“We are working with the developers to make sure they’re using the proper version of Xcode to rebuild their apps”, said Apple spokesperson Christine Monaghan. On Friday, the maker of the $3 adblocking app Peace, Marco Arment, removed his program from the App Store and offered refunds, saying that while stopping ads does “benefit a ton of people in major ways, they also hurt some, including many who don’t deserve to be hit”. XcodeGhost, which targets compilers, collects information on devices and uploads the data to command and control servers.
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At least 39 iOS apps were infected with malware, including WeChat, one of the most popular instant messaging apps in the world, according to a report by Palo Alto Networks.
For example, even though there is an alternative to move all images, some might eventually get lost due to lack of storage space in the iOS device.
“I know pulling Peace from the store after just two days is going to be an immensely unpopular move, and subject me to a torrent of unpleasantness”, he said.
Breaking down the FAQ into small categories, the iOS malware originated from Xcode, the development tool that is used to develop iOS apps for their devices, such as the iPhone and iPad.
Chinese security firm Qihoo360 Technology Co. said on its blog that it had uncovered 344 apps tainted with XcodeGhost.
The cyber security firm Palo Alto Networks, and security experts at the giant Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba identified the breach. It isn’t clear how the apps passed Apple’s stringent code review.
Apple’s released its first app especially built for Android platform.
In fact, consumers are less cautious on mobile devices than on PCs, he added.
Apple advised users that were stranded in the Slide to Upgrade phase to just wipe their devices.
In addition, AirServer’s screen mirroring function has also improved for iOS 9 and OS X El Capitan thanks to the overhaul of AirPlay.
Earlier this month, login names and passwords for more than 225,000 Apple accounts were stolen by cyber-thieves in China.
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Researchers found that some copied versions of Xcode had been modified to embed malicious software into apps.
