Researchers have discovered a new infection known as “XcodeGhost” which has managed to make its way into a lot of popular iOS apps which are actually on the App Store.
This Malware makes its way into iOS apps through an infected version of Xcode, which these companies used, unaware of the infection and actually leaving millions of users at risk. “Just in case you’re not familiar with Xcode, it’s a software development tool for building iOS and OS X apps.”Most of the affected apps that made their way to the App Store are Chinese titles, like WeChat and that’s just one of the popular apps on this list. It’s said that more than 300 apps could be infected by this malware and according to reports, XcodeGhost has hit more than 500 million users so far.
The malware was discovered by Palo Alto Networks, to see a full list of apps affected, click the source link below but we’ll just give you some popular titles on this list; WeChat, CamCard, PocketScanner, and Angry Birds 2, yeah, you read that right… Angry Birds 2 is on the list but Apple has already begun removing affected titles from the App Store.
“We’ve removed the apps from the App Store that we know have been created with this counterfeit software,” Apple spokeswoman Christine Monaghan told Reuters.
“We are working with the developers to make sure they’re using the proper version of Xcode to rebuild their apps.”
The malware has the ability to steal information like your device’s name, type, and unique identification number, but no personal data. This is actually the biggest security breach in the history of the iOS platform. Apple has not revealed how many apps it has removed from the App Store but the good news is, they are working on this issue.
Source: Palo Alto Networks
