Pirated iOS app store evades Apple’s strict review policies – sophisticated techniques used

[DoMiN8ToR]

We've just posted the following news: Pirated iOS app store evades Apple’s strict review policies – sophisticated techniques used[newsimage]http://www.myce.com/wp-content/images_posts/2016/02/Fig5-500x434-95x75.png[/newsimage]

An iOS app that provided access to pirated apps successfully got through Apple's strict approval process. The Chinese developed app 开心日常英语 (Happy Daily English) appeared to be an English course. But for users physically located in China it was a 3rd party app store that allowed downloading of pirated apps and games.

            Read the full article here: [http://www.myce.com/news/pirated-ios-app-store-evades-apples-strict-review-policies-sophisticated-techniques-used-78644/](http://www.myce.com/news/pirated-ios-app-store-evades-apples-strict-review-policies-sophisticated-techniques-used-78644/)

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[Xercus]

Now this was an interesting read. I think we will see more things like this surfacing in the future and it is about high time Apple reconsider their approval process

Cool achievement though getting a pirate server approved by locking it to China. What makes it cool is that they even managed to make a silent statement in the process, one concerning security when it comes to app-stores in general.

[Ibex]

Another excellent story JW.

^:iagree: You have to admire their ingenuity.

How will Apple respond?

Plug the security loopehole successfully: 10000/1
Claim it is actually a new feature they introduced themselves: 13/1
Deny, deny, followed by a U-turn: 10/11
No technical solution, just let the PR department handle it: 7/8

[TSJnachos117]

I like how they mention “abusing” Apple’s IOS development program, as if writing software for their platform was a privilege. And there lies the problem: Apple has too much power over what apps the users can install. The right to decide which apps you use on your devices should be yours, not Apple’s

Also, to label this one app as “risky” is a rather moot statement, since mobile phones always have malware installed right from the moment they leave the factory. If anything, it’s the underground hackers (the “pirates”) who are ensuring the security of mobile devices: to remove the malicious pre-installed apps from your devices, you usually have to download a tool that will crack you OS, so that you can become a root user, which is necessary to remove pre-installed apps. Otherwise, you’ll be stuck with four different Amazon apps (at least that was the case the last time I bought an Android phone).