News about an iOS in app purchase hack may have already come to your attention. This came to light last week when a Russian developer managed to hack Apple’s In-App Purchase Program so that no payment was needed to get hold of in-app content. We have some news on this and also a way of removing the in app purchase hack if required.
The hack meant that users of iOS devices running iOS 3.0 and later could basically steal in-app purchase content for iPhones, iPod touch and iPad. As you would expect Cupertino-based Apple has been trying since to stop the hack but has so far failed in its bid and it seems that developer Alexey Borodin who mastered the hack is determined that Apple should fix the underlying problem in its system rather than simply close down his in-appstore.com service.
So far Borodin has resisted Apple’s attempts to curb his hack even after the giant company first blocked the IP address of his server and then issued a takedown request and also attempted to block PayPal payments from donors. A copyright claim against Borodin’s video about the hack was also made resulting in it being blocked. Borodin is nothing if not enterprising though and changed server to a completely different country, took donations through BitCoin instead and simply uploaded another video, according to a ZDNet report.
While many may admire the ingenuity behind the hack we have to point out that it’s no joke for developers who have no way of protecting their apps. The hack takes advantage of a single-purchase receipt being used over and over again and developers of apps will lose out big time as their cut is 70% as opposed to Apple’s 30% cut. As we said, it’s really nothing more than theft and now some of you could be reconsidering whether installing Borodin’s in-app purchase hack was the right thing to do. The good news is that ZDNet also has details about how you can remove the hack. They have listed 13 step-by-step instructions here that show exactly how to uninstall the hack and clean up your device.
Although the instructions look like they may take some time, in reality it shouldn’t take more than around 30 seconds to whizz through them. The result is that the two certificates and also DNS IP address needed for the hack will be deleted. It may also be wise to change your Apple ID password to stop anything being removed from your bank account, although Borodin insists that credentials are not logged.
When you think about it just doesn’t seem right to fiddle money from developers who work so hard to create the apps that give us so much pleasure and use so you may want to consider removing this hack. Let us know what you think of Borodin’s hack. Are you quite happy to continue using it? Maybe you feel that clever though the exploit is, it just doesn’t feel right to use it and so you will now remove the hack? Send your comments to let us know.