What is the INETLOC file format?
Internet resource locators - for example for RSS feeds, telnet servers, SSH hosts, or AFP shares - can be saved as .inetloc files on macOS. Internet Location files are simple text files based on an XML property list (plist) and contain a server address as well as, optionally, a user name and access password to enable communication.
.inetloc files are used by the macOS family of systems and can access online resources using protocols such as news://, ftp://, afp://, ssh://, and telnet://. For http:// and https:// URLs, Apple Finder now creates .webloc files instead; .inetloc remains the format for other URL schemes and for legacy files from older macOS versions. .inetloc files are launched by the Apple Finder app, which hands off the URL to the appropriate application. Opening and editing .inetloc files can also be done using any text editor, since they are stored as plain UTF-8 XML by default (or as a binary plist in some cases).
A significant security vulnerability (CVE-2021-30657) allowed .inetloc files containing file:// URLs to silently execute local binaries when double-clicked in Finder. To prevent these attacks, Apple patched the issue in macOS Monterey 12.2 (2022) by blocking the file:// protocol in Finder entirely. Online resources using other URL schemes can still be saved in .inetloc files as before. On Windows or Linux, these files have no native handler - a text editor is needed to read the target URL.
Security & safety
RISK: MEDIUMCVE-2021-30657 (September 2021): .inetloc files with file:// URLs could execute arbitrary local binaries on macOS with no quarantine warning. Patched in macOS Monterey 12.2 (January 2022). Unpatched systems (pre-12.2) should treat unknown .inetloc files as potentially dangerous. On patched systems risk is low - the file simply opens a URL. Phishing risk remains: a .inetloc can point to a malicious website.
Format details
in a nutshellPrograms that open INETLOC files
Windows1 app
Notepad (URL inspection only)
Built-in Open in Notepad to read the URL string from the XML plist, then navigate manually. 
macOS3 apps
Apple Finder (built-in)
Built-in Double-click the .inetloc file; Finder opens the URL in the default app for that protocol.
Text Editor (to inspect URL)
Built-in Right-click > Open With > TextEdit to read the XML plist and see the URL value. Technical details
deep spec| Format type | macOS shortcut / URL pointer file (XML property list) |
| Developer | Apple Inc. |
| MIME type | `application/internet-location` |
| Magic bytes | `3C 3F 78 6D 6C` (`<?xml`) for XML plist; `62 70 6C 69 73 74` (`bplist`) for binary plist |
| Internal structure | Single-key plist dict with `URL` string containing the target URL |
| Encoding | UTF-8 XML text or binary plist |
| Container | Apple Property List (plist) - XML or binary (`bplist00`) |
| Typical file size | 100 B - 2 KB |
| Supported URL schemes | `news://`, `ftp://`, `afp://`, `ssh://`, `telnet://`, `rss://` |
| Associated OS | macOS (no native handler on Windows or Linux) |
| Related formats | `.webloc` (HTTP/HTTPS), `.ftploc` (FTP), `.vncloc` (VNC) - all created by Finder for specific URL schemes |
| Blocked protocol | `file://` - blocked in Finder since macOS Monterey 12.2 (2022) following CVE-2021-30657 |
| Released | Mac OS 8.5 (1998) |
| Latest version | N/A (format unchanged; current macOS uses .webloc for HTTP/HTTPS) |
INETLOC conversions
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