Hackers have infected hundreds of apps on the App Store

Apple has reported that in some applications used by owners of iPhones and iPads, a malicious code has been found. Now the company is making every effort to remove it.

As noted in the statement, this is the first large-scale attack on the App Store - a site that distributes or sells Apple applications.

According to an Apple spokesman, hackers distributed the code by replacing software for Apple application developers.

The XcodeGhost malware, which allows hackers to collect information about users of applications, was disguised as the official Xcode tool.

Among the infected were many applications for the iPhone and iPad - including one of the versions of the instant messaging service WeChat and an application for ordering a taxi.

A spokesperson for Apple reported that infected applications have been removed from the App Store.

“We have removed all infected applications from the App Store. Currently, software developers are trying to install the real version of Xcode,” said company spokeswoman Christina Monaghan.

According to Reuters, a malicious virus was launched from a server in China.

Security questions

According to preliminary data, the hackers did not manage to steal any user data. However, the cybersecurity company Palo Alto Networks reported that the virus could reach hundreds of millions of users.

“XcodeGhost is a very malicious program that was able to attack and infiltrate the iOS operating system,” Palo Alto Networks said.

At the same time, the head of marketing company for market research Euromonitor International Wee Tek Lu believes that, despite the discovery of a viral program, a serious drop in demand for Apple products has not yet happened.

In his opinion, mobile phone users simply worry less about viruses than, say, desktop users.

The App Store is open from 2008 onwards. The App Store has apps that run on iOS devices. The store is known for rigorous testing of applications that fall into it.