macfrombrampton wrote:
Your saying that Virus Total "https://www.virustotal.com" is junk but I am to trust Apple? Here Is just one web site demontrating that Malware exists in the App Store "https://www.eyerys.com/articles/news/14-apps-golduck-malware-discovered-apples-app-store"
Yes - exactly!
The macOS operating system includes multiple layers of malware protection. If any malware does sneak into Apple’s App Stores or in any Apple Developer ID software, Apple can disable that software and prevent it from being installed or even executed in the future.
Nowhere in that link you cited does it say that malware exists in the App Store. The story says that some apps communicate with "servers known to have been used by the Golduck malware for Android”. But what does that mean? A single “server” on the internet may communicate with hundreds of separate apps run by hundreds of separate companies.
I am would like to know what makes you think that the software detected by Virus Total is not Malware?
First of all, that screenshot you posted doesn’t list any malware at all. It uses bright red text, a “caution” icon (coloured red, not yellow) and terms like “PUP”, “adware”, and “potentially unwanted”. That’s adware or scamware, not malware. Sometimes adware can cause problems like slowing down your machine. Sometimes adware doesn’t include an uninstaller. But all of that applies to “legitimate” software too. Sometimes people do install adware and scamware on purpose. Sometimes adware does have a functional installer. The difference between “adware” and “legitimate” software is not as big as you might assume. I’m not saying adware is good, but I am saying that it is fundamentally different than true “malware”. Apple provides protection against malware. But when it comes to more benign adware or scam ware, you’re on your own.
And that is where VirusTotal comes in. I understand you wanting to do research on software. That’s good. But good research would be asking questions on reputable sites like Apple Support Communities. If you do your own research or believe what you read on random internet sites, you can be badly misled and misinformed.
I can understand if most people don’t have a good understanding of how shared servers work on the internet. Would it surprise you to learn that VirusTotal also doesn’t understand how this works? I’ve dealt with them before. I have tried, and failed, to get incorrect and libellous information about my own apps removed from VirusTotal. They categorically refused. Furthermore, they demanded to know why my app communicates with "s2.symcb.com”. Apparently, a few years ago, one or more popular antivirus apps added this domain to their “known malware” lists and started blocking it. If you Google it, you might immediately think it is a "server known to have been used with malware”. But that’s wrong.
It is a server run by Symantec for certificate revocation lists. My app didn’t communicate with it, the macOS operating system did. This server is used to help detect and disable malware. Yet, at one point, many antivirus apps were blocking this important security service. I can see how true malware might want to block this service. But it turned out that popular antivirus apps were just confused about how basic internet security worked and never even bothered to check.
Apparently that is still true of VirusTotal. They have a fundamental misunderstanding of how internet security, and even modern computers, work. The individual antivirus engines on VirusTotal may or may not detect “something” in an individual file and their detection may or may not be correct, depending on each individual engine. But beyond that, any information, dates, graphs, logs, comments, etc. that you see on VirusTotal are just bogus and should not be considered accurate.
I am pointing out to Apple that this software is Malware but if Apple says it is not Malware, fine.
I would like ot know if this is the proper forum for Apple to respond to Malware report?
This is a user-to-user technical support forum. It is not an appropriate venue to communicate directly with Apple.
However, it is an excellent venue to help correct internet misinformation spread by antivirus vendors and sites like VirusTotal. If you have questions about something, by all means, ask here. Just don’t assume that people elsewhere on the internet are telling the truth. Sadly, in most cases, they are not. They are trying to mislead or scam you in some way. And I don’t think I’m exaggerating to use the adjective “most” in that respect.
These issues can be complex. Most people don’t want to bother to explain complex issues. They want to make it simple so that they can control what you think and make you buy their service or trust them. You won’t find that here on Apple Support Communities. Unfortunately, sometimes complex issues are just that and take a lot to explain.
