Hackers Using iCloud's Find My iPhone Feature to Remotely Lock Macs and Demand Ransom Payments

Over the last day or two, several Mac users appear to have been locked out of their machines after hackers signed into their iCloud accounts and initiated a remote lock using Find My iPhone.

With access to an iCloud user's username and password, Find My iPhone on iCloud.com can be used to "lock" a Mac with a passcode even with two-factor authentication turned on, and that's what's going on here.

maclockedfindmyiphone
Apple allows users to access Find My iPhone without requiring two-factor authentication in case a person's only trusted device has gone missing.

2faicloud

2-factor authentication not required to access Find My iPhone and a user's list of devices.

Affected users who have had their iCloud accounts hacked are receiving messages demanding money for the passcode to unlock a locked Mac device.


The usernames and passwords of the iCloud accounts affected by this "hack" were likely found through various site data breaches and have not been acquired through a breach of Apple's servers.

Impacted users likely used the same email addresses, account names, and passwords for multiple accounts, allowing people with malicious intent to figure out their iCloud details.

lockmacfindmyiphone

It's easy to lock a Mac with a passcode in Find My iPhone if you have someone's Apple ID and password.

To prevent an issue like this, Apple users should change their Apple ID passwords, enable two-factor authentication, and never use the same password twice. Products like 1Password, LastPass, and even Apple's own iCloud Keychain are ideal ways to generate and store new passwords for each and every website.


Users who have had their Macs locked will need to get in contact with Apple Support for assistance with removing the Find My iPhone lock.

(Thanks, Eli!)

Top Rated Comments

miketcool Avatar
85 months ago
Meh, this is why things live on external drives. If I lost or had my laptop stolen, I'd wipe it and be back up and running in 25 minutes without the hassle.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
I Need a Drink Avatar
85 months ago
Nice job MR. I only emailed them about this 4 weeks ago and asked that they run a story to inform people that this was going on.

I also emailed Apple about the issue with a simple suggestion. What they need to do is to require the device password when you try to lock a device from Find My iPhone on the web. When you go to remote lock a device you enter a lock passcode and the device's password or passcode. When that is sent to the Mac, iPhone, whatever, if the device password doesn't match, it won't lock the device. That way, even if a hacker guesses your Apple ID and password using hacked credentials, they still can't lock the device without the Mac's login.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
44267547 Avatar
85 months ago
Macurmors quote:

"Impacted users likely used the same email addresses, account names, and passwords for multiple accounts, allowing people with malicious intent to figure out their iCloud details."

And this is exactly why I reconfigure all my passwords for my accounts on a regular basis. Stagnancy can be part of the problem.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Vol7ron Avatar
85 months ago
Yup, this happened to me back in June when I installed beta 1 of MacOS High Sierra. Frustrating and embarrassing when your an IT engineer and your own device gets hacked! Had to bring it to Apple and provide proof of ownership before they would remove the lock.

And always use 2Factor. I don’t buy the second tweet about someone getting hacked with having 2FA enabled. Even if they could guess your password and the security code, your trusted device would still get a notification and you could block access.
I had 2 factor enabled, saw that someone was trying to access my account, denied them, and still had my account locked.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
busyscott Avatar
85 months ago
MacRumors, why are you recommending two-factor authentication if you then go onto say you can access Find My iPhone without needing 2FA??

Here's a better recommendation: turn off Find My Mac until Apple correct course and Find My iPhone requires 2FA.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Born Again Avatar
85 months ago
I liked how he said "y'all"

"y'all come back now ! yah hear?!"
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

reset password request iphone

Warning: Apple Users Targeted in Phishing Attack Involving Rapid Password Reset Requests

Tuesday March 26, 2024 4:34 pm PDT by
Phishing attacks taking advantage of Apple's password reset feature have become increasingly common, according to a report from KrebsOnSecurity. Multiple Apple users have been targeted in an attack that bombards them with an endless stream of notifications or multi-factor authentication (MFA) messages in an attempt to cause panic so they'll respond favorably to social engineering. An...
iPhone Home Screen Gradient Blank Spaces 1

Sources: iOS 18 Lets Apps Be Placed Anywhere on Home Screen Grid

Sunday March 24, 2024 1:33 pm PDT by
iOS 18 will give iPhone users greater control over Home Screen app icon arrangement, according to sources familiar with the matter. While app icons will likely remain locked to an invisible grid system on the Home Screen, to ensure there is some uniformity, our sources say that users will be able to arrange icons more freely on iOS 18. For example, we expect that the update will introduce...
iPad Pro 2024 Landscape Camera Feature

New iPad Pro Again Rumored to Feature Landscape Front-Facing Camera

Monday March 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by
The next-generation iPad Pro will feature a landscape-oriented front-facing camera for the first time, according to the Apple leaker known as "Instant Digital." Instant Digital reiterated the design change earlier today on Weibo with a simple accompanying 2D image. The post reveals that the entire TrueDepth camera array will move to the right side of the device, while the microphone will...
sonoma desktop wwdc

Apple Releases macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 With Fix for USB Hub Bug

Monday March 25, 2024 10:10 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sonoma 14.4.1, a minor update for the macOS Sonoma operating system that launched last September. macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 comes three weeks after macOS Sonoma 14.4. The ‌‌‌‌macOS Sonoma‌‌ 14.4‌.1 update can be downloaded for free on all eligible Macs using the Software Update section of System Settings. There's also a macOS 13.6.6 release for those who...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Purple

iOS 18 Will Finally Bring This Android Feature to iPhone

Monday March 25, 2024 6:42 am PDT by
iOS 18 will allow iPhone users to place app icons anywhere on the Home Screen grid, according to sources familiar with development of the software update. This basic feature has long been available on Android smartphones. While app icons will likely remain locked to an invisible grid system on the Home Screen, our sources said that users will be able to arrange icons more freely on iOS 18....
maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2024 Event for June 10 to 14

Tuesday March 26, 2024 10:02 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 35th annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set to take place from Monday, June 10 to Friday, June 14. As with WWDC events since 2020, WWDC 2024 will be an online event that is open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. WWDC 2024 will include online sessions and labs so that developers can learn about new...
apple maps 3d feature

Apple Maps May Gain Custom Routes With iOS 18

Tuesday March 26, 2024 3:10 pm PDT by
Apple may be planning to add support for "custom routes" in Apple Maps in iOS 18, according to code reviewed by MacRumors. Apple Maps does not currently offer a way to input self-selected routes, with Maps users limited to Apple's pre-selected options, but that may change in iOS 18. Apple has pushed an iOS 18 file to its maps backend labeled "CustomRouteCreation." While not much is revealed...
iphone reasons to upgrade

Apple Outlines 'Reasons to Upgrade' Your iPhone on New Website

Monday March 25, 2024 12:53 pm PDT by
Apple today added a "Why Upgrade" section to its website, which is aimed at encouraging customers with older iPhones to upgrade to a newer model. The website allows customers to compare the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, and 12 Pro Max to the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro Max. Each comparison shows what new features someone with an older...