Top selling Mac App Store adware scanner stole browsing history without permission

Users of the Mac App Store that have downloaded software based on how popular it is, take note. A popular piece of security software was just delisted for stealing information from those who downloaded it.

Adware Doctor, the highest grossing app on the Mac App Store in the Utilities category, had been collecting the browsing history of its users without any consent or notice. At the time of delisting, the app had over 7,200 reviews and a total rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars. The app was discovered to have siphon this data a few weeks ago, but had continued to be at the top of the highest grossing Utilities list.

As Adware Doctor was anti-malware software, there are many alternatives. However, that does not change that this app, according to security researcher Patrick Wardle, whose findings were backed by Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, had bypassed macOS's app sandboxing in order to steal browsing data from users of Safari, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox.

According to TechCrunch, when pressed for comment, Apple did not respond.

Additional coverage: Engadget TechCrunch VentureBeat The Verge