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Pirate apps and sensitive information?

S

stark4

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Oct 14, 2008
391
1
Florida
My friend has a few pirate apps on his iPad along with paid ones but yesterday he was using online banking and his investments. So I told him not to use the sensitive info on his iPad because the pirate apps that he has might contain tracking program to steal his passwords. He said it's not true and pirate apps are as clean as the paid ones. So I just wanna confirm with you guys...

Yes, he shouldn't use the pirate apps in the first place anyways..but he said he wants to test out the apps for a few days before he buys it so I can't really blame him.

So what do you guys think? Those pirate apps contain tracking information or am i too paranoid? Do you guys use the banking and investments with your you iPad?

Thanks
 
As your question is tangible to the following rules, we can't really help you or your friend.


Warez/Serials/Keys.
Do not post software serial numbers or keys or refer people to specific websites, software, or techniques whose purpose is to break or bypass software licensing methods, distribute cracks, or obtain or use commercial software or media in violation of its license and/or for copyright violation. Do not ask for or give such help.

from https://macrumors.zendesk.com/hc/en-us#Things_Not_to_Do
 
spinnerlys said:
As your question is tangible to the following rules, we can't really help you or your friend.


Warez/Serials/Keys.
Do not post software serial numbers or keys or refer people to specific websites, software, or techniques whose purpose is to break or bypass software licensing methods, distribute cracks, or obtain or use commercial software or media in violation of its license and/or for copyright violation. Do not ask for or give such help.

from https://macrumors.zendesk.com/hc/en-us#Things_Not_to_Do
Click to expand...
Wrong. Asking about the dangers of pirated software is not covered the clause you quoted.
 
stark4 said:
My friend has a few pirate apps on his iPad along with paid ones but yesterday he was using online banking and his investments. So I told him not to use the sensitive info on his iPad because the pirate apps that he has might contain tracking program to steal his passwords. He said it's not true and pirate apps are as clean as the paid ones. So I just wanna confirm with you guys...

Yes, he shouldn't use the pirate apps in the first place anyways..but he said he wants to test out the apps for a few days before he buys it so I can't really blame him.

So what do you guys think? Those pirate apps contain tracking information or am i too paranoid? Do you guys use the banking and investments with your you iPad?

Thanks
Click to expand...
It is not without precedence that a piece of software can detect that it was not legally obtained and performed differently than when a legal license exists.

The lame excuse of "trying before I buy" is just that, a lame excuse. He would be a fool to use pirated software on the same device that contains sensitive data. Simply using pirated software makes him a thief.
 
No one can tell you if those apps contain any kind of malware-- we simply don't know. Any app can contain malware. Even Apple's screening process isn't perfect--see the HandyLight app threads from a couple of months back. Nothing vicious has gotten through yet, but that doesn't mean it will never happen.

Do I personally think cracked apps will put you at a higher risk? Yes.

Do I use them? Nope, not worth that risk, aside from the legal/moral issue.

Do I use banking and other such things on my iPad? Yes, with reasonable precautions, I use my iPad as I would my laptop. Nothing private unless I'm on my home wifi, because I can vouch for the security of it. I also don't save critical passwords in Safari or in individual apps.
 
I do believe the forum rule says we should not help people obtain cracked apps, but it says nothing about discussing them in general.

I think that cracked apps just behave the same way as their paid versions. They are sandboxes in, so they shouldn't be able to access data handled by other apps. If you're going to be paranoid, it's the jailbreak apps such as those available through Cydia that can reallly wreak havoc, as they have no limitations so anything goes.
 
OP. here's a real answer. pirated app store apps are the same thing as the real thing, just a small change in the code of the app and the iphone itself allow it to run without being purchased. so it really doesn't make a difference if he's using sensitive info on the pirated app or the genuine app, it's equally secure or insecure either way.
 
likemyorbs said:
OP. here's a real answer. pirated app store apps are the same thing as the real thing, just a small change in the code of the app and the iphone itself allow it to run without being purchased. so it really doesn't make a difference if he's using sensitive info on the pirated app or the genuine app, it's equally secure or insecure either way.
Click to expand...

Sounds like you verified the code on some 200,000 plus apps vs the pirated apps. Thanks for looking out.
 
You should be cool. And as far as pirated apps goes let's keep it real it not stealing it a copyright violation that is their to help big biz and never the litte guy
 
This certainly happens all the time in desktop software. Torrents of both Photoshop Cs4 and iwork09 are floating around the net that have been modified to inject malicious code into computers when they are installed. They install and work fine. They just have some quiet surprises along for the ride.

So, there is certainly precedent for this, the question is whether it has actually happened with cracked software for an IOS device. If it hasn't happened, it probably will.

The challenge, of course, is knowing that your device has been compromised after it happens. Unlike your desktop mac, there are not a lot of tools for ios (to my knowledge) that you can use to observe suspicious behavior. I suppose you could use tools to sniff your network to see if packets are being sent, etc. etc.

If you think about it, it is kind of the perfect crime... no honor among thieves, right?

There is a risk you are going to take if you are going to use cracked apps. I am not going to moralize to you about whether cracking apps is right or wrong, but will say that if you are not someone who knows how to identify malicious software, then you are ill-equipped to play the game...

i.e. if you have to ask, don't do it. :D
 
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