Automatic Update of Bitdefender Bricked My Macbook macOS 15.3.2

This afternoon, I received a message stating that a Bitdefender update was available and that I needed to restart my MacBook. After restarting, a menu line for Antivirus for Mac appeared at the top of the macOS login screen. I was unable to get past this screen and could not click on anything with the mouse or type in my user password.

I restarted my Mac in Safe Mode and, under Login Items, turned off "Allow in Background" for Bitdefender SRL.

After restarting, my Mac loaded correctly. I then re-enabled "Allow in Background" for Bitdefender SRL, and the system appeared to run normally. However, after another restart, I was once again stuck on the unresponsive login screen.

I presume that if Bitdefender SRL is not allowed to run in the background, Bitdefender will not function properly for protection.

Does anyone have any suggestions? It seems like today's update has caused an issue.

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Gjoksi

Hello.
You should contact Bitdefender Consumer Support by chat, telephone or e-mail:
https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/help/
Chat is the fastest way to get in touch with Bitdefender Consumer Support.
NOTE: Bitdefender telephone support is not toll-free!
Regards.

rockoyster

Thanks for your response. Before contacting support I thought it would be worthwhile uninstalling and re-installing Bitdefender. This did not fix the problem so I have emailed support.

rockoyster

Just adding this screenshot (photo taken on iPhone as MacBook is locked up) in case anyone else hits this problem.

ItuKaisar

it did not brick my Macbook (yet), but since the last update I also have the Bitdefender taskbar above my lockscreen. So far I havent been able to use it to bypass my lockscreen security, but for some reason it just doesnt feel “safe”….

Flexx

To add here, If you have already submitted a request to Bitdefender Support and received a confirmation email with the ticket details, it is advisable to generate and submit specific logs if you have access to your Mac, either in normal mode or safe mode. Bitdefender Support often requests these logs for troubleshooting purposes, as they provide valuable diagnostic information about the issue you are experiencing.

The required logs include the Bitdefender BDsysLog for macOS and the Bitdefender BDProfiler log for macOS. These logs help the support team analyze system behavior, detect potential conflicts, and identify the root cause of the problem. You can find the instructions to generate these logs at the links below:

Bitdefender BDsysLog for macOS: https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/11198/

Bitdefender BDProfiler log for macOS: https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/1863/

Once you have generated these logs, attach them to your existing support ticket by replying to the email you received from Bitdefender Support. This will provide the support team with the necessary information to diagnose and resolve your issue more effectively.

However, if you are unable to generate these logs due to any reason, it is important to inform Bitdefender Support. You can do this by replying to the ticket email and explaining why you are unable to provide the logs. This ensures that the support team is aware of your situation and can suggest alternative troubleshooting steps.

Since Bitdefender Support typically requests logs for troubleshooting issues related to their products on both macOS and Windows, proactively communicating any challenges in generating the logs will help streamline the support process. This will allow the support team to provide you with the best possible assistance based on the information available.

Regards

rockoyster

Hi Flexx,

I did supply a log to support. I have just received a response which says:

I have looked into the case and it seems that the situation is caused by an issue that has already been acknowledged by our development team. We are currently working on a fix that will be done by means of an automatic update and won't require any additional action on your end.

So that’s good.

Flexx

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/351777#Comment_351777

Perfect! That means the issue is already known to the Bitdefender developers, and they are actively working on a fix. Once available, it will be released through a Bitdefender product update.

That being said, it's important to note that there is no fixed timeline for the fix, as updates are prioritized based on the severity of the bugs and issues reported daily. The more critical the issue, the sooner it will receive a patch.

Regards

Pleonasm

@rockoyster, what is the version number of Antivirus for Mac that is causing "a menu line for Antivirus for Mac appeared at the top of the macOS login screen"?

@Alexandru_BD, given the severity of this issue and given that the development team is aware of the problem, has the distribution of this defective update now been suppressed? When the fixed version is released, can you please post a note here informing users that it is now safe to update Antivirus for Mac without fear of the Mac becoming a "brick"?

Thank you.

rockoyster

@Pleonasm

Version is 10.2.2.2 released 11 March 2025.

My Mac is running OK for now. The workaround is to remember that prior to rebooting I need to go into Login Items settings and turn off "Allow in Background" for Bitdefender SRL. Then after restarting, turn that setting back on.

rockoyster

Pleonasm

@rockoyster, thank you for your note. By way of comparison, I upgraded to version 10.2.2.2 of Antivirus for Mac on my iMac (M1, macOS 15.3.2) about a week ago. A reboot of the iMac during the installation process (and a few reboots since) have not caused any problems, and no "menu line for Antivirus for Mac… at the top of the macOS login screen" has appeared.

Flexx

You can always take a look at the post below for the updated versions of different Bitdefender products and the improvements made to them. The post is regularly updated by forum admin @Alexandru_BD

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/91738/bitdefender-product-updates-and-release-notes#latest

Regards

Alexandru_BD

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/351832#Comment_351832

Hi @Pleonasm,

Sure, i'll post the changelog as soon as the new build is released. So far, I haven't received any information regarding the next version that's about to be released, but I think we should expect a new build somewhere in early April.

rockoyster

So today I updated macOS from 15.3.2 to 15.4. I thought I would check if the new version had any impact on the Bitdefender problem reported in this thread. It didn't, in case anyone else is contemplating the same course of action.

Alexandru_BD

@rockoyster I'm curious if you also experience the issue described in this article, because I think they may be connected:

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/103705/bitdefender-dashboard

In any case, this is being investigated.

Regards

Pleonasm

For myself, the issue reported by rockoyster is not occurring when using Antivirus for Mac (10.2.2.2) following an upgrade to macOS 15.4 (iMac, M1) yesterday.

P.S.: I also am not experiencing the "Bitdefender Dashboard" issue with macOS 15.4, which is consistent with the hypothesis that the two issues may be related.

rockoyster

@Alexandru_BD I am not seeing the Dashboard window opening on reboot.

Scarlet

Since the issue seems tied to the recent update, try reinstalling Bitdefender to reset its permissions. If the problem persists, reach out to Bitdefender Support—they may have a fix or an update on the way.

Alexandru_BD

Hello,

Most likely next week the devs will rollout an update containing the fix for this issue.

rockoyster

I got a message a little while back saying the issue would be resolved by the end of April. I now see a new version of Bitdefender (10.2.3.4) was released on 10 April. I have not yet been invited to restart to apply the update. Is there any way of forcing this update or do I just have to wait for it to roll out to my neck of the woods.

Alexandru_BD

Hello @rockoyster,

The automatic update is enabled by default. If you are connected to the Internet and Bitdefender Shield is enabled in Preferences → Protection, Antivirus for Mac checks for software updates every hour. When an update is detected, it is automatically downloaded and installed on your Mac.

You can also perform manual updates at any time. An active Internet connection is required to check for available updates and download them. To check for updates manually:

Click the Β icon in the menu bar and choose Open Antivirus interface to bring up Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac.
Click Actions in the top menu bar.
Choose Update threat information database. Or hold down at the same time the Command ⌘ key and the U key.
Bitdefender will check for updates.
If an update is available, it is automatically downloaded and installed on your Mac. The update process might take a while.
When a product update is available (product updates include app improvements and bug fixes) a pop-up window will inform you to restart the system. Click Restart to upgrade or manually restart the Mac.

I hope this helps.

Regards,

Alex

Alexandru_BD

For the record, I have also announced this update on the release notes thread here, and this does indeed fix the bug that was previously reported on the forum:

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/352655#Comment_352655

Note: This version will roll out over the coming weeks, so I'm not sure if the rollout has ended, but you can still try a manual update and see if it's available for you.

rockoyster

Thanks Alexandru_BD, I have tried manual updates but I only get the information database updates, not the product update. I guess paitience is called for.

rockoyster

Bitdefender updated today to 10.2.3.4 and restarted without issue. Looks like this problem is now resolved.

Thanks all.