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Arthur T. Knackerbracket writes in withe a story from ComputerWorld:

Credentials for more than 225,000 Apple accounts have been stolen by sophisticated malware that targets modified iOS devices, according to Palo Alto Networks.

The malware, which is nicknamed KeyRaider, enables attackers to download applications from Apple's App Store without paying or to lock devices in lieu of a ransom.

"We believe this to be the largest known Apple account theft caused by malware," wrote Claud Xiao of Palo Alto Networks in a blog post.

Palo Alto Networks notified Apple of KeyRaider on Aug. 26 and provided the stolen account information, Xiao wrote. Apple officials in Sydney couldn't be immediately reached on Monday.

KeyRaider can infect only those who have "jailbroken" their Apple device. Jailbreaking removes Apple's protections that limit what apps can be installed on a device. Apple advises against jailbreaking for security reasons.

...

KeyRaider taps into system processes within Cydia, which is the application used for downloading apps for jailbroken phones. It steals Apple account usernames, passwords and a device's GUID by intercepting iTunes traffic, which it can then use to fraudulently download apps. The malware also collects certificates, private keys and purchase receipts.

In another style of attack, KeyRaider was used for at least one ransomware attempt. The malware can "locally disable any kind of unlocking operations, whether the correct passcode or password has been entered," Xiao wrote.

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