Apple devices hacked in China: AceDeceiver malware hidden on App Store dupes users into installing malicious apps on iOS
FairPlay Man-In-The-Middle (MITM) technique used to spread malware on non-jailbroken devices by using simulated app stores
A family of malware infecting non-jailbroken iOS devices targeting users in mainland China has been identified by security firm Palo Alto Networks.
The AceDeceiver malware was found hidden behind three “wallpaper” apps in the App Store. It uses a flaw in Apple’s digital rights management technology FairPlay to install malicious apps on iOS devices.
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“AceDeceiver shows yet another way attackers are getting around Apple’s security measures to install malicious apps, particularly on non-jailbroken devices,” said Palo Alto Networks researcher Claud Xiao in a blog post.
“As of this writing, AceDeceiver is only targeting iOS devices in mainland China, but attackers could easily expand this attack to other regions around the world.”
AceDeceiver is the first time Palo Alto has seen the so-called FairPlay Man-In-The-Middle (MITM) technique used to spread malware. It first appeared in 2013 to spread pirated apps, and works by duping users into downloading apps from a simulated app store.