How do I report malware app on App store

Question

Level 1

33 points

How do I report malware app on App store

How do I report an app being sold on the Apple App Store that I suspect may be malware? I downloaded this app from the Apple App Store hoping it would extract a RAR file for me: Open Any Files: RAR Support on the Mac App Store

It messed with my system (regular kernel panics) and I noticed a bunch of my files were recategorized in the Finder's file Kind list as "GenRandom" followed by a number.

For example, here is what an M4V file looked like while Open Any Files was installed...

It also installed a preference file that looked suspicious to me...

So I uninstalled the app by trashing it from Applications, I trashed the pref, and restarted.

After I did that, my Finder's file Kind display went back to normal, showing the M4V as an MPEG-4 Video...

My questions are...

1. Did I fully uninstall the app correctly?
2. Am I correct that this app is potential malware?

3. If this is malware, how do I report it to Apple? Will an Apple tech see this posting?

Thanks for your help!

PS, I also found this article about the Open Any Files app on this malware discussion board: https://forums.malwarebytes.com/topic/217353-get-rid-of-open-any-files-rar-suppo rt/

Macbook Pro

Posted on Jun 11, 2018 7:00 AM

Reply

Answer 1

macjack

Level 10

111,242 points

Jun 11, 2018 7:15 AM in response to omnitarian

Unfortunately, many apps sold on AppStore are junk. The requirements for AppStore are a low bar, just that it conforms to AppStore guidelines. While the app you cite is not technically malware, I would classify it as PUP (Potentially Unwanted Program).

You can run an Etrecheck report to see if there are still any traces of it left on your Mac.

EtreCheck was created by one of own colleagues here in ASC. It is a diagnostic tool that's very useful to us in finding problems. After it runs post the log file here. It will contain no personal information.

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Answer 2

macjack

Level 10

111,242 points

Jun 11, 2018 1:34 PM in response to omnitarian

Yes, I agree but about all you can do is review it. The AppStore is a profit center for Apple and they will sell just about anything that meets the requirements.

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Answer 3

omnitarian Author

Level 1

33 points

Jun 11, 2018 7:19 AM in response to macjack

Thanks for the quick response! I guess all I can do is give an honest review of it to warn other users.

If I can offer some feedback for any Apple techs who may be reading this... It would be in Apple's best interest to either raise the AppStore requirements bar or at least have a "Report Problems" button to flag PUPs either for the benefit of other users or to have Apple's techs investigate further.

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Answer 4

omnitarian Author

Level 1

33 points

Jun 11, 2018 1:39 PM in response to macjack

As a longtime Apple user I must say I'm disappointed that they would put their user base at risk just to make a few extra bucks. I would probably feel differently if they were a mom-and-pop operation, but this is the richest company in human history.

I think it's pennywise pound foolish to not address malicious software on their App Store and I hope they raise their standards. They tell me not to install third party software to keep my system stable, but then they allow an app into their ecosystem that bombs my computer? 😕

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Answer 5

macjack

Level 10

111,242 points

Jun 11, 2018 1:47 PM in response to omnitarian

omnitarian wrote:

They tell me not to install third party software to keep my system stable, but then they allow an app into their ecosystem that bombs my computer?

😕

FWIW one of the standards is that AppStore apps cannot have access to certain parts of the OS, which makes them more secure than some third party apps not sold in the AppStore.

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How do I report malware app on App store

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