VLC media player
VLC media player is a free, open-source player for videos, music, discs and network streams. It’s made by VideoLAN, based in France.
Criminals have used its name in fake downloads or scams, so get it only from videolan.org.
What it is
People use VLC to watch videos and listen to music in many file formats. It also plays DVDs, subtitles and network streams.
VLC reads the media files you open. It can request access to protected folders, removable drives, a camera or a microphone for features you choose. Optional online lookups can send a song’s artist, title or album to outside services.
VideoLAN says the official app has no advertising or user tracking. Update checks and crash reports can share technical information. Keep VLC updated: version 3.0.24 fixed serious flaws, including ones that could run unwanted code on a Mac.
Who makes it
VideoLAN is a volunteer-led French non-profit organisation that has independently supported the project since 2009. Its website is videolan.org.
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.
The real VLC media player is signed by VideoLAN, Apple team ID 75GAHG3SZQ. A copy signed by anyone else isn’t from VideoLAN. HARD’s Mac app checks this for you; to check by hand, open Terminal and run codesign -dv "/Applications/VLC media player.app", and look for that TeamIdentifier.
Its bundle ID, the name macOS knows it by, is org.videolan.vlc. Download it only from videolan.org, not from an ad or a link someone sends you.
Fakes. In September 2025, Heise reported fake Mac versions of VLC on GitHub among apps suspected of carrying malware or adware. The download instructions asked people to run Terminal commands or install disk images through Terminal, sometimes entering an administrator password.
What it connects to
In normal use, VLC media player 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 |
|---|---|
update.videolan.org | Checks for Mac app updates. |
mb.videolan.org | Optional music information lookups. |
coverartarchive.org | Optional album artwork downloads. |
last.fm | Optional media information lookups. |
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 |
|---|---|
| Camera | To capture video from a camera when requested. |
| Microphone | To capture audio from a microphone when requested. |
| Automation | To pause and resume other media players. |
| Files and Folders | To access media in Desktop, Documents and Downloads folders, network volumes or removable drives when requested. |
Security record
Problems with VLC media player or VideoLAN in the last three years, newest first. Keeping the app up to date covers the ones that were fixed.
| When | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| VLC 3.0.24 fixed flaws that could cause crashes, expose memory or run unwanted code, with code execution demonstrated on macOS under specific conditions. | ↗ | |
| Malicious files or streams could crash VLC, with information leaks or code execution not ruled out; version 3.0.22 fixed the flaws. | ↗ | |
| Opening a malicious MMS stream could crash VLC or potentially run unwanted code; version 3.0.21 fixed the flaw. | ↗ | |
| Opening a malicious MMS stream could crash VLC or potentially run unwanted code; version 3.0.20 fixed the flaw. | ↗ |
References
- VideoLAN: organisation and history images.videolan.org
- VideoLAN documentation: official product name and legal structure docs.videolan.me
- Official VLC download for Mac images.videolan.org
- VLC features images.videolan.org
- VideoLAN privacy policy www-test.videolan.org
- VLC macOS bundle identifier raw.githubusercontent.com
- VLC macOS permission explanations mailman.videolan.org
- VLC macOS update server configuration raw.githubusercontent.com
- VLC music information and artwork connections raw.githubusercontent.com
- VLC releases images.videolan.org
- Heise: fake Mac apps circulating on GitHub heise.de
- VideoLAN security bulletin: VLC 3.0.24 images.videolan.org
- VideoLAN security bulletin: VLC 3.0.22 images.videolan.org
- VideoLAN security bulletin: VLC 3.0.21 images.videolan.org
- VideoLAN security bulletin: VLC 3.0.20 images.videolan.org
- The signature on a real installed copy, read by HARD with
codesign.