Chinese developers should soon see much faster downloads of Apple’s Xcode development app, as the Cupertino firm will begin hosting the software for download on local Chinese servers.
Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller spoke with Sina and explained that while Xcode takes developers about 25 minutes to download in the U.S., that same install can take up to three times as long for those in China. Apple hopes to address the issue by having an official copy of the software available to download on Chinese servers.
Apple will also “soon” publish a list of the top 25 most downloaded apps affected by the so-called “XcodeGhost” issue. About 40 infected apps are said to have made it out into the wild, affecting mostly Chinese users. Popular apps include WeChat and ridesharing service Didi Kuaidi.
Apple has published an XcodeGhost Q&A page on its Chinese website to explain what the malware is, how it can affect users, and what steps the company will be taking to protect developers and users against malicious software in the future.
Apple has also posted instructions for developers detailing how they can ensure their copy of Xcode is genuine. As always, developers should ALWAYS download Xcode via the Mac App Store, or Apple’s Developer Center. They are also advised to leave Gatekeeper enabled on all of their Macs to protect against tampered software.
