4 ms·

Is this just a non issue on iOS? If so, why?

0942v8653 7y ago
I had the CamScanner app on my iPhone for quite some time, then uninstalled when I launched it and saw (IIRC) Chinese text appear. I'm assuming that ownership changed around that time, and if the Android and iOS apps have the same owner, I wouldn't trust it either. An iOS trojan would have slightly more limited impact, but if (for example) you gave the app "Access to your Photos" in order to save something, the app would still be able to read all of your photos and potentially send them back to home base as it chooses.
- aitchnyu 7y ago
  I guess its time to disclose transfers and sales of mobile apps and browser extensions to end users.
DevKoala 7y ago
I am curious too. I presume it is due to better sand boxing and a more transparent system to request resource access.
- codesushi42 7y ago
  It is easier to run background processes in Android by starting new services with their own dedicated process. And it's quite easy to run headless apps/processes.
JustSomeNobody 7y ago
Because 80+% of users are on the latest os version and the inverse is true of Android.
- lern_too_spel 7y ago
  This doesn't use an exploit in Android and instead runs payloads with the permissions of the app. The same can happen on iOS and very likely does in many apps but is reported less often because there is no economic incentive (the App Store doesn't allow antivirus services). For an example, see how Xcodeghost went unnoticed by Apple.
  - vardump 7y ago
    So can you somehow load external (from a file or network, etc.) executable code into memory on iOS now? Last I checked, that was not possible, no way to even map executable pages in memory. XcodeGhost was a compromised compiler suite. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XcodeGhost#Attack_vector https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XcodeGhost#Attack_vector
    - panpanna 7y ago
      The code does not need to be native, JavaScript works just fine (which is exactly what was used in the click-fraud thingy from a few months ago)
viraptor 7y ago
It's not a non-issue: https://www.theiphonewiki.com/wiki/Malware_for_iOS https://www.theiphonewiki.com/wiki/Malware_for_iOS The store rules and moderation is a bit stricter, do that may be one reason we hear less about iOS malware. But it's still out there.
- buildzr 7y ago
  Correct me if I'm wrong, but the iOS sandbox also seems weaker - I've seen a few occasions in which calling undocumented functions can be all it takes to bypass protections significantly. I assume this is part of the reason Apple is so reliant on reviews.
m463 7y ago
I had camscanner and at some time it started trying to upload my pdfs to the cloud. It seems it was bought by tencent around that time. At first the app store privacy policy was a broken link. Later they got it to work, and it basically used broken english to say: we can collect anything. uninstall and never looked back. One tip: The iOS native Notes app can scan documents into a .pdf file.

I had the CamScanner app on my iPhone for quite some time, then uninstalled when I launched it and saw (IIRC) Chinese text appear. I'm assuming that ownership changed around that time, and if the Android and iOS apps have the same owner, I wouldn't trust it either. An iOS trojan would have slightly more limited impact, but if (for example) you gave the app "Access to your Photos" in order to save something, the app would still be able to read all of your photos and potentially send them back to home base as it chooses.

aitchnyu 7y ago
I guess its time to disclose transfers and sales of mobile apps and browser extensions to end users.

DevKoala 7y ago

I am curious too. I presume it is due to better sand boxing and a more transparent system to request resource access.

codesushi42 7y ago
It is easier to run background processes in Android by starting new services with their own dedicated process. And it's quite easy to run headless apps/processes.

JustSomeNobody 7y ago

Because 80+% of users are on the latest os version and the inverse is true of Android.

lern_too_spel 7y ago
This doesn't use an exploit in Android and instead runs payloads with the permissions of the app. The same can happen on iOS and very likely does in many apps but is reported less often because there is no economic incentive (the App Store doesn't allow antivirus services). For an example, see how Xcodeghost went unnoticed by Apple.
- vardump 7y ago
  So can you somehow load external (from a file or network, etc.) executable code into memory on iOS now? Last I checked, that was not possible, no way to even map executable pages in memory. XcodeGhost was a compromised compiler suite. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XcodeGhost#Attack_vector https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XcodeGhost#Attack_vector
  - panpanna 7y ago
    The code does not need to be native, JavaScript works just fine (which is exactly what was used in the click-fraud thingy from a few months ago)

viraptor 7y ago

It's not a non-issue: https://www.theiphonewiki.com/wiki/Malware_for_iOS https://www.theiphonewiki.com/wiki/Malware_for_iOS The store rules and moderation is a bit stricter, do that may be one reason we hear less about iOS malware. But it's still out there.

buildzr 7y ago
Correct me if I'm wrong, but the iOS sandbox also seems weaker - I've seen a few occasions in which calling undocumented functions can be all it takes to bypass protections significantly. I assume this is part of the reason Apple is so reliant on reviews.

m463 7y ago

I had camscanner and at some time it started trying to upload my pdfs to the cloud. It seems it was bought by tencent around that time. At first the app store privacy policy was a broken link. Later they got it to work, and it basically used broken english to say: we can collect anything. uninstall and never looked back. One tip: The iOS native Notes app can scan documents into a .pdf file.