Apple Inc. announced that it would pull a number of iOS apps from its App Store after discovering malware included in some of the most popular apps. According to a report from Mac World, the company is still trying to figure out exactly how many applications were affected.
Palo Alto Networks, the security company that discovered the malware, currently estimates that 39 applications were affected. Many of the apps were popular in Chinese markets, including the popular messaging app WeChat, ridesharing app Didi Kuaidi, train ticket app Railway 12306, stock-trading app Tonghuashun, and business card scanner CamCard.
Apple spokeswoman Christine Monaghan revealed the company’s decision to remove these apps from the App Store as the malware issue is resolved. Security consultants believe the malware was uploaded to the App Store through a bootleg version of Xcode from a Chinese server. The New York Times reported that developers who had disabled Apple’s safety conditions could install the malware, which could potentially record your IDs, passwords, and e-mails.