Apple removed some applications from its App Store after developers in China were tricked into using software tools that added malicious code in a security breach.

Apple gave no details of the companies affected. But Tencent said its WeChat app was affected and the company released a new version after spotting the code.

Chinese news reports said others affected included banks, an airline and a popular music service.

Apple said the code spread through a counterfeit version of its Xcode tools, used to create apps. It said developers obtained them from “untrusted sources” rather than directly from Apple. The malicious software collects information from infected devices and uploads it to outside servers, according to Palo Alto Networks, a US-based security firm. – (Reuters)