Environment: macOS Sequoia
Summary: Huntress has noticed customer reports of the hostname of the machine changing to a generic name after upgrading to macOS Sequoia.
Problem description:
After upgrading to Sequoia users have reported that the device hostname changes to:
- macbookpro
- mac
- MacBook
We have been specifically made aware of this after partners have reached out reporting hostname changes being seen in the Huntress portal.
What we found:
In our investigation, we’ve confirmed that this is a macOS specific issue, and not related to Huntress software. Specifically, it is related to the “Wi-Fi Mac Randomization” feature that uses a randomized hardware address to prevent third parties from tracking device based on hostname alone. One of the side effects of this functionality seems to be the hostname is reset to a generic name listed above, after upgrading to macOS 15.
Proposed solution:
- Set your hostname:
sudo scutil --set HostName "Your Desired Hostname" - Reboot your computer
It may also be possible to change the MAC address randomization setting via an MDM Payload, but please refer to the Apple documentation on the technical and security implications of it.
References: