Mac App Mishap May Mean Malware Bonanza
Apple’s newly launched Mac App Store has already begun facing online piracy issues.
The highly anticipated App Store opened yesterday (Jan. 6), providing a convenient digital storefront for all Apple’s apps.
But the store is proving to be convenient for cybercriminals as well. Security analysts have already discovered that many applications -- including the wildly popular “Angry Birds” game -- can be configured to run on devices without being legally purchased.
Chester Wisniewski of the security firm Sophos points out that a user can purchase an app such as Angry Birds or Twitter, and then copy their identity into the program code, allowing others to pirate the app without paying for it.
Wisniewski believes that the piracy problem will soon lead to malware-infected apps circulating around the store.
“Some applications downloaded from the App Store can easily be modified to include any sort of executable code you wish,” he wrote in a Sophos blog. “It wouldn’t surprise me to see a surge in markets for pirated applications that might just be booby-trapped to include unexpected surprises.”
To add fuel to the potential fire, Gizmodo reported that software called “Kickback” will allow users to pirate any applications in the Mac App Store. Kickback will be available in February.
