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Handy Light: Tethering App Camouflaged as Flashlight

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Re: Handy Light: Tethering App Camouflaged as Flashlight

#2
I wonder how many other apps on Apple's "guaranteed-safe" App Store have hidden behavior like this? Since I can't actually audit the app code that runs on my device (like by compiling it myself), nor can I audit the OS, I guess I now have to assume that any application on my iPhone is compromised. (+)

Apple should include a warning on the box to that effect.

(+) I don't actually own an iPhone.

Re: Handy Light: Tethering App Camouflaged as Flashlight

#4
I wonder why this guy thought sacrificing his iPhone developer status was a good idea. If it gets 'remote killed', it was all for naught. Maybe he's going Droid.

EDIT: He's just a kid

>      Hi, I'm Nick Lee, an aspiring 15-year-old web designer and programmer. I consider ...

Re: Handy Light: Tethering App Camouflaged as Flashlight

#5
post #2

I wonder how many other apps on Apple's "guaranteed-safe" App Store have hidden behavior like this? Since I can't actually audit the app code that runs on my device (like by compiling it myself), nor can I audit the OS, I guess I now have to assume that any application on my iPhone is compromised. (+) Apple should include a warning on the box to that effect. (+) I don't actually own an iPhone.

I feel pretty vindicated, because I've been saying all along that the App Store review process is pointless at best, because the things apps are usually rejected for are fairly petty and it has almost no way of picking up on anything but the dumbest malware.

Re: Handy Light: Tethering App Camouflaged as Flashlight

#6
post #3

If true, I guarantee that Apple will use their “kill switch” to remove this app from any iPhones that have it installed.

I bought NetShare when it was briefly on the app store and it still works. Or at least it did last time I was at my cabin a few months ago with my 3G.

If they were going to kill an app, I'd assume they would have killed that. And they didn't. Or if they claimed to have killed it then they failed.

I bought this app. I'm more than willing to support the the Rebellion. I haven't actually verified that this app works as demonstrated but for a dollar it's worth the risk. I have no intentions of paying another $20 a month to AT&T.

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