Revok

Revok is a macOS application that analyzes and presents metadata of applications installed on the system. The program examines application bundles, their code signature, and Spotlight information to generate a detailed inventory. The data can be filtered and exported for technical review or software management.

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• Full system scan. Revok performs a thorough analysis of all applications installed on the Mac's mounted volumes. The process identifies each executable application and collects its fundamental properties from the file system and operating system metadata. The scan is necessary for any subsequent operation within the tool.
• Classification by architecture. The application categorizes software according to the processor architecture for which it was compiled. It separately displays native applications for Apple Silicon, Intel x86_64 binaries, and universal binaries containing code for both architectures. This classification is relevant for evaluating performance and compatibility during the transition to new hardware.
• Code signature verification. Revok verifies and displays the code signature status of each application, a macOS security feature. It indicates whether an application is correctly signed, if the signature is valid, or if it completely lacks a signature. It also checks the Apple notarization status, an additional security process.
• Application type identification. The tool distinguishes between different types of applications based on their behavior in the system. It classifies software as standard graphical interface applications, menu bar applications, launch agents, widgets, or system components. This information describes the function and execution method of each program.
• Advanced result filtering. It provides a filter system to narrow down the list of applications according to multiple simultaneous criteria. Criteria include architecture, signature status, notarization status, sandbox execution environment, executable age, and application type. The filters allow isolating software groups with specific characteristics.
• Detailed metadata visualization. Upon selecting an application from the list, Revok presents a detailed view with all available documented metadata. This view includes information from the signing certificate, bundle identifiers, versions, declared permissions, installation paths, and modification dates of the executable file.
• Statistical summary generation. After the scan, the application generates a statistical summary of the findings. The summary presents counts and percentages of the total applications grouped by key characteristics, such as the percentage of signed versus unsigned software, or the proportion of native applications for Apple Silicon.
• Data export to CSV and JSON. The analysis results, both the complete list and the filtered data, can be exported to files in CSV and JSON formats. This function enables external processing of the data, the creation of custom reports, or integration with other software asset management tools.
• Detection of unused applications. Using the last execution date obtained from Spotlight metadata, Revok can identify applications that have not been opened by the user for an extended period. This information serves to evaluate which software remains active on the system and which might be considered for removal.
• Sandbox execution environment analysis. The tool identifies which applications are configured to run within the macOS security sandbox. The sandbox is a containment mechanism that restricts the system resources an application can access, which constitutes an important security indicator.
• Software age assessment. Revok calculates and displays the age of the main executable file for each application. This metric, derived from the modification date of the binary file, provides an indication of the code's modernity and the potential need for an update.
• Read-only mode operation. Revok's operation is strictly read-only. The application accesses system and file metadata through public operating system interfaces, but it does not modify, move, delete, or alter in any way the files of the scanned applications or any other part of the system.

The Revok application was developed by Ari Feldman. Its development began in the year 2020. The program is written in the Swift programming language, using the Cocoa and AppKit frameworks provided by Apple to create native applications for the macOS operating system. The tool was designed with the specific purpose of offering system administrators and technical macOS users a programmatic method to audit the installed software inventory beyond the standard graphical interface.

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