Citrix Always-On Tracing Listener Service (AOTListenerService.exe) v25.11.10.50 Crashes Linked to KernelBase.dll – UPDATED 3/16/2026

ControlUp's crash anomaly detection identified an increased rate of crashes affecting AOTListenerService.exe, a background service used for Always-On Tracing in Citrix Workspace App version 25.11.10.50. The crashes consistently fault in the KernelBase.dll module, indicating instability within this diagnostic tracing component under specific system-restart timing conditions.

This pattern was identified through analysis of anonymized, aggregate crash telemetry across customer environments.

This crash pattern has been observed across more than 220 organizations. Because AOTListenerService.exe is a background diagnostic service used exclusively for Always-On Tracing, the impact is limited:

• The service does not affect session launches, application launches, or user workflows.
• Users would not observe any visible failure resulting from this crash.
• There are no known Citrix support cases indicating session launch failures related to this service.

The crash is triggered under specific system-restart timing conditions and does not degrade the end-user experience or digital employee experience.

This issue has been fixed by Citrix in the Workspace App 2603 release.

Organizations running earlier versions of Citrix Workspace App should:

• Update to Citrix Workspace App 2603 or later to resolve the crash.
• Monitor crash trends related to AOTListenerService.exe on endpoints that have not yet been updated.
• Follow Citrix release notes for further guidance.

Where feasible, staged rollouts and controlled testing are recommended when applying the update.

This finding identified a stability issue in the AOTListenerService.exe background tracing service within Citrix Workspace App. The issue was specific to certain system-restart timing conditions and did not impact application or session launch workflows. Citrix has confirmed the fix is included in the 2603 release.

Note: AOTListenerService.exe is unrelated to Citrix Studio "App Optimization" policies. No policy changes are required to address this issue.