"The applications were infected after software developers were lured into using an unauthorized and compromised version of Apple’s developer tool kit * * * The hack exploited Chinese developers’ impatience, according to [US-based cybersecurity firm] Palo Alto Networks. To write apps for Apple devices, developers have to use a tool kit called Xcode, but downloading the official version from Apple’s website can take a long time in China. The hackers posted their infected version on a Chinese server, advertising faster downloads, the researchers said. Any app created or altered using the bogus Xcode would then become infected with the malware, they [researchers] said. The infected Xcode was hosted on Baidu Pan, a cloud service * * * Baidu removed the file shortly after being notified of its existence
"It is unusual for malware to spread through Apple’s App Store, which typically subjects apps to stringent reviews. In a blog post Thursday, Palo Alto Networks said the attack was the first of its type directed at Apple’s iOS mobile operating system.
"It wasn’t clear Sunday how the infected apps made it past Apple’s screening process, or whether the breach had resulted in any user information being stolen