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Apple's Mac App Store Hacked, Rampant Piracy to Follow?

by Terrence O'Brien on January 7, 2011 at 04:25 PM

Mac App Store
It's only been a day, and hackers have already figured out a way around the Apple App Store's DRM, opening the door for pirated apps. The trick is simple enough, and doesn't actually break Apple's DRM; it simply bypasses it. Some apps check for a receipt file that then authorizes the program to run. The problem is that many simply check if the receipt exists, and not if the receipt is specifically for that app. So, the trick is to simply copy a couple of files from a free app like 'Twitter,' and put them in the folder for a paid application like 'Angry Birds.' How you get that illegitimate copy of an app is up to you. Apple has suggested that companies use a different method for authorizing their apps, but it's safe to assume that industrious hackers will quickly break whatever new blockades Apple erects.

Tags: apple, apps, AppStore, drm, mac app store, MacAppStore, piracy, top

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