Individuals behind Wirelurker malware arrested; Maiyadi App Store shut down
Three individuals behind the recently discovered Wirelurker malware were arrested last week by Chinese authorities, according to a report from Security Week. Additionally, the website the defendants used to disseminate the malware has been taken down.
The suspects, identified by their surnames as Wang, Lee and Chen, were taken into custody on Thursday based on information provided to law enforcement authorities by the China-based security company Qihoo 360 Technology.
According to Chinese authorities, the suspects conspired to develop the malware for illegal profits. The website used to distribute the malware has been shut down, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Public Security said in a statement published on its Sina Weibo account. Researchers have found evidence connecting the Maiyadi app store to the creators of the malware.
The Wirelurker malware, if you recall, was spread via a third-party Mac app store called Maiyadi which successfully attracted users by offering popular (and repackaged) OS X apps free of charge. Once the malware infected a Mac, it was capable of migrating over to any iOS device connected to it via USB. While operational, these bootleg apps on the Maiyadi store were downloaded over 356,104 times.
Of course, the hysteria surrounding Wirelurker was a tad dramatic given that prevention was as simple as A.) staying away from third-party Mac app stores and B.) not connecting your iOS device to any machine you don't trust.
