There is a good reason why companies such as Google and Apple do not want you to download apps from unauthorized third-party app stores. This is because sometimes apps are developed to disguise malware, which in turn can severely compromise your device such as steal information like photos, messages, and so on.
Now if you’re looking for one less reason to jailbreak your iOS device, here’s one. It seems that researchers from Palo Alto Networks and China-based researchers WeipTech have discovered that the KeyRaider iOS malware has been responsible for compromising as many as 225,000 Apple accounts.
According to Palo Alto researcher Claud Xiao, “The malware hooks system processes through MobileSubstrate, and steals Apple account usernames, passwords and device GUID by intercepting iTunes traffic on the device. KeyRaider steals Apple push notification service certificates and private keys, steals and shares App Store purchasing information, and disables local and remote unlocking functionalities on iPhones and iPads.”
The researchers go on to note that the malware also has the ability to hold the device ransom, meaning that until its own pays a fee to the hackers, their devices will remain locked and virtually unusable until then. In the meantime Apple has already been informed of the malware and the compromised accounts.