Hundreds Of Legitimate iOS App Store Apps Infected By Malware

Last night, Apple announced that hundreds of legitimate apps on its App Store had been infected by malware. The company has removed the infected versions. If you still have them installed, it’s a good idea to stop using them for now.

The infection occurred when developers downloaded a counterfeit version of the Xcode software — used to develop iOS apps — from a Chinese server because it was faster than the primary US server. The result is that many legitimate app developers unknowingly published applications embedded with malware.

The malware in the apps itself has limited functionality, according to Ryan Olsen, Palo Alto Networks Director of Threat Intelligence. There haven’t been any examples found of data theft or harm due to the attack.

While Apple has removed the infected versions of the apps from the App Store, the company has not said whether it’s removed the apps from users’ devices. Tech Insider has translated a partial list of the affected apps, however, so if you see an app you use on the list, it might be worth waiting for an update before you continue using it:

• WeChat
• Didi Chuxing (developed by Uber’s biggest rival in China Didi Kuaidi)
• Angry Birds 2
• NetEase
• Micro Channel
• IFlyTek input
• Railway 12306 (the only official app used for buying train tickets in China.)
• The Kitchen
• Card Safe
• CITIC Bank move card space
• China Unicom Mobile Office
• High German map
• Jane book
• Eyes Wide
• Lifesmart
• Mara Mara
• Medicine to force
• Himalayan
• Pocket billing
• Flush
• Quick asked the doctor
• Lazy weekend
• Microblogging camera
• Watercress reading
• CamScanner
• CamCard (a very popular business card reader.)
• SegmentFault
• Stocks open class
• Hot stock market
• Three new board
• The driver drops
• OPlayer
• Telephone attribution assistant
• Marital bed
• Poor tour
• I called MT
• I called MT 2
• Freedom Battle

Apple’s iOS App Store just suffered its first major attack [Reuters via Tech Insider]