It looks like Apple's usually air-tight app store has run into some problems. Earlier today, The New York Times reported that at least 40 apps available on the online storefront have been infected with malicious code, or malware for short.
The source of the bad software is a tool used by software developers to create apps for Apple devices. Hackers were able to secure a copy of this and modified it to inject the bad code into several apps.
Palo Alto Networks, a digital security company, has released a complete list of all the potentially dangerous applications.
Notable apps include popular messaging service WeChat and Chinese Uber equivalent Didi Kuaidi.
Many of the targets in question seem to be applications popular in the Chinese Market. The report states:
The infected iOS apps include IMs, banking apps, mobile carrier's app, maps, stock trading apps, SNS apps, and games. Among the more well-known apps are WeChat (developed by Tencent); Didi Chuxing (developed by Didi Kuaidi) the most popular Uber-like app in China;Railway 12306, the only official app used for purchasing train tickets in China; China Unicom Mobile Office, which is in use by the biggest mobile carrier in China; and Tonghuashun, one of most popular stock trading apps.
Apple was quick to respond to this breach of security and has already removed the apps in question until they can be vetted for safety:
The fake developer code "was posted by untrusted sources," said Apple spokeswoman Christine Monaghan to the Times "To protect our customers, we've removed the apps from the App Store that we know have been created with this counterfeit software."
To see a full list of the apps affected by this, check out Palo Alto Network's full report.
