Malware attacks are never fun, and developers sounded less than amused by a security issue in Apple's App Store involving a modded version of Xcode.
Apple recently sent a message to all iOS developers asking them to verify their use of Xcode following the recent reveal that malware infestations in the Chinese Apple App Store, according to TechCrunch and others. Unless they used Xcode downloaded from the App Store or developer site, Apple warned, they would be out of luck.
Developers were quick to share the warning with their peers, though some suggested the entire sector should know better:
If you download Xcode from anywhere but the Mac App Store or http://t.co/2Dxpn4GKZy, your app may contain malware. https://t.co/Q94RZ8g5ut
— _TC4Rose6Jordan (@UINT_MIN) September 22, 2015
@uint_min In other unsurprising news, water is wet.
— Karl Adam (@thekarladam) September 22, 2015
Still, the security issue managed to raise eyebrows in a number of app makers:
Wow wow wow... Fake Xcode bridged malware to infect popular apps in iOS app store http://t.co/qN1cDH4mtc
— Diego Dagum (@diedagum) September 22, 2015
Given the severity of the issue, developers wondered on Twitter if they should be constantly looking over their metaphorical shoulders:
/Applications/Xcode.app: accepted source=Mac App Store You're not paranoid if it's really happening ;)
— Samuel Goodwin (@samuelgoodwin) September 22, 2015
As always, there were comments that it is Apple that should be taking action first:
@zobskewed it'll probably be awhile
— Rudy Richter (@rudyrichter) September 22, 2015
@zobskewed it'll probably be awhile
— Rudy Richter (@rudyrichter) September 22, 2015
In the meantime, developers are making it clear to Apple and everyone else that their app process is following the rules:
I'm downloading Xcode...from the Mac App Store. Did you understand?!
— Alessandro Quarta (@AleQuarta81) September 22, 2015