--- description: Apple's iOS App Store in China has been attacked for the first time by malware, with nearly 40 apps affected. title: Apple's Chinese App Store Attacked by Malware image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [Business](/section/business/) ## Business Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Tech](/tag/time-section-tech/) ## Tech Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Apple's Chinese App Store Has Come Under a Malware Attack ## Video: The evolution of the iPhone [Watch (HLS stream): The evolution of the iPhone](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/sNcwFOG5.m3u8) (1:43)  _Published 2014-09-09. Since Apple released the iPhone in 2007, there have been 8 versions of the now-iconic smartphone. Fortune shows you how the iPhone became a global sensation._ by [Joanna Plucinska](/author/joanna-plucinska/) ## Joanna Plucinska Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 21, 2015 7:10 AM CUT by [Joanna Plucinska](/author/joanna-plucinska/) ## Joanna Plucinska Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 21, 2015 7:10 AM CUT Apple’s iOS App Store in China has been attacked for the first time by malware, multiple sources report. Internet security company Palo Alto Networks [says](http://researchcenter.paloaltonetworks.com/2015/09/update-xcodeghost-attacker-can-phish-passwords-and-open-urls-though-infected-apps/ "undefined") that approximately 39 applications have been compromised. According to the _Wall Street Journal_, hackers planted an outwardly normal version of an Apple software called Xcode, used to develop iOS applications, on a Chinese cloud service called Baidu Pan. Developers began using it because it was faster to download than the Xcode software from Apple’s U.S. servers, the CBC [reports](http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/apple-malware-xcodeghost-app-store-1.3236360 "undefined"), citing Palo Alto Networks director of threat intelligence Ryan Olson. However, the Chinese version was fraudulent and “Trojanized.” Olson told CBC that the breach was “a pretty big deal” as it showed that the App Store could be compromised. XcodeGhost, as the fraudulent code was named by [Alibaba researchers](http://researchcenter.paloaltonetworks.com/2015/09/novel-malware-xcodeghost-modifies-xcode-infects-apple-ios-apps-and-hits-app-store/ "undefined"), then gave hackers access to users’ devices and enabled phishing for passwords and login information. In its [most recent analysis](http://researchcenter.paloaltonetworks.com/2015/09/update-xcodeghost-attacker-can-phish-passwords-and-open-urls-though-infected-apps/ "undefined"), Palo Alto Networks deemed XcodeGhost dangerous, saying it could set a precedent for other espionage and criminal groups. WeChat (China’s biggest messaging app), Didi Kuaidi (a ride-hailing app like Uber), and a music-streaming service called NetEase Inc., were among more popular apps affected, according to the _Journal_. All of the above companies released statements saying that customer information hadn’t been compromised, the _Journal_ says. Apple spokeswoman Christine Monaghan told the [CBC](http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/apple-malware-xcodeghost-app-store-1.3236360 "undefined") that Apple would work with developers from now on to ensure that they are using the genuine version of the app development software. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4042173/apple-china-app-store-malware-xcode/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4042173/apple-china-app-store-malware-xcode/"},"headline":"Apple's Chinese App Store Has Come Under a Malware Attack","datePublished":"2015-09-21T07:10:36.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T08:06:38.873Z","description":"The malware, XcodeGhost, gives hackers access to users' devices","url":"https://time.com/4042173/apple-china-app-store-malware-xcode/","keywords":["Tech","Apple","Technology","China","App store","iOS","Tim cook","Companies","malware"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Joanna Plucinska","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/joanna-plucinska/"}],"articleSection":"Business","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/business/","name":"Business"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-tech/","name":"Tech"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4042173/apple-china-app-store-malware-xcode/","name":"Apple's Chinese App Store Has Come Under a Malware Attack"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"The evolution of the iPhone","description":"Since Apple released the iPhone in 2007, there have been 8 versions of the now-iconic smartphone. 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