Homebrew 7.0.0 adds native GUI and stronger security controls

Homebrew 7.0.0 has been released with a built-in vulnerability scanner, stronger security controls, and the full release of its native BrewUI graphical interface.

BrewUI is available on macOS 26 “Tahoe” and later. It lets users browse and search for packages and inspect or manage their dependencies. Users can also run the scanner with the new brew vulns command.

The release includes a Homebrew-specific advisory database that tracks vulnerabilities affecting formula versions and revisions distributed by Homebrew. The database publishes OSV-format records, including fixes backported without changing the upstream software version. Homebrew says the records are freely reusable under CC0.

The scanner can check installed formulae, a selected formula, or formulae and dependencies listed in a Brewfile. It queries OSV.dev for vulnerability records, verifies possible matches, applies optional severity filters, and checks whether Homebrew has already applied a security patch.

Homebrew 7.0.0 also blocks access to users’ home directories by default and separates network-enabled dependency downloads from offline installation. The project says installations and upgrades are faster because packages can now be downloaded, prepared, and installed concurrently.