Malicious app on App Store pulled

Apple is famous for their closed ecosystem, and this is a double edged sword really. As with just about anything in life, there is always a good and bad side to it, and the presence of iOS devices as well as Android-powered tablets and phones prove that either way, there is a group of people who support the idea. Meaning, there is no right or wrong answer here, and in the case of Apple’s App Store, that particular online software repository is infamous for being harder to break in than Fort Knox – although just like adidas’ marketing campaign some time back, “impossible” is just a word.

Infamous Apple hacker Carlie Miller managed to achieve the improbably by working on an app which was specially disguised to resemble a generic stock market app, letting potential downloaders know that this app will enable users to monitor their stock prices over their smartphone (the iPhone in this case). However, if you actually downloaded it, Miller’s app contained malicious code which could be used to obtain limited remote access of the smartphone as well as access sensitive data within, if any. The whole exercise behind Miller’s app was to demonstrate that such a backdoor is possible, and not everything is foolproof, but that raised awareness resulted in Apple promptly removing his app and revoking his ability to post future apps. What gives, Apple? Shouldn’t you thank the man for raising awareness in such a situation?

Edwin Kee
Categories: Apple, Cellphones, Computers, Tablets
Tags: App Store, apple app store, Apple Inc, Malware