Last night, a Mac App Store design flaw stopped all Mac App Store apps from working.
See Apple user anger as Mac apps break due to security certificate lapse.
Apparently, all Mac App Store apps are dependent on a security certificate to prevent piracy. Apple, through what can only be described as complete incompetence, let that security certificate expire yesterday. Mac App Store apps couldn't run until Apple got a new certificate.
Now, first of all, it is terrible design that the entire Mac App Store system depends on a certificate that can expire. Even worse, though, is if you have designed the system to depend on such a certificate, to not make very sure that the it never actually expires is astoundingly stupid. Apple is huge company. They can't have someone in charge of making sure that their certificates don't expire?
If anyone is still having the problem, it apparently should be solved now by just rebooting or entering your Apple ID when prompted.
Here are some more articles about it:
Mac App Store security glitch leaves OS X users with borked apps
Some Mac App Store Apps 'Damaged' Due to Expired Security Certificates
And finally, blogger Craig Hockenberry somewhat predicted the possibility of this happening several years ago.
More:
All Mac Store Apps Stopped Working Due To Expired Security Certificate
From a Developer:
No One Minding the Store
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