Electronics

[Marp]

More malicious apps found in Mac App Store that are stealing user data

By Malcolm Owen
Friday, September 07, 2018, 01:06 pm PT (04:06 pm ET)

A number of apps in the Mac App Store have been found to be stealing data from its users, acquiring sensitive information and sending it to the developer, including one app which was the top paid utility available in the store before its removal.

An image of Adware Doctor's marketing

Security researchers have independently found apps "exfiltrating" data to servers without the user's knowledge, all of which were available to download from Apple's Mac App Store. Each of the apps managed to get past Apple's submission process for the store and were available to download alongside other legitimate apps.

MalwareBytes reports that, in some cases, the data is dispatched to servers in China, a country that doesn't require the same stringent storage requirements as the United States or European countries for personal data. In cases like these, it is highly likely the data is being used for malicious purposes.

The biggest app of the list is Adware Doctor, which topped the chart for paid utilities in the Mac App Store, before being removed after the reports about it first emerged on Friday. The app claims to remove adware threats from a Mac, including extensions and cookies in browsers, but Patrick Wardle advises the "cleaning" process involves collecting the browsing history of the user, as well as a list of all running processes, and a list of software downloaded to the Mac.

MORE at:  appleinsider.com/articles/18/09/07/more-malicious-apps-found-in-mac-app-store-that-are-stealing-user-data

[jackthebear]

I saw an article,  but it didnt mention the apps 

https://www.imore.com/these-apps-may-be-selling-out-your-location-data-few-extra-dollars?utm_source=...

[millieshops]

When even someone like me who uses so little tech finally buys an Apple product as I did a few months ago, you have to know Apple must be also in the eyes of the schemers.  Now as more and more of us use our phones for so much and so many of those phones and other devices are from Apple, that market must be very lucrative whether it's through Apps or hacking or just theft of the devices.

What are the steps we can take ourselves to protect ourselves?  I am very careful about where I keep my phone and I don't download Apps unless I'm really intending to use them, but that's probably not enough to lock out a committed thief/cheat - whatever we call them, they're causing the same damage to us.