HandBrake
HandBrake converts video files into other formats and can make them smaller. It’s made by The HandBrake Team.
Criminals have used its name in fake downloads or scams, so get it only from handbrake.fr.
What it is
People use HandBrake to reduce video file sizes or make videos work on phones, televisions and computers. It can also crop and resize video and handle subtitles.
It reads source videos and saves converted copies on your Mac. Its Mac sandbox allows access to your Movies folder and files or folders you select. Video processing happens locally and does not require an internet connection.
The official app is free and requires no account or subscription. The project says it does not collect usage statistics or send information about your videos to its servers. It recommends downloading from official sources and keeping the app updated.
Who makes it
HandBrake is maintained by international volunteers, without a dedicated company or central sponsor. Its website is handbrake.fr.
Is it the real one?
Every Mac app carries a signature from the developer who made it. Apple checks who the developer is before handing out the certificate, and macOS refuses to open an app whose signature has been tampered with.
HARD hasn’t yet recorded the signature on a real copy of HandBrake. Its Mac app shows who signed the copy you have.
Its bundle ID, the name macOS knows it by, is fr.handbrake.HandBrake or fr.handbrake.HandBrakeXPCService or fr.handbrake.HandBrakeXPCService2 or fr.handbrake.HandBrakeXPCService3 or fr.handbrake.HandBrakeXPCService4 or fr.handbrake.HandBrakeKit. Download it only from handbrake.fr, not from an ad or a link someone sends you.
Fakes. From 2 to 6 May 2017, attackers distributed a modified HandBrake 1.0.7 Mac download through a compromised official download mirror. It contained Proton malware that stole passwords and other private data; the malicious download was removed on 6 May.
What it connects to
In normal use, HandBrake talks to these places on the internet. A firewall that asks before apps connect, like the one in HARD’s Mac app, will show them.
| Address | Why |
|---|---|
handbrake.fr | Optional checks for software updates. |
What it can see
macOS asks you before an app can use these. You can change them any time in System Settings → Privacy & Security.
| Permission | What it’s for |
|---|---|
| Automation | Allows the optional action to shut down or put the Mac to sleep after conversion finishes. |
References
- HandBrake: Application and Project Information handbrake.fr
- HandBrake Documentation: About HandBrake handbrake.fr
- HandBrake: Downloads handbrake.fr
- HandBrake Documentation: Checking for updates handbrake.fr
- HandBrake macOS build configuration and bundle identifiers github.com
- HandBrake macOS sandbox entitlements github.com
- HandBrake macOS application information and permission description github.com
- HandBrake release notes github.com
- HandBrake security advisories github.com
- Malwarebytes: HandBrake hacked to drop new variant of Proton malware malwarebytes.com