Apple's App Store was recently infected with the XcodeGhost malware, affecting numerous users. The company now says it will alert iOS users who downloaded infected apps.
News about the XcodeGhost malware breaching the App Store has iOS users on edge, wondering whether their device and their data have been compromised by the malicious software.
Apple has now added more details to its Xcode-related FAQ page on its Chinese website. Offering information both in Chinese and in English, Apple explains what the XcodeGhost malware is, how it may infect some users and how it plans to ensure that neither users nor developers are at risk of malware infections going forward.
The company says it found no evidence that XcodeGhost transmitted personally identifiable information, noting that the code can only grab some general system information, or information about apps. Apple further highlights that it's currently working closely with developers and will soon announce the top 25 apps infected by Xcode so users can check whether they have the final, updated version of the app without the malware.
Apple will also alert users who have downloaded apps believed to have been compromised. Many XcodeGhost-infected apps have already received updates and are no longer plagued, but the XcodeGhost is not completely gone from all the apps on the App Store just yet.
"We have removed the apps from the App Store that we know have been created with this counterfeit software and are blocking submissions of new apps that contain this malware from entering the App Store," Apple further details.
"We're working closely with developers to get impacted apps back on the App Store as quickly as possible for customers to enjoy," the company adds.
It still remains unclear just how many apps got infected by the XcodeGhost malware. Palo Alto Networks was the one to discover the issue and it found 39 infected apps at the time, but more recent reports indicate that the number of affected apps could in fact be much higher. The list of infected apps security researchers identified includes some of the most popular apps in China, such as Angry Birds 2, WeChat and Didi Chuxing.
Apple officially acknowledged the App Store breach and malware issue, but didn't reveal the number of compromised apps.
