Apple has pulled more than 250 iOS apps from the App Store after they were found to steal users' data.
A software development kit (SDK) known as Youmi, a Chinese codebase designed for advertising purposes, was found present in hundreds of apps, and gathered iPhone users' details including their Apple IDs and emails, their installed apps, and their hardware serial numbers.
Apple stated that it had pulled Youmi-using apps on Monday, after a report by security firm SourceDNA exposed the flaw, but did not provide a list of which apps were taken down.
However, the apps using the SDK were predominantly Chinese-made, with most of the developers unaware that Youmi was mining user data.
Youmi managed to take the data by calling private APIs, a practice which Apple has banned for this reason.
"This is a violation of our security and privacy guidelines," a statement from Apple read. "The apps using Youmi's SDK will be removed from the App Store and any new apps submitted to the App Store using this SDK will be rejected.
"We are working closely with developers to help them get updated versions of their apps that are safe for customers and in compliance with our guidelines back in the App Store quickly."
Interestingly, however, SourceDNA said that "this is the first time we've seen iOS apps successfully bypass the app review process".
The news also comes hot on the heels of the discovery of the XcodeGhost malware, which marked the first notable instance of infected iOS apps.
"Developers need to be aware that when they install an SDK in their app, they're responsible for how it affects their users," SourceDNA said.
