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Are App Store apps more secure than from DMG on the internet? (sh.itjust.works)

submitted 1 week ago by [email protected] to c/apple_enthusiast

7 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Any devs here? I'm wondering if an app is more secure / has more restrictions if installed through the App Store as opposed to a DMG you download on the internet. I'm mostly concerned with filesystem permissions: the app is RetroArch and it is available on both the iOS and macOS App Store. Is it safer and more private if it's from the App Store? I know Apple's filesystem security policy is around specific folders in Home (Desktop, Downloads, etc.) but do App Store apps get random access to "unprotected" folders in the user's Home folder? Thanks!

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[–] ProjektSpartan 17 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Anything uploaded to the Apple App Store goes through a standard review process before Apple will let you release it on their store. Random DMG files you download from a website don’t.

Does that mean the app is more “secure”? Not necessarily. But you can at least be reasonably confident it’s not malware if nothing else.

[–] Ghostalmedia 1 points 1 week ago (2 children)

There is always a chance of malware, but that chance goes down with reviews.

[–] ProjektSpartan 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I did say reasonably confident, not 100% sure 😉

[–] Ghostalmedia 4 points 1 week ago

100%.

I only tossed that comment in there because there is always one Lemmy user who says “remember that one time” about a random app sneaking something past a reviewer.

Reviewers are humans and are imperfect. They’ve even missed garbage that I’ve accidentally submitted in a build. 😆