Chinese Apple iOS Users Targeting By New WireLurker Malware

📅 November 7, 2014 - A new security threat has been detected, affecting Chinese iOS device users through USB connections from OS X systems.
The software, WireLurker, was discovered on Wednesday by security firm Palo Alto Networks, reports the New York Times, noting that the company described the malware as “the biggest in scale we have ever seen.”

“WireLurker monitors any iOS device connected via USB with an infected OS X computer and installs downloaded third-party applications or automatically generated malicious applications onto the device, regardless of whether it is jailbroken,” said Palo Alto. “This is the reason we call it ‘wire lurker.'”

Palo Alto added in its report that 467 infected applications had been downloaded more than 356, 000 times in the last six months from the Maiyadi App Store, potentially affecting hundreds of thousands of users.

In a statment to Mashable, an Apple spokesperson stated that the company is “aware of malicious software available form a download site aimed at users in China,” adding that they have “blocked the identified apps to prevent them from launching.”