After a security report revealed that iPhone users in Asia were at risk at having their devices infected with an advanced malware program that can be used to steal data from devices after they’re connected to a previously infected MacBook, Apple told Business Insider that it has already patched the serious security issue.
FROM EARLIER: This is the most advanced iPhone malware yet, and it should terrify you
“We are aware of malicious software available from a download site aimed at users in China, and we’ve blocked the identified apps to prevent them from launching. As always, we recommend that users download and install software from trusted sources,” an Apple spokesperson said.
Dubbed WireLurker, the malware was found to have infected more than 460 apps from an Asian third-party Mac App Store, which were downloaded more than 356,000 times, thus potentially affecting thousands of iPhone owners who also have Macs with such unofficial apps installed,
It’s not clear who’s behind this complex malware program, or what their intentions are, but it looks like Apple has already dealt with the matter, its second security threat targeting Chinese Apple customers.
“[Hackers] are still preparing for an eventual attack,” Ryan Olson, director of threat intelligence at Palo Alto Networks, the company who found the malware, told The New York Times about the malware. “Even though this is the first time this is happening, it demonstrates to a lot of attackers that this is a method that can be used to crack through the hard shell that Apple has built around its iOS devices.”
