iMessage Chat, an unofficial iMessage app for Android devices, has appeared on the Google Play store to provide Android users with access to Apple's instant messaging services (via 9to5Mac). The implementation has, however, raised significant security concerns as it routes user's Apple ID information through remote servers, potentially allowing user accounts, which may be linked with iTunes Store purchases, to be compromised.
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According to software developer Adam Bell, the app and associated servers facilitate connections to Apple’s iMessage server by posing as a Mac mini, with Cydia creator Jay Freeman adding that the app forwards all communication through a server located in China.
In addition, developer Steven Troughton-Smith discovered that the app has the capability to download and install software in the background of a mobile device, which would allow for potential installation of malicious software.
As a result, while the development is an interesting one in terms of third-party interfacing with iMessage, users should be extremely wary of installing this application on their Android devices.
Update: The app is no longer available for download.
Top Rated Comments
(View all)...the app forwards all communication through a server located in china.
all the more reason to trust it!
iMessage Chat, an unofficial iMessage app for Android devices, has appeared on the Google Play store [...]
Is it really that clever to start an article with a direct link to something that's most likely malware?
It's the wild west in there.
(And I am a Nexus 7 owner too!)