Update message says unknown publisher Turbotax 2023 Deluxe

[diverjer]

Thanks, not sure why the day is a little different format.  Is your certificate Intuit ESD Test Certificate?  That is an unusual way to name a certificate. 

Since a couple of people say they don't get the UAC message, I wonder what their setting are for UAC.  I will post mine below.  You won't get any UAC messages if slider is at bottom, not sure about second from bottom.  I am also administrator on this PC.  

[DoninGA]

@diverjer My UAC is set exactly as shown on the screenshot you posted.

[diverjer]

That is strange that you don't get any yellow box UAC message.  You must get the blue box UAC.  The certificates look almost the same, yours is almost a year earlier signing time.   Not sure why that is, but don't know when that certificates gets loaded or updated, assume at the time of loading or updating Turbotax. 

Think I just wait until early January and try one of their so called super patches again?    I am think the superpatch might just be the complete software and not just a patch?  Kind of like Quicken's Mondo patch. 

Then if that fails will use Revco to remove and reload from the CD again.  Then do an update and whatever process they make me do for reloading.   Thinking is that at that time it will be a different update than one done in November and will have a different certificate.  As I said earlier, after loading from CD back in November I did an update and no UAC yellow box error warning, it was the blue box which is normal.  So it seems that the update that was done at that time did something wrong because now it claims there is an update, but I get the unknown publisher yellow UAC.   Then when I called that support person, she said that it will always tell me there is an update to download?  I know it wasn't that way last year and doubt that it is this year. 

One more thing, wish TurboTax would give you a version number when they say updates are available or with the Superpatch.  Most software will say the version number and date of the update.

[diverjer]

Downloaded another super patch, it was a little larger than the last one, not much bigger (last one 272,595KB this one 272,678KB).  So I figured something had changed and did the update.  Then started TurboTax and during startup let it check for update.  It found update, but still got yellow UAC warning about unknown publisher.  Told it no don't update.  Then started Turbotax again and said don't check for update.  After TurboTax was up and running, I went to online and clicked on check for update, again it had an update and again it said unknown publisher.   Since I was within Turbotax I allowed it to update.   While updating it did add my Kansas tax software.  Wish they would fix their problem or at least when I talk to someone they knew what I was talking about.  The certificate information is the same as it was before.  The WinPerRelease is  023   000   0360.  TurboTax Exec is 2023.47.13.30 

Not sure if I should uninstall and reload from my CD or let it go?   Might not make any difference and still get the unknown publisher.  All I know for sure when I updated after installing from CD, I did not get Unknown Publisher. 

[mesquitebean]

@ diverjer

I have the same situation.  My 2023 intuitupdater.exe file (in Update Service v. 5) also says "unknown publisher" and "untrusted", and whenever I try to update through the interface, it produces the yellow UAC warning (my UAC setting slider is the same as yours.)  When I look back at 2022's files (Update Service v. 4) the intuitupdater.exe also is unknown and untrusted, but it didn't produce any UAC error for me last year, from what I remember.  So I don't know why it is doing so for me this year.   I haven't decided what I plan to do, but I suspect that like you, I'll eventually have to accept it, although that will rub me the wrong way.

[diverjer]

Same here on the 2022 certificate, it was fine and blue last year and when I loaded from the CD for 2023.  Only after first update did UAC error occur, but that was after a couple weeks and a MIcrosoft update.  Makes me wonder if a MS update did something to the Trusted Root Certification Authorities store.  

From the prompt I see when viewing certificate, I could add the TT updater to the store, but haven't done it.    Don't know what happens after I click on add to the store?   Not at all familiar with the Trusted Root Certification Authorities store or how it gets updated by MS or TT.  

[rhp195]

Same problem. WinPerRelease (023.000.0367) and TurboTax.exe (2023.47.14.32). Please address this!

[diverjer]

I am surprised more people don't say something about this, they must have the UAC check turned off or just ignore the yellow box?  Maybe some have installed the unknown certificate, but that takes some extra effort that most wouldn't do. 

I know calling support at TurboTax doesn't help, they don't know what I was talking about.  

Guess there is no reason to uninstall and update if you are still getting the UAC yellow notice about unknown publisher.

This may be my last year with this product, been a long run, but like many, they got too big and don't offer any support other than someone following a list/flowchart of questions- no technical support or actual "real knowledge".   I am just lazy, could do mine on paper or am old enough I can go places and get it done free. 

[diverjer]

Tonight was a little different, I updated Turbotax from within TurboTax (which I done before and still got UAC error).  By that I mean not on startup having it check, but opening going to online pull down and click on check for update. 

However this time Turbotax updated without bringing up the UAC box!!   I said what is this?  Went and check UAC settings and it is as it always was and should be.  But Turbotax updated without getting that check box to okay.  Said it updated 1-10-2024 update which was Turbotax.exe 2023.47.14.32.   Prior update I did on 1/2/24 and got yellow UAC box and did it from the online pull down was turbotax.exe 2023.47.13.30. 

The UAC is working as I updated Firefox prior to Turbotax and got the blue UAC popup. 

Wonder if Turbotax found a way around doing the check?   The certificate is still unknown publisher. 

[rhp195]

@diverjer had you just continued past the yellow UAC warning in the past? I'm on the version you have, but still get the UAC warning. I'm thinking I should just proceed with the update assuming that it will address the issue. I installed on Jan 12th. had you updated since then?

[diverjer]

Yes, I was not allowing an update with the yellow UAC update for several weeks.  Then on 1/2/24 I did the update from within Turbotax online pull down menu.  I still got the yellow UAC, but told it to go ahead and update.  Felt a little more comfortable since I was in turbotax when I made the request for updates rather than the request when starting turbotax. 

Then I did the same thing yesterday 1/14/24, checked for updates with turbotax running via the online pull down menu.  This time it said there were updates, I said do them and there was NOT A UAC message of any kind asking approval.  I doubled checked and my UAC setting are correct and the Microsoft recommend setting.  Also, checked the registry key enablua which was a 1.  Not sure why it didn't ask for a UAC approval unless there is a way for Intuit to bypass the check and that was done on the 1/2/24 update?  I have checked the certificate for intuitupdater.exe and it is still not approved neither the 128 or 256. 

When I first loaded from CD purchased from Sam's Club, I did an update check after loading, there was one and I got the normal blue UAC box. 

[diverjer]

Updated again today and it did not have a popup window for the UAC.  After I said update, it just started downloaded and updated- no UAC box.  I guess somehow Intuit fixed it by bypassing the UAC check somehow?   Wouldn't think MS would allow that, but I use to find ways around IBM roadblocks, so maybe they did also? 

Did update 3 other apps and they all had the UAC box which was blue, so my sittings are still right and haven't been changed. 

[Mdubyuh2000]

Fix That Worked - Same experience here after install of 2023 TurboTax Deluxe and Business editions the Check for Updates ran without problem a couple of times.  Then started getting Unknown Publisher warning repeatedly.  Applied Super Patch manually but error continued.  Finally I right-clicked on TurboTax desktop icon and clicked Run as Administrator.  Update ran successfully and has continued to run without the Unknown Publisher error ever since.  Fingers crossed...

[prng89283723]

@Mdubyuh2000 wrote:

Fix That Worked - Same experience here after install of 2023 TurboTax Deluxe and Business editions the Check for Updates ran without problem a couple of times.  Then started getting Unknown Publisher warning repeatedly.  Applied Super Patch manually but error continued.  Finally I right-clicked on TurboTax desktop icon and clicked Run as Administrator.  Update ran successfully and has continued to run without the Unknown Publisher error ever since.  Fingers crossed...

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This just means something scarier, that Intuit does not check the signatures of processes before launching them under the parent (elevated and signed) process.

The hash of my self-signed IntuitUpdater.exe in C:\Program Files\Common Files\Intuit\Update Service v5 is:

2b00279dcfcac31e79f8d12f8e18d8db0a681fd9bd02f8f6da5460740e0de0ea

It is signed using CN = intuit esd test certificate

Intuit needs to hire a security minded individual to oversee the developers. 

[diverjer]

Believe you are correct, somehow they are getting around Microsoft check for publisher?    Mine stopped the yellow warning about unknown publisher and now just does the update with no message- not even the blue message to ok the update. 

I have the UAC setting right, all other software I get the UAC blue box.  However now Turbotax updates with no UAC check.  From being an old system software programmer (really old retired 2004), I know there are always way to get around things, but don't think Turbotax ought to be using this method.