Fake LastPass App Sneaks Past Apple's Review Team

[iOS Geek]

I've read this like 5 times and I'm still just like...

Not that complicated…

 

[falainber]

Apple removed it but they couldn’t if these are 3rd party apps stores. I envy you European countries. Good luck.

It is wild life outside the walled garden.

Apple would not be able to remove the app from the alternative app store but the store owner would. Same thing as in US plus competition with [potentially] lower prices. It's not like Apple has a good reputation in software security (like, say, Google does).

 

[Jamie0003]

Imagine this (and others) on an app store not under Apple's control.

I know, it’ll be exactly the same!

 

[BaldiMac]

If there were more stores, they would all operate pretty much the same way with the same percentage of scam apps. There’s no magical bullet in all of IT and Security Infrastructure that could ever prevent a malicious actor from infiltrating any repository they have a desire to infiltrate.

Unless someone can point me to an app store repository that, currently, has zero scam apps? I mean, if it exists, it must be true that everyone, save for Apple, is using that repository technology.

That assumes a large number of apps. Obviously, you could easily put together a small store with zero scam apps.

 

[vipergts2207]

If there were more stores, they would all operate pretty much the same way with the same percentage of scam apps. There’s no magical bullet in all of IT and Security Infrastructure that could ever prevent a malicious actor from infiltrating any repository they have a desire to infiltrate.

Purely wild conjecture. Alternatively, for the sake of argument I could go ahead and agree with this, at which point it's simply a wash for security.

 

[turbineseaplane]

That assumes a large number of apps. Obviously, you could easily put together a small store with zero scam apps.

Great point

It honestly might be a way better experience for folks to have much more focused App stores so they can really dial in on the great sources of Apps in the categories they care about.

 

[Mousse]

Someone else was saying here that other App Stores would, by default, do a better job than Apple and wouldn’t allow scam apps at all!

I don't want to throw shades, but whoever said that is a few apples short of a bushel.🤨 I very much expect other app stores to be more relaxed.😐

Why would a user tend to be more vigilant?

It's up the end user to wipe his own (_!_).

In the end, the number of vigilant users? Doesn’t really matter. While Windows has MILLIONS upon MILLIONS of potentially VERY vigilant users, it doesn’t prevent vulnerable people from being coerced to download malicious applications.

I don't care if everyone else downloads malware. I only care about my selfish (_!_). Until the Darwin award runs its course, there will always be the "Hold my beer" people around.

 

[falkon-engine]

If anything, alternative app stores might be more secure. The store does not need to have millions of apps (like App Store does). It may focus on the essential apps and do a better job with app selection and validation.

I just want an snes emulator and a WiFi explorer app to scout the radio environment.

 

[turbineseaplane]

I very much expect other app stores to be more relaxed.😐

I don't know why anyone would assume all other App stores would fit under one description

A massive part of the appeal of third party App stores is that they could be very different in how they are run and what they host, etc

Sort of like how different discussion forums are.
It's all just "discussion", but the topics and how things are moderated and thus the experiences vary wildy

 

[BaldiMac]

Great point

It honestly might be a way better experience for folks to have much more focused App stores so they can really dial in on the great sources of Apps in the categories they care about.

I've said it many times. I think third-party moderation of the App Store would be more helpful to more people than third-party app stores.

 

[btrach144]

EU: told you so

 

[turbineseaplane]

I've said it many times. I think third-party moderation of the App Store would be more helpful to more people than third-party app stores.

Third party moderation would be a nice additional thing, for sure.

For me, I want third party stores because without that we only get one vision of what’s acceptable for apps… Apples vision

There is a wide range of totally acceptable types of apps out there that Apple will never allow, often for their own business reasons if nothing else.

 

[I7guy]

The comparative scale is purely hypothetical. Other stores may implement higher standards and security measures. No store is going to want to be associated as being littered with garbage and malware or nobody will use them. Conversely, up until now Apple hasn't had to compete with other stores, so maybe they aren't trying as hard as they otherwise would in the face of competition.

You on the other hand are the one who suggested a singular breach...

It’s an important number because if the “throw the baby out with the bath water” crowd that can’t be quantified.

What’s hypothetical is the statement “no store is going to want…”etc. it doesn’t matter what the store wants, it’s not hypothetical that bad apps can slip through. And stores that have a less then diligent process will let more “bad apps” in then other stores.

I’m not part of the “throw the baby out with the bathwater” crowd. That is somewhere else.

 

[BaldiMac]

I just disagree there because we only get one vision of what’s acceptable for apps… Apples vision

Sure. But that vision encompasses 5 million apps.

There is a wide range of totally acceptable types of apps out there that Apple will never allow, and that should be rectified.

What's the wide range? From the comments on the topic, it's primarily emulators and porn.

 

[maxoakland]

We need the App Store to prevent us from downloading apps like this one Apple is hosting on the App Store!

 

[I7guy]

Apple would not be able to remove the app from the alternative app store but the store owner would. Same thing as in US plus competition with [potentially] lower prices. It's not like Apple has a good reputation in software security (like, say, Google does).

Yes, for MR forum members. Unless you can prove otherwise with some objective scale, I say apple has a fairly good reputation.

 

[Michael Scrip]

When Apple and the people say that the Apple App Store is so safe and sideloading is soooooo bad.

At least Apple was able to remove this bad app from the App Store. They pulled the plug. It's gone.

But if this app came from the developer's website to be sideloaded onto an iPhone... it would be very difficult to stop its spread.

What would the remedy be... tell the developer's web host to remove their website? Tell GoDaddy to disable their domain name?

That'll be fun... chasing these scammy developers all over the internet.

😲

 

[turbineseaplane]

We need the App Store to prevent us from downloading apps like this one Apple is hosting on the App Store!

It sounds like we need an Apple moderation team overseeing the App Store, and their moderation team, to make sure that we are getting good moderation of the moderation.

That seems like a moderately good idea

 

[maxoakland]

If there were MORE stores, that were NOT directly under Apple’s control, this would happen… less? Or More?

Because, Apple is saying it would happen more. And, Apple would not be in a position to remove it. This kind of thing actually makes Apple’s point.

if Apple can't even be trusted to manage their own store and protect users (despite the millions of dollars they make in profit from it), there's no reason to disable sideloading or other stores

 

[BaldiMac]

if Apple can't even be trusted to manage their own store and protect users (despite the millions of dollars they make in profit from it), there's no reason to disable sideloading or other stores

Hah! A trillion dollar malware industry would be evidence that your conclusion is wrong. You're presenting a false dichotomy. There are options in between perfectly safe and everyone for yourself.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

I'm in favor of multiple app stores on iOS, but it's logical to understand that more options gives more potential for abuse.

Factual and non-controversial. I’d be surprised if anyone felt this was a controversial statement.

 

[citysnaps]

Apple currently has 1.8 million apps in the App Store.

I wonder how many apps other alternate app stores will host? And what their error rate will end up being.

 

[vipergts2207]

Factual and non-controversial. I’d be surprised if anyone felt this was a controversial statement.

You're assuming the potential for more abuse equates to there automatically being more actual abuse.

Imagine I'm a VIP with three bodyguards. If replace two of them with just one new bodyguard, now there's greater potential for me to get attacked, right? Except perhaps the two I replaced were unarmed guards while the new one I brought on as a replacement has a CCW, so now the likelihood of a successful attack actually went down. The App Store is not the end all, be all of security (as evidenced by today's news), especially when they face no competition that would push Apple to make it so. Your assumption is that I replaced two of my body guards with a guy who's constantly drunk on the job, but just becuase the new guy is different doesn't mean he's worse. He may very well be better than what I had previously.

 

[1129846]

That's just something that you made up. Cynicism isn't a substitute for logic.

But ask any developer who been doing iOS long enough they will tell that is all Apple does. A monkey pokes around and that is it.

 

[BaldiMac]

But ask any developer who been doing iOS long enough they will tell that is all Apple does. A monkey pokes around and that is it.

I don’t need to ask since I work with multiple developers. As I said, App Store review has caught multiple crashes.