Apple App Store more than 39 Apps infected with XcodeGhost Malware

Apple App Store Infected with Malware in August 2013

Back in August 2013 Apple Security team got fooled by and app that contained Malware.

Researchers from Georgia Tech made an App that looked as a News Reader but once launched would reprogram it self into Malware mainly effecting IOS 5.x and 6.x devices.

Once Again in September 2015 infected with Malware on the Appe

Now most people that write software for IOS or Mac OS X uses the Apple Xcode library to do so.

Now if you are a developer with a poor Internet connection you might download Xcode from elsewhere than the official Apple servers.

This could be a very big security risk to download the Xcode frame work from non Apple Servers.

Compromised Xcode framework rooted to China

XcodeGhost Malware has been recorded to infect IOS apps that have been compiled with a compromised version of the Xcode framework.

Some of the popular apps to be infected include WeChat messaging app made by Tencent used by more than 600 millions of active users across the world.

On Sunday  20th September 2015 it was exposed that there where compromised versions of Xcode on different download sites on the Internet.

Apple reacted fast and has already removed the infected programs.

The XcodeGhost Malware should be able to open URLs read and write in the copy paste memory, open dialogue boxes for Phishing attempts.

It is rated as a very dangers Malware the XcodeGhost software.

Impact of XcodeGhost Malware

  • Attackers can do Phishing attacks
  • Attackers can capture URLs
  • Attackers can obtain iCloud passwords
  • Can infect other apps running on IOS

It looks as a sophisticated attack conducted from China to hit IOS users

At least 39 apps have been infected it is reported on 21 of September 2015.

Apple have not released numbers or any information about how many IOS users got infected.

It is recommended if you are a developer to only use official software downloaded directly from Apple.

If you are an IOS user and might be infected keep your system up to date and watch out for security patches or fixes coming from Apple.

It is now confirmed that Apple has removed than 300 Apps from the app store which might be infected.