Apple Outlines Steps for Developers to Validate Xcode Following Malware Attack

by

Following last week's disclosure of new iOS malware called XcodeGhost, which arose from malicious versions of Xcode hosted on third-party servers, Apple has outlined instructions for developers to ensure the version of Xcode they are using is valid.

XcodeGhost-Featured
When downloading Xcode from the Mac App Store, or Apple's website so long as Gatekeeper is enabled, OS X automatically checks the app's code signature and validates it against Apple's code. If you must obtain Xcode elsewhere, follow these steps:

To verify the identity of your copy of Xcode run the following command in Terminal on a system with Gatekeeper enabled:
spctl --assess --verbose /Applications/Xcode.app

where /Applications/ is the directory where Xcode is installed. This tool performs the same checks that Gatekeeper uses to validate the code signatures of applications. The tool can take up to several minutes to complete the assessment for Xcode.

The tool should return the following result for a version of Xcode downloaded from the Mac App Store:
/Applications/Xcode.app: accepted
source=Mac App Store

and for a version downloaded from the Apple Developer web site, the result should read either
/Applications/Xcode.app: accepted
source=Apple

or

/Applications/Xcode.app: accepted
source=Apple System

Any result other than ‘accepted’ or any source other than ‘Mac App Store’, ‘Apple System’ or ‘Apple’ indicates that the application signature is not valid for Xcode. You should download a clean copy of Xcode and recompile your apps before submitting them for review.

Apple issued a statement in response to XcodeGhost over the weekend, noting that it has removed all infected apps it is aware of from the App Store and is working with developers to ensure they are using a legitimate version of Xcode.

"We’ve removed the apps from the App Store that we know have been created with this counterfeit software. We are working with the developers to make sure they’re using the proper version of Xcode to rebuild their apps."

XcodeGhost affected dozens, and possibly hundreds, of App Store apps. iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users should read what you need to know about XcodeGhost to learn more about the malware and how to keep yourself protected.

Tags: Xcode, XcodeGhost

Popular Stories

airpods pro 3 purple

New, Higher End AirPods Pro Coming This Year

Tuesday January 20, 2026 9:05 am PST by
Apple is planning to debut a high-end secondary version of AirPods Pro 3 this year, sitting in the lineup alongside the current model, reports suggest. Back in September 2025, supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is planning to introduce a successor to the AirPods Pro 3 in 2026. This would be somewhat unusual since Apple normally waits around three years to make major...
Read Full Article • 104 comments
smaller dynamic island iphone 18 pro Filip Vabrous%CC%8Cek

iPhone 18 Pro Leak: Smaller Dynamic Island, No Top-Left Camera Cutout

Tuesday January 20, 2026 2:34 am PST by
Over the last few months, rumors around the iPhone 18 Pro's front-panel design have been conflicted, with some supply-chain leaks pointing to under-display Face ID, reports suggesting a top-left hole-punch camera, and debate over whether the familiar Dynamic Island will shrink, shift, or disappear entirely. Today, Weibo-based leaker Instant Digital shared new details that appear to clarify the ...
Read Full Article • 57 comments
iOS 27 Mock Quick

iOS 27 Will Add These 8 New Features to Your iPhone

Sunday January 18, 2026 3:51 pm PST by
iOS 27 is still many months away, but there are already plenty of rumors about new features that will be included in the software update. The first beta of iOS 27 will be released during WWDC 2026 in June, and the update should be released to all users with a compatible iPhone in September. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that iOS 27 will be similar to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense...
Read Full Article • 106 comments
14 inch MacBook Pro Keyboard

MacBook Pro Buyers Now Facing Up to a Two-Month Wait Ahead of New Models

Sunday January 18, 2026 6:50 pm PST by
MacBook Pro availability is tightening on Apple's online store, with select configurations facing up to a two-month delivery timeframe in the United States. A few 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro configurations with an M4 Pro chip are not facing any shipping delay, but estimated delivery dates for many configurations with an M4 Max chip range from February 6 to February 24 or even later. At...
Read Full Article • 87 comments
Apple Logo Spotlight

Apple Expected to Unveil Five All-New Products This Year

Wednesday January 21, 2026 10:54 am PST by
In addition to updating many of its existing products, Apple is expected to unveil five all-new products this year, including a smart home hub, a Face ID doorbell, a MacBook with an A18 Pro chip, a foldable iPhone, and augmented reality glasses. Below, we have recapped rumored features for each product. Smart Home Hub Apple home hub (concept) Apple's long-rumored smart home hub should...
Read Full Article • 62 comments

Top Rated Comments

macduke Avatar
macduke
135 months ago
Apple should block any developers who used counterfeit versions from being able to submit to the App Store. This level of stupidity shouldn't be allowed on their platform.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nagromme Avatar
nagromme
135 months ago
Band-Aid achieved. But it shouldn't be possible to do this in the first place--it's a security hole and one that could have been expected. Maybe have iTunes Connect only accept submissions from an unmodified Xcode? I'm not sure this is at all simple to implement, but I'm sure it's important to do so

Developers are to blame too--especially multi-person companies should know better. But the platform should still be protected from developers making mistakes--or being attacked in other as-yet-unknown ways that might make it possible to secretly modify their Xcode. After all, it's possible to choose to bypass the Mac's security features (like Gatekeeper), and some people have reasons to do so. Further checks from Apple's remote end are called for, I think.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Icy1007 Avatar
Icy1007
135 months ago
Considering I am not an idiot and I downloaded Xcode from Apple's dev portal, I think my copy is clean.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jsameds Avatar
Jsameds
135 months ago
"Following last week's disclosure of new iOS malware called XcodeGhost ('https://www.macrumors.com/2015/09/20/xcodeghost-chinese-malware-faq/'), which arose from malicious versions of Xcode hosted on third-party servers, Apple has outlined instructions ('https://developer.apple.com/news/?id=09222015a') for developers to ensure the version of Xcode they are using is valid."


Step 1: Download Xcode from Apple.com


Congratulations, you now have a genuine version of Xcode ;)
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jasnw Avatar
jasnw
135 months ago
On a tangent, but a strongly related one, what's to keep whomever put the malicious Xcode out on Baidu in the first place from having a house stable of devs building malicious apps using their own Xcode? From what I've read, Apple was unable to catch these apps from being borked in the first place. I've long had a healthy skepticism about accessing any critical (financial, medical, etc) websites from a mobile device, now I'm positively paranoid about it.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TMRJIJ Avatar
TMRJIJ
135 months ago
When you find that an app on that list ('https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/what-you-need-to-know-about-ios-malware-xcodeghost.1918784/#post-21896151') is in your Home Screen



Attachment Image
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments