon as the Web Shield is disabled it works just fine. Any ETA when this will be fixed?
Hello,
it should not happen in that configuration. Please can you check
-that in Avast GUI, Preferences, WebShield settings, in excluded servers list, there is *.icloud.com exclusion for https
-that when you browse icloud.com, in the navigation bar, when you click on icon of lock, click Show Certificates, in the list of certificates there is no “Avast trusted CA” certificate in the list?
Kind regards,
Ondrej Kolacek
Ondrej,
What is the root issue here? Is this something apple is doing detecting the man in th emiddle nature of the web shield proxy?
Hello,
It is hard to be sure, but when I encountered this issue for the first time, the only hint I have found was from logs that Safari was using some “more secure verification”. I suspect they do not use the normal verification against the keychain but they either limit the allowed root certificates (while not using our certificate in the list) or do some additional verification (which exposes the man in the middle). At least this is what I would do if I wanted to make the page “more secure”. Excepting the host seemed like the only sane thing to do in this case, but I was trying to make it the narrowest possible which was not a good idea as subsequent update widened the necessary exception. But now it should be fine, and for me it works on the same OS version.
Kind regards,
Ondrej Kolacek
Thanks Ondrej, leave it to apple to try some quirky things
Yeah, quirky. Because Apple couldn’t afford nor has the better software engineers than avast!; right? /s As far as I’m aware, avast! is writing software for an OS, not the other way around. This includes Windows, Linux, or any other UNIX-like or BSD derivatives. Just chiming in because of Apple’s quirkiness. avast! decided that their web scanner should block iCloud Photo Library syncing. Disable the real-time scanners and, wouldn’t you know, the iCloud Photos Library began syncing and had retrieved approximately 1k photos in about 1-2 minutes. I’ve been having this problem since 10.13.3. I’m going to completely remove the software and attempt another clean install. However, if it doesn’t resolve then I’ll try other antivirus software. I’ll report back if the problem is non-existent.
The problem appears to be resolved for me on macOS 10.13.4. I uninstalled avast! through the recommended uninstall routine, searched and removed files/folders related to avast!, and reinstalled. After a reboot, a clean installation of version 13.5.5a59486c66bc still required another reboot for avast! scanners to not block/inhibit particular network packets. This has been the norm for me since macOS 10.12 but it appears that avast! scanners are not blocking iCloud Photos Library syncing now. I’ll report back or post with any problems, if they occur, in the future.
Hello,
since the icloud.com webpage is constantly changing internally, we had to fix the issue again; however we are working on a solution that should prevent these issues from reappearing.
Kind regards,
Ondrej Kolacek