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Apple Outlines Steps for Developers to Validate Xcode Following Malware Attack

Tuesday September 22, 2015 8:24 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
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
[ 67 comments ]


Top Rated Comments

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macduke
47 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.
Rating: 22 Votes
Avatar
nagromme
47 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.
Rating: 6 Votes
Avatar
Jsameds
47 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 ;)
Rating: 5 Votes
Avatar
jasnw
47 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.
Rating: 5 Votes
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Icy1007
47 months ago
Considering I am not an idiot and I downloaded Xcode from Apple's dev portal, I think my copy is clean.
Rating: 5 Votes
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Tankmaze
47 months ago
Good job Apple. for responding so quickly.
Rating: 4 Votes
Avatar
TMRJIJ
47 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



Rating: 4 Votes
Avatar
Thunderhawks
47 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.


You will never be able to outsmart dumb people.
There will always be ways people will figure out to get around something that annoys them.

So, in that case developers were annoyed by the long download times and figured out to go to another site.

About the only thing bothersome here is how this passed Apples screening of apps. My guess is that if an app was okay the first time from a certain developer, s/he got a pass "as an update" and was not put through all the testing they normally do.

I'd also show a yellow card to developers who bypass Apples XCODE system and flash RED if they do it again and they would be out.
Rating: 3 Votes
Avatar
KALLT
47 months ago
Disappointing that they don’t warn their customers with a proper press release. iCloud credentials might have been stolen and other passwords compromised. People are still vulnerable for as long as these versions remain on the devices and many people don’t know. Just make sure that you download Xcode from apple.com ('http://apple.com') next time, no big deal! Apple is just unreliable with these things.
Rating: 3 Votes
Avatar
ninjadex
47 months ago


If you download an infected app, simply run the app updates and install them. This will clear up the issue.


Better yet, if you downloaded an infected app, delete it and never install an app from that developer ever again.
Rating: 2 Votes

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