How to Get Rid of HPDeviceMonitoring.framework Popup on Mac

What do you do if the app that was previously working fine on your Mac suddenly pops up a warning message saying that it is malicious or will damage your computer? This is the case for Mac users using an HP printer who received the “HPDeviceMonitoring.framework will damage your computer” error when trying to print via the print dialog.

The reports on this error message started appearing last October 23rd and the error affected Mac users who own older Mac printers. According to the report, they did not install any update, both for macOS and the HP printer, nor did they install any new app. This error prevents them from using their HP printers, which can be a great inconvenience.

What Is HP Device Monitoring Framework Malware on Mac

When users tried to print using their HP printers, they got the following message:

HPDeviceMonitoring.framework” will damage your computer.
This file was downloaded on an unknown date.
Report malware to Apple to protect other users

Here are the other versions of this error:

• “framework” will damage your computer.
• “hpPostProcessing.bundle” will damage your computer.
• “HPDM.framework” will damage your computer.
• “Matterhorn.framework” will damage your computer.
• “Productimprovementstudy.hptask” will damage your computer.
• “HP Scanner 3” will damage your computer.
• “inkjet1.driver” will damage your computer.
• “HP Utility” will damage your computer.
• “PDE.plugin will damage your computer.
• “ScanEventHandler.app” will damage your computer.
• “FaxArchive.task” will damage your computer.
• “inkjet3.driver” will damage your computer.
• “commandtohp.filter” will damage your computer.

HPDeviceMonitoring.framework and all the other files mentioned above are associated with the HP printer and are required to run whenever there is a printing job that needs to be completed. But for some unknown reason, something is preventing these files from running. Aside from the HP printer, this error also affects other apps, such as Amazon Music.

What makes this error more annoying is that it never disappears on the screen, no matter what button you click. If you click the Show in Finder button, different folders related to the HP printer driver open up each time. If you click the OK button, the error dialog will pop up again a few seconds later.

This error affects Mac running macOS Catalina and macOS Mojave only. No reports have come from Macs running an older version of macOS.

Reasons Behind the “HPDeviceMonitoring.framework will damage your computer” Error

The appearance of this error has confused a lot of Mac users because the printer was working fine before and there were no changes or new software installed that might have affected the printer’s software.

Now this error message does not mean that your HP software is malicious or has been infected by malware. To double-check, you can verify the HP app’s signature using the instructions here:

1. Launch Terminal from the Applications folder.
2. Copy and paste the following command, the add space:
   codesign –verify –verbose
3. Drag the HP app to the Terminal window to enter the path to it.
4. Hit Enter to verify.

The output should indicate whether the app is valid or not or if the signing requirements have been met. Here is an example of what your results should look like:

$ codesign –verify –verbose /Applications/Safari.app
/Applications/Safari.app: valid on disk
/Applications/Safari.app: satisfies its Designated Requirement

When you do this check, you’ll confirm that the HP driver is valid, which means that the fault lies somewhere else.

Based on the investigation made by Thomas Reed at Malwarebytes, it has been found that the error has something to do with Mac’s Gatekeeper. This is a built-in security in macOS to ensure that only safe and trusted programs run on your Mac. Once macOS detects a problem with the app or it has malicious content, Gatekeeper will notify you when you try to launch it and ask you to move it to the Trash.

But it seems like this is not Apple’s fault. According to an HP spokesperson, they asked Apple to revoke the credentials of older Mac drivers, which caused Apple to consider it as malicious.

Here is what HP has to say:

“We unintentionally revoked credentials on some older versions of Mac drivers. This caused a temporary disruption for those customers and we are working with Apple to restore the drivers. In the meantime, we recommend users experiencing this problem to uninstall the HP driver and use the native AirPrint driver to print to their printer.”

What To Do About HP Device Monitoring Framework Malware on Mac

According to HP, it has requested Apple to re-issue the certificate, which should mean that everything is good right? Unfortunately, a lot of users are still getting the same error.

So if you have been affected, here’s what you can do:

Fix #1: Use AirPrint.

If the HP app does not allow you to print, you can use AirPrint instead. No need to install any driver. As long as your Mac and printer are connected to the same Wi-Fi network, you can print your documents wirelessly.

To use AirPrint, follow the steps here:

1. Open the document you want to print then click File from the top menu.
2. Choose Print.
3. In the Printer menu, scroll down to Nearby Printers, then choose AirPrint.
4. Customize all print settings, then click Print.

Fix #2: Reinstall the HP Driver.

Before you do this, you need to uninstall the HP printer driver by dragging it to the Trash and removing the HP folder that contains all files associated with the printer. After completely uninstalling the printer, disconnect it from your Mac and restart.

Next, connect the printer to your Mac. You will get a pop up dialog that says:

Would you like to download and install software for “HP”?

This means that macOS has detected that it does not have the appropriate driver for the HP printer. Just click Install to let macOS find and install the correct driver for you.

Fix #3: Reinstall the Printer Driver Manually.

If macOS is not able to find the correct driver, you can manually reinstall the HP driver instead. To do this:

1. Go to Finder and search for the /Library/Printers/hp folder.
2. Delete the entire folder. You can also use a Mac cleaner to get rid of all leftover files.
3. Delete the HP printer under System Preferences > Printers and Scanners.
4. Install HewlettPackardPrinterDrivers.dmg from these links:
   • https://support.apple.com/kb/dl1888?locale=en_US
   • https://support.hp.com/ca-en/drivers/printers
   • https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c06164609
   • https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Printers-Knowledge-Base/quot-HPxxxxx-framework-quot-will-damage-your-computer-quot/ta-p/7825233
5. Next, connect your printer and add it back in System Preferences > Printers and Scanners.
6. Do a test print to make sure it works.

Summary

Even though Apple has reissued the certificate for the older HP drivers, there are still users who are not able to get rid of this error. If this is the case, the solutions above should help fix this issue.