The ... VPN configuration has been modified since it was last secured

[Sheep Spirit]

Hi,

I started having trouble launching and connecting to an OpenVPN tunnel this morning. The last thing I can recall doing that might have an impact is performing a Repair in Disk Utility. I also recently upgraded to macOS Big Sur (11.7.10), but Tunnelblick was fine for a day or two across reboots before this issue started.

I am using Tunnelblick 3.8.8d (build 5779), but have also tried downgrading to 3.8.8b without success.

Screenshots and logs are below.

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Screenshots:

In the VPN Details window, no logs are generated.

In Activity Monitor -> Log Reports > tunnelblickd.log, I see the following:

> Sep 26 07:30:33  tunnelblickd[1221] <Debug>: approximateLastKnownReboot = 1695725593.539304; approximateMostRecentReboot = 1695725594.468253; difference = 0.928949
> Sep 26 07:30:33  tunnelblickd[1221] <Debug>: This reboot time is approximately the same as the last reboot time; not first run after rebooting
> Sep 26 07:30:33  tunnelblickd[1221] <Debug>: tunnelblickd invoked but not first run after reboot
> Sep 26 07:30:33  tunnelblickd[1221] <Debug>: Started net.tunnelblick.tunnelblick.tunnelblickd
> Sep 26 07:30:33  tunnelblickd[1221] <Info>: Using existing temporary directory at /Library/Application Support/tunnelblickd
> Sep 26 07:30:33  tunnelblickd[1221] <Emergency>: Catastrophic error: Could not create /Library/Application Support/tunnelblickd/stdout.txt

In Activity Monitor > Diagnostic Report, I see the following:

> Date/Time:        2023-09-26 07:18:43.149 -0400
> End time:         2023-09-26 07:20:14.417 -0400
> OS Version:       macOS 11.7.10 (Build 20G1427)
> Architecture:     x86_64h
> Report Version:   32
> Incident Identifier: C5C9AC81-43D8-4F8E-9786-456658F518ED
>
> Data Source:      Microstackshots
> Shared Cache:     3694F5E4-3E85-3CD5-A2B0-534E2DFC1355 slid base address 0x7fff205f3000, slide 0x5f3000
>
> Command:          Tunnelblick
> Path:             /Applications/Tunnelblick.app/Contents/MacOS/Tunnelblick
> Identifier:       net.tunnelblick.tunnelblick
> Version:          3.8.8d (build 5779) (5779)
> Parent:           UNKNOWN [1]
> PID:              1045
>
> Event:            cpu usage
> Action taken:     none
> CPU:              90 seconds cpu time over 91 seconds (99% cpu average), exceeding limit of 50% cpu over 180 seconds
> CPU limit:        90s
> Limit duration:   180s
> CPU used:         90s
> CPU duration:     91s
> Duration:         91.27s
> Duration Sampled: 89.98s
> Steps:            50
>
> Hardware model:   MacBookPro11,3
> Active cpus:      8
>
> Fan speed:        2156 rpm
>
> Heaviest stack for the target process:
>   49  thread_start + 15 (libsystem_pthread.dylib + 9283) [0x7fff208fd443]
>   49  _pthread_start + 224 (libsystem_pthread.dylib + 26876) [0x7fff209018fc]
>   49  __NSThread__start__ + 1068 (Foundation + 365703) [0x7fff21783487]
>   49  -[MenuController postLaunchThread] + 91 (Tunnelblick + 217803) [0x10f56a2cb]
>   49  -[MenuController displayMessagesAboutKextsAndBigSur] + 94 (Tunnelblick + 217374) [0x10f56a11e]
>   49  -[MenuController oneOrMoreConfigurationsMustLoad:] + 180 (Tunnelblick + 217204) [0x10f56a074]
>   49  -[VPNConnection mustLoad:] + 90 (Tunnelblick + 60554) [0x10f543c8a]
>   49  +[ConfigurationManager parseConfigurationForTunTapForConnection:] + 64 (Tunnelblick + 458256) [0x10f5a4e10]
>   49  +[ConfigurationManager parseConfigurationForConnection:hasAuthUserPass:authRetryParameter:allowInteraction:] + 193 (Tunnelblick + 454417) [0x10f5a3f11]
>   49  -[VPNConnection condensedSanitizedConfigurationFileContents] + 104 (Tunnelblick + 26056) [0x10f53b5c8]
>   49  -[VPNConnection sanitizedConfigurationFileContents] + 216 (Tunnelblick + 26344) [0x10f53b6e8]
>   49  runOpenvpnstart + 316 (Tunnelblick + 357052) [0x10f58c2bc]
>   40  read + 10 (libsystem_kernel.dylib + 7342) [0x7fff208cccae]
>
>
> Powerstats for:   Tunnelblick [1045]
> UUID:             F12F4937-7D2F-3605-9567-6C11C234E327
> App Version:      3.8.8d (build 5779)
> Build Version:    5779
> Path:             /Applications/Tunnelblick.app/Contents/MacOS/Tunnelblick
> Architecture:     x86_64
> Parent:           UNKNOWN [1]
> UID:              501
> Footprint:        26.54 MB
> Start time:       2023-09-26 07:18:44.070 -0400
> End time:         2023-09-26 07:20:14.051 -0400
> Num samples:      50 (100%)
> Primary state:    30 samples Non-Frontmost App, Non-Suppressed, Kernel mode, Effective Thread QoS Default, Requested Thread QoS Default, Override Thread QoS Unspecified
> User Activity:    50 samples Idle, 0 samples Active
> Power Source:     0 samples on Battery, 50 samples on AC
>   49  thread_start + 15 (libsystem_pthread.dylib + 9283) [0x7fff208fd443]
>     49  _pthread_start + 224 (libsystem_pthread.dylib + 26876) [0x7fff209018fc]
>       49  __NSThread__start__ + 1068 (Foundation + 365703) [0x7fff21783487]
>         49  -[MenuController postLaunchThread] + 91 (Tunnelblick + 217803) [0x10f56a2cb]
>           49  -[MenuController displayMessagesAboutKextsAndBigSur] + 94 (Tunnelblick + 217374) [0x10f56a11e]
>             49  -[MenuController oneOrMoreConfigurationsMustLoad:] + 180 (Tunnelblick + 217204) [0x10f56a074]
>               49  -[VPNConnection mustLoad:] + 90 (Tunnelblick + 60554) [0x10f543c8a]
>                 49  +[ConfigurationManager parseConfigurationForTunTapForConnection:] + 64 (Tunnelblick + 458256) [0x10f5a4e10]
>                   49  +[ConfigurationManager parseConfigurationForConnection:hasAuthUserPass:authRetryParameter:allowInteraction:] + 193 (Tunnelblick + 454417) [0x10f5a3f11]
>                     49  -[VPNConnection condensedSanitizedConfigurationFileContents] + 104 (Tunnelblick + 26056) [0x10f53b5c8]
>                       49  -[VPNConnection sanitizedConfigurationFileContents] + 216 (Tunnelblick + 26344) [0x10f53b6e8]
>                         49  runOpenvpnstart + 316 (Tunnelblick + 357052) [0x10f58c2bc]
>                           40  read + 10 (libsystem_kernel.dylib + 7342) [0x7fff208cccae]
>                             6   <User mode>
>                             5   <Frontmost App>
>                           4   runTunnelblickd + 1059 (Tunnelblick + 838755) [0x10f601c63]
>                             2   +[NSDate date] + 47 (CoreFoundation + 601877) [0x7fff20a0bf15]
>                               1   __commpage_gettimeofday + 0 (libsystem_kernel.dylib + 10841) [0x7fff208cda59]
>                                 1   <User mode>
>                               1   gettimeofday + 45 (libsystem_c.dylib + 68513) [0x7fff207e6ba1]
>                                 1   __commpage_gettimeofday_internal + 36 (libsystem_kernel.dylib + 10884) [0x7fff208cda84]
>                                   1   mach_absolute_time + 28 (libsystem_kernel.dylib + 5940) [0x7fff208cc734]
>                                     1   <User mode>
>                             1   +[NSDate date] + 47 (CoreFoundation + 601877) [0x7fff20a0bf15]
>                             1   objc_msgSend + 41 (libobjc.A.dylib + 26665) [0x7fff2079f829]
>                               1   <User mode>
>                           2   objc_msgSend + 46 (libobjc.A.dylib + 26670) [0x7fff2079f82e]
>                             2   <User mode>
>                           1   objc_msgSend + 33 (libobjc.A.dylib + 26657) [0x7fff2079f821]
>                             1   <User mode>
>                           1   objc_msgSend + 26 (libobjc.A.dylib + 26650) [0x7fff2079f81a]
>                             1   <User mode>
>                           1   runTunnelblickd + 1111 (Tunnelblick + 838807) [0x10f601c97]
>                             1   _platform_bzero$VARIANT$Haswell + 104 (libsystem_platform.dylib + 5384) [0x7fff20944508]
>                               1   <User mode>
>   1   start + 1 (libdyld.dylib + 89917) [0x7fff2091cf3d]
>     1   main + 34 (Tunnelblick + 14162) [0x10f538752]
>       1   NSApplicationMain + 816 (AppKit + 14284) [0x7fff231c67cc]
>         1   -[NSApplication run] + 586 (AppKit + 193993) [0x7fff231f25c9]
>           1   -[NSApplication(NSEvent) _nextEventMatchingEventMask:untilDate:inMode:dequeue:] + 1364 (AppKit + 250533) [0x7fff232002a5]
>             1   _DPSNextEvent + 864 (AppKit + 256722) [0x7fff23201ad2]
>               1   _BlockUntilNextEventMatchingListInModeWithFilter + 70 (HIToolbox + 199923) [0x7fff28c41cf3]
>                 1   ReceiveNextEventCommon + 587 (HIToolbox + 200533) [0x7fff28c41f55]
>                   1   RunCurrentEventLoopInMode + 292 (HIToolbox + 201203) [0x7fff28c421f3]
>                     1   CFRunLoopRunSpecific + 563 (CoreFoundation + 518572) [0x7fff209f79ac]
>                       1   __CFRunLoopRun + 1655 (CoreFoundation + 521958) [0x7fff209f86e6]
>                         1   __CFRunLoopDoObservers + 234 (CoreFoundation + 523760) [0x7fff209f8df0]
>                           1   <Frontmost App, User mode, Effective Thread QoS User Interactive, Requested Thread QoS User Interactive>
>
>   Binary Images:
>            0x10f535000 -        0x10f6a0fff  net.tunnelblick.tunnelblick 3.8.8d (build 5779) (5779) <F12F4937-7D2F-3605-9567-6C11C234E327>  /Applications/Tunnelblick.app/Contents/MacOS/Tunnelblick
>         0x7fff20799000 -     0x7fff207d2fff  libobjc.A.dylib (824.1)                                <A0961DED-3477-3856-A6BC-CFE2475CB2F4>  /usr/lib/libobjc.A.dylib
>         0x7fff207d6000 -     0x7fff2085efff  libsystem_c.dylib (1439.141.1)                         <BC8BCEEA-CA52-32C7-9FF5-E444CF9EF66A>  /usr/lib/system/libsystem_c.dylib
>         0x7fff208cb000 -     0x7fff208fafff  libsystem_kernel.dylib (7195.141.49.702.12)            <BA061E84-6D44-3037-832D-E86D783FA917>  /usr/lib/system/libsystem_kernel.dylib
>         0x7fff208fb000 -     0x7fff20906fff  libsystem_pthread.dylib (454.120.2.700.1)              <409239A7-2E4E-31C7-87EB-EE50B7981204>  /usr/lib/system/libsystem_pthread.dylib
>         0x7fff20907000 -     0x7fff20942fff  libdyld.dylib (852.2)                                  <FD8DB5BC-F199-3524-9DC4-DAEC0E94712F>  /usr/lib/system/libdyld.dylib
>         0x7fff20943000 -     0x7fff2094cfff  libsystem_platform.dylib (254.80.2)                    <52A77346-8AA5-3BB7-906D-C7503B491CF9>  /usr/lib/system/libsystem_platform.dylib
>         0x7fff20979000 -     0x7fff20e16fff  com.apple.CoreFoundation 6.9 (1778.105)                <B4B8042A-9415-3F26-91AC-735C968B0D95>  /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreFoundation.framework/Versions/A/CoreFoundation
>         0x7fff2172a000 -     0x7fff21a88fff  com.apple.Foundation 6.9 (1778.105)                    <4F4709DD-C198-3AA1-86A0-71D2F2FDD65D>  /System/Library/Frameworks/Foundation.framework/Versions/C/Foundation
>         0x7fff231c3000 -     0x7fff23f0efff  com.apple.AppKit 6.9 (2022.70.111)                     <FA68A033-FD64-3F0B-8869-5C42CB9C6BE4>  /System/Library/Frameworks/AppKit.framework/Versions/C/AppKit
>         0x7fff28c11000 -     0x7fff28f0cfff  com.apple.HIToolbox 2.1.1 (1062)                       <621A473B-BE8A-3381-970A-25F253BE208A>  /System/Library/Frameworks/Carbon.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/HIToolbox.framework/Versions/A/HIToolbox

[Tunnelblick developer]

Use Tunnelblick 3.8.8b, not ...c or ...d.

You need to contactSurfShark. They gave you your configuration files, and perhaps a username and password, and you are probably paying a fee to them for VPN service. 

Tunnelblick is just the free software that many VPN service providers recommend or supply to their customers. We do not provide VPN service, just software. 

[Sheep Spirit]

Thanks for the feedback. I was not aware that the configuration file meant an issue with the provider's configuration files especially given the stdout.txt write error in Activity Monitor.

I tried the latest configuration files, but now I received this error even after commenting out dev tun:

However, this looks like progress! I will try downgrading to 3.8.8b and see how that goes.

Thanks again for your help.

[Sheep Spirit]

For anyone else that is curious, I was able to get it to work again. I reverted back to 3.8.8b, but the issue remained. After that, I tried putting back the dev tun line in the .ovpn file and that seems to have resolved the issue.

Thanks again!