[Bug]: Privileged helper crashes repeatedly on macOS 26 (Sequoia) - nginx fails to bind ports 80/443

[nima-champ]

Platform

macOS

Operating system version

macOS version: 26.2 (Build 25C56)

System architecture

ARM64 (M1, M2, etc)

Herd Version

1.24.2

PHP Version

PHP 8.3

Bug description

After upgrading to macOS 26.2 (Sequoia), the Herd privileged helper (de.beyondco.herd.helper) crashes immediately on startup, preventing nginx from binding to ports 80 and 443. The herd restart command reports success but nginx never starts.

• herd restart says "Herd services have been restarted" but nothing listens on 80/443
• lsof -nP -iTCP:80 -sTCP:LISTEN returns empty
• nginx -t fails with: bind() to 127.0.0.1:80 failed (13: Permission denied)
• Helper shows repeated crashes in launchctl print system/de.beyondco.herd.helper:

  state = not running
  runs = 19
  successive crashes = 19
  last terminating signal = Trace/BPT trap: 5

From /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/de.beyondco.herd.helper-*.ips:

"asi" : {"libdispatch.dylib":["BUG IN CLIENT OF LIBDISPATCH: dispatch_sync called on queue already owned by current thread"]}

"exception" : {"codes":"0x0000000000000001, 0x000000019f094c94","rawCodes":[1,6963154068],"type":"EXC_BREAKPOINT","signal":"SIGTRAP"}

"termination" : {"flags":0,"code":5,"namespace":"SIGNAL","indicator":"Trace/BPT trap: 5","byProc":"exc handler","byPid":36589}

The crash occurs in the call stack involving:

• XPMalwareEvaluation (XProtect framework)
• InterpreterSecurity_ScanBuffer
• NSAppleScript compileAndReturnError:
• dispatch_sync_f_slow → triggers the libdispatch assertion

Steps to reproduce

1. Install Herd on macOS 26.2
2. Run herd restart
3. Check lsof -nP -iTCP:80 -sTCP:LISTEN - nothing listening
4. Check launchctl print system/de.beyondco.herd.helper - shows successive crashes

Relevant log output

[mpociot]

Hm I am unable to reproduce this behavior. I tried upgrading locally, installation in a fresh 26.2 VM as well as upgrading in a fresh 26.0 -> 26.2 VM.
Have you tried to re-install the helper? Maybe something broke during the update for you.
We have a lot of users already on 26.2, so I doubt that this is an update specific issue.

[Benjacho]

same problem here.
When doing the herd stop, cmd line ok. but the services are ongoing, so then decided to killall, performed killall, but the services return and are ongoing, finally removed the daemon that solved it.

But caused another problem when removing the daemon need to install again the daemon, that causing to not work the UI when starting the services

Needed to use the cmd line to make it work with herd start

Finally UI crashes without working the start and stop services...

[Webotvorba]

Same problem here. When I quit herd or stop all services the nginx are still running and cant use docker. (which I am using for different projects). I am also on macOS 26.2.

[mpociot]

Can you share the output of

sudo ps aux | grep nginx

[mpociot]

Also do you get any logs for nginx in Herds Logs folder?

[lukeagsmith]

Same problem here and I get the same output as @nima-champ

sudo ps aux | grep nginx shows no line for nginx so it isn't running

I have no new entries in .../Herd/Log/nginx-error.log

How do I reinstall the helper?

[mpociot]

Does force stopping and restarting the service help?
Try option clicking on the Herd menubar icon abschicken force stop and then start again.

[lukeagsmith]

No, clicking "Force Stop All" and then starting again doesn't fix.

[mpociot]

Okay.
You can force the helper reinstallation.

1. Quit Herd
2. Run
   sudo /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/de.beyondco.herd.helper uninstall

Then restart Herd which should show the onboarding again (which installs the helper)

[lukeagsmith]

Uninstalled and went through the onboarding but still no joy.

[mpociot]

Can you see if the helper is running?

sudo ps aux | grep herd

There should be a herd helper process running