Apple Lists Top 25 Apps Compromised by XcodeGhost Malware

Apple has updated its XcodeGhost FAQ on its Chinese website with a list of the top 25 most popular App Store apps that were compromised by the malware. The list includes some notable apps such as WeChat, Heroes of Order & Chaos and a localized version of Angry Birds 2.

25-XcodeGhost-Apps
Apple advises that users should update the affected apps to fix the issue, noting that if a listed app is available on the App Store right now, it has already been updated. Apps with an asterisk are currently not available on the App Store, but Apple says they should be updated very soon.

  • WeChat

  • DiDi Taxi

  • 58 Classified - Job, Used Cars, Rent

  • Gaode Map - Driving and Public Transportation

  • Railroad 12306

  • Flush

  • China Unicom Customer Service (Official Version)*

  • CarrotFantasy 2: Daily Battle*

  • Miraculous Warmth

  • Call Me MT 2 - Multi-server version

  • Angry Birds 2 - Yifeng Li’s Favorite*

  • Baidu Music - Music Player with Downloads, Ringtones, Music Videos, Radio & Karaoke

  • DuoDuo Ringtone

  • NetEase Music - An Essential for Radio and Song Download

  • Foreign Harbor - The Hottest Platform for Oversea Shopping*

  • Battle of Freedom (The MOBA mobile game)

  • One Piece - Embark (Officially Authorized)*

  • Let’s Cook - Receipes

  • Heroes of Order & Chaos - Multiplayer Online Game*

  • Dark Dawn - Under the Icing City (the first mobile game sponsored by Fan BingBing)*

  • I Like Being With You*

  • Himalaya FM (Audio Book Community)

  • CarrotFantasy*

  • Flush HD

  • Encounter - Local Chatting Tool

    Apple has been working to remove all apps compromised by XcodeGhost from the App Store, but some affected apps may remain available for download. Apple has also outlined steps for developers to validate Xcode and said it would alert users to let them know if they have downloaded apps that could have been compromised.

    XcodeGhost is a new iOS malware that arose from malicious versions of Xcode, Apple's official tool for developing iOS and OS X apps, downloaded by some developers in China. Chinese developers then unknowingly compiled iOS apps using the modified Xcode IDE and distributed those infected apps through the App Store.

    MacRumors posted a detailed XcodeGhost FAQ over the weekend that explains more about the malware, who is affected and how to keep yourself protected, although Apple has since downplayed the severity of XcodeGhost compared to what some security firms initially reported.

    We have no information to suggest that the malware has been used to do anything malicious or that this exploit would have delivered any personally identifiable information had it been used.

    We’re not aware of personally identifiable customer data being impacted and the code also did not have the ability to request customer credentials to gain iCloud and other service passwords.

    Chinese developers initially disclosed XcodeGhost on microblogging service Sina Weibo last Wednesday.

  • Popular Stories

    iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

    iPhone 17: What's New With the Cameras

    Friday May 2, 2025 3:52 pm PDT by
    We've still got months to go before the new iPhone 17 models come out, but a combination of dummy models and leaks have given us some insight into what we can expect in terms of camera changes. Apple is adding new camera features, and changing the design of the camera bump for some models. You might be skeptical of dummy models, but over the years, they've proven to be a highly accurate...
    iPhone 17 Air Size Feature

    iPhone 17 Air Expected to Have Battery Case Due to 'Worse' Battery Life

    Saturday May 3, 2025 8:24 am PDT by
    Apple's rumored iPhone 17 Air model will have "worse" battery life compared to previous iPhone models, according to a paywalled The Information report. In internal testing, Apple determined that the percentage of users who will be able to use the iPhone 17 Air for a full day without needing to recharge the device throughout the day will be between 60% and 70%, according to the report. For...
    Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue Face ID

    20th-Anniversary iPhone Will Reportedly Feature an All-Screen Design

    Saturday May 3, 2025 9:20 am PDT by
    Apple's former design chief Jony Ive long dreamed of an iPhone with a truly all-screen design, and his wish might finally become reality in a few more years. The Information today cited multiple sources who said that at least one new iPhone model launching in 2027 will have a truly edge-to-edge display. The device's front camera and Face ID system would both be placed under the screen....
    AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

    AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

    Tuesday April 29, 2025 1:30 am PDT by
    Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
    iphone 17 air iphone 16 pro

    iPhone 17 Air USB-C Port May Have This Unusual Design Quirk

    Wednesday April 30, 2025 3:59 am PDT by
    Apple is preparing to launch a dramatically thinner iPhone this September, and if recent leaks are anything to go by, the so-called iPhone 17 Air could boast one of the most radical design shifts in recent years. iPhone 17 Air dummy model alongside iPhone 16 Pro (credit: AppleTrack) At just 5.5mm thick (excluding a slightly raised camera bump), the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air is expected to become ...
    iphone 16 pro ghost hand

    iPhone 18 Rumors: What to Expect From Apple Next Year

    Friday May 2, 2025 3:01 am PDT by
    Apple's is continually working with suppliers on successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features so far ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a picture forming of what to expect from Apple's 2026 smartphone lineup. If you're skipping this year's upcoming iPhone 17 series, or just plain curious about Apple's plans...
    General Spotify Feature

    Spotify Submits iOS App Update With Out-of-App Purchase Options

    Thursday May 1, 2025 3:37 pm PDT by
    Spotify today submitted an app update to Apple that will include information on Spotify plan costs and options to subscribe through weblinks without using the in-app purchase system. Spotify will not need to pay a fee to Apple when customers subscribe to the service using alternate payment methods in the Spotify app. In a blog post announcing the changes, Spotify said that yesterday's ruling ...
    iOS App Store General Feature JoeBlue

    Epic Games Wins Major Victory as Apple is Ordered to Comply With App Store Anti-Steering Injunction [Updated]

    Wednesday April 30, 2025 4:01 pm PDT by
    In a victory for Epic Games, Apple was today found to be in violation of a 2021 injunction that required it to allow developers to direct customers to third-party purchase options on the web using in-app links. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who has been handling the Apple vs. Epic Games dispute for the last five years, said that Apple is in "willful violation" of the injunction she issued to ...

    Top Rated Comments

    garylapointe Avatar
    125 months ago
    What's the point of a top 25 list?

    Don't we need to know all of them?!?

    Gary
    Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
    shanson27 Avatar
    125 months ago
    Never trust apps from China
    Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
    Madmic23 Avatar
    125 months ago
    How did that Angry Birds app even make it into the store? There's no way it's from Rovio.
    Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
    Dilster3k Avatar
    125 months ago
    Love how Apple always brags about Appstore statistics... In reality it's just filled with crap like this.
    Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
    MH01 Avatar
    125 months ago
    If you have never even considered downloading one of the top 25, you haven't installed any of the rest.
    That's an awful assumption....
    Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
    MH01 Avatar
    125 months ago
    What's the point of a top 25 list?

    Don't we need to know all of them?!?

    Gary
    Sounds like the list might be in the hundreds . Top 25 is a PR move I suspect.

    Agree need the complete list.
    Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)