What are the security risks of trusting a developer certificate? Can you get malware on your device?

iOS/iPadOS includes a feature for enterprise customers to deploy software outside of the App Store to targeted devices. These enterprise applications must be “trusted” within Settings so you, the user, give explicit permission for the application to be executed on device. This is not jailbreaking. Some individuals exploit this feature to deploy emulators and other applications that are not appropriate for Apple’s App Store. These applications often will do whatever they can (within the operating system’s limits) to siphon as much user data as they can. Apple’s failsafes can only go so far. Network activity is the main concern as all 3rd party applications runs in a sandboxed mode.

When you “un-trust” one of these applications within Settings then the application can no longer execute. It is best to both un-trust these applications and remove them completely from the device. These applications are not vetted by Apple’s review systems and can pose as a security risk.

You trust whatever was signed to run, subject to System Integrity Protections, sandboxing and/or admin access depending on details, and revoking the cert trust doesn’t undo whatever has already happened with the installed apps.

AndyTheGreat876 wrote:

Hello. That response was helpful, but not quite what I’m looking for. I know that the damage cannot be undone, but does untrusting the software stop it from doing further damage? Thank you.

I don’t think that distinction much matters, if the sketchy code was sufficiently sketchy. The response is going to be the same. Wipe and reload, and then get to changing all your passwords and your mail server login credentials and the private certs and the rest of the usual response to a breach.

Hello,

Downloading software outside of the App Store is very risky. Apple has failsafes in place to minimize and harm that these applications can inflict. The most harm that these will inflict is by constantly monitoring any internal traffic on your device and would then upload that information to the application’s developer’s servers to do who knows with.

Clarification. What is this “downloading apps outside of the Apple Appstore?” If you talking about “jailbreaking,” forget it, you on your own! Nobody will help you! More likely throw away your device. iOS devices will not get malware, unless it is jailbroken. Also, not suppose to talk about it.🙄

Thanks for info, but do not take this the wrong way. But I sort of understand all the "technical mumbo-jumbo!" But I'll never do it. To the OP: using "common sense," will save you from grief!