2 replies to this topic

[tsutton]

Apple's Ability to Deactivate Malicious App Store Apps

With the recent discussions about Apple closing down some software from the AppStore, one man - Jonathan Zdziarski - found something while looking inside the iPhone's operating system. And it seems that sneaky Apple went a bit further - it "phone home" to Apple server to check if there are any unauthorised software are installed on your iPhone.

From Macrumors...

MacRumors said:

When Apple launched the App Store, they suggested that the use of DRM'd and signed applications could allow them to protect the iPhone from malicious applications and suggested that they could deactivate such applications remotely. Jonathan Zdziarski, author of iPhone Forensics, reveals (via iPhone Atlas) the remote url that Apple is using to keep a list of the offending applications

The address is https://iphone-servi...nauthorizedApps but currently it is not showing anything.

What do you think of Apple's sneaky methods? Do you agree with it?

[Via: MacRumors]

[paholman]

I agree with the concept of this feature but it should be made clear to all iPhone users whhen they connect to the AppStore. It's the same principle as a Product Recall so a user should have the option whether to enable or disable this feature and also if any app was removed/recalled, all buyers should get a full refund.

[tsutton]

An update on this story...

http://daringfirebal...ation_blacklist

Basically, it is saying that it is to prevent any listed apps from accessing Core Location — an API which, for obvious privacy reasons, is covered by very strict rules in the iPhone SDK guidelines.