Last year I posted about a useful app to read and edit property list files: PLIST Editor.
In its last update (1.15) the app gained a feature which is tremendously useful to MacAdmins: it can now open signed property lists.
MacAdmins regularly encounter signed property lists when they download configuration profiles (.mobileconfig) from a management server. Since the cryptographic signature is binary data wrapping the property list, most property list editors, such as Xcode or PlistEdit Pro, choke on the signature.
The new PLIST Editor (1.15) now detects a signed mobileconfig and will automatically unwrap the plist data from the signature and display a notification.
When you click on the notification, you will get more detailed information on the signature itself.
Once you edit and save the mobileconfig, the signature will obviously be removed. You can re-sign the edited mobileconfig file with a tool like Hancock or in the Terminal with:
$ security cms -S -N "Identity Name" -i profile.mobileconfig -o signed.mobileconfig
(Learn more on in my book: ‘Property Lists, Preferences and Profiles for Apple Administrators’)
This addition will be very useful for my workflow and think for other MacAdmins as well.
PLIST Editor is available in the Mac App Store for US$3.99 (price will vary depending on region).