Apple has released an update to XProtect for all macOS

Apple has just released an update to XProtect for all supported versions of macOS, bringing it to version 5290. As usual, Apple doesn’t release information about what security issues this update might add or change.

This version adds a single new Yara rule for MACOS.SLEEPYSTEGOSAURUS.SYM.

You can check whether this update has been installed by opening System Information via About This Mac, and selecting the Installations item under Software.

A full listing of security data file versions is given by SilentKnight, LockRattler and SystHist for El Capitan to Sequoia available from their product page. If your Mac hasn’t yet installed this update, you can force it using SilentKnight, LockRattler, or at the command line.

If you want to install this as a named update in SilentKnight, its label is XProtectPlistConfigData_10_15-5290.

Sequoia systems only

This update has just been released for Sequoia via iCloud. If you want to check that manually, use the Terminal command
sudo xprotect check
then enter your admin password. If that returns version 5290 but your Mac still reports an older version is installed, you can force the update using
sudo xprotect update

Hurrah!

I have updated the reference pages here which are accessed directly from LockRattler 4.2 and later using its Check blog button.

Updated 1840 GMT 11 March 2025, announcing iCloud release!