Fixing docker's malware warning on macOS Sequoia

Recently, while trying to open Docker locally on my Mac OS Sequoia (version 15.2), I encountered an error message indicating a "malware warning." This happened on January 9, 2025, and after a brief search on GitHub, I found a simple and effective solution to fix the issue.

Diagnosis

The error was reported in issue #7520 of the official Docker for Mac repository. In the thread of this issue, a user named cdcaires shared a set of commands that resolved the problem.

Solution

The commands to resolve the issue are:

brew uninstall --cask docker --force
brew uninstall --formula docker --force
brew install --cask docker

What do these commands do?

1. brew uninstall --cask docker --force: Removes the cask version of Docker, even if it’s corrupted.
2. brew uninstall --formula docker --force: Removes the CLI version of Docker.
3. brew install --cask docker: Reinstalls the Docker Desktop application.

How to Apply the Solution?

1. Open the Terminal on your Mac.
2. Copy and paste the commands above, one by one.
3. Ensure Docker is reinstalled without errors.
4. Open Docker again. The malware warning should disappear.

Conclusion

If you’ve encountered this issue in your development environment on Mac OS Sequoia, this solution should work. I hope this tip saves you time and avoids frustration!

If you want to check the original discussion, here is the link to issue #7520 on GitHub and the comment with the solution.