A movie pirating app named “Kimi” sneaked its way onto the App Store by being disguised as a vision-testing app, ultimately hitting number eight on the list of top free entertainment apps.
The Verge reports that the app’s App Store listing claimed the app “tests your eyesight,” but when downloaded and installed, it opened directly into an interface that facilitates downloading and viewing pirated content.
It appears no real effort was made to hide the app’s true purpose, yet it somehow made it past the App Store review team. The App Store description mentioned comparing two images as an eyesight test, viewing scenery, and playing games. However, none of those features were actually in the app.
The app was first approved in September, and it had been available for several months in the iOS and macOS App Stores without Apple noticing.
Apple pulled the app on Tuesday after The Verge story was published, and it is no longer available.
This marks the second time in a week that the App Store has made headlines for allowing a questionable app onto the store. Last Thursday, a fake LastPass password management app was discovered in the App Store. The fake “LastPass” app mimicked the genuine app’s design and feature set.
