Hacker Group Mysteriously Removes Stolen Apple Schematics and Extortion Threat From Ransomware Website

A ransomware group that last week stole schematics from Apple supplier Quanta Computer and threatened to release the trove of documents has mysteriously removed all references related to the extortion attempt from its dark web blog, MacRumors can confirm.

Ports 2021 MacBook Pro Mockup Feature 1 copy
The ransomware group known as REvil claimed last Tuesday that it had accessed the internal computers of Taiwan-based Quanta and managed to obtain several images and schematics of unreleased Apple products.

BleepingComputer reported that the group initially demanded Quanta pay $50 million for recovery of the files. However, according to an April 20 statement posted on the hacker group's site, Quanta refused to pay the ransom, which led the criminals to go after Apple for the money instead.

To prove it had hacked into Quanta's servers and in order to turn up the pressure on Apple, the hackers publicly posted a handful of images depicting unreleased product schematics, including details on Apple's unreleased next-generation MacBooks.

The group threatened to publish new data every day leading up to May 1, unless Apple paid the $50 million ransom demand in exchange for deleting the files.

The extortion attempt was timed to coincide with Apple's April 20 "Spring Loaded" digital event, where Apple announced AirTag item trackers, new iPad Pro models, and new iMacs. Despite the threat, however, no additional stolen documents have been leaked online since the original demand was made public.

Historically, REvil isn't known for bluffing and routinely posts stolen documents if its victims don't pay up, so it's unclear why the group has failed to follow through on this occasion, and Apple has so far not commented on the breach. The group actively continues to extort other companies, so what has prompted it to remove all content linked to the Quanta hack remains unknown. We'll update this article if we learn more.

Popular Stories

iPhone 16 Battery Life Feature

iOS 26's New Battery Life Mode Available Only on These iPhone Models

Saturday June 21, 2025 9:02 am PDT by
Last week, we reported that iOS 26 introduces an opt-in Adaptive Power Mode on the iPhone, alongside the existing Low Power Mode. Apple says that Adaptive Power Mode can make "small performance adjustments" when necessary to extend an iPhone's battery life, including slightly lowering the display brightness or allowing some activities to "take a little longer." The full description of...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

iPhone Driver's Licenses: These 17 U.S. States Offer Them or Will Later

Thursday June 19, 2025 11:28 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states and Puerto...
ios 26 call holding

iOS 26 Beta is Hiding a New Ringtone — Here's What It Sounds Like

Thursday June 19, 2025 7:25 pm PDT by
Apple is hiding a new ringtone within iOS 26. The new ringtone is an alternative version of the existing Reflection ringtone, which has been the default ringtone since the iPhone X was released in 2017. It was discovered within the code for the first developer beta of iOS 26, but it remains hidden, so you will not find it in the list of ringtones available in the Settings app for now. It...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching in Three Months With These 12 New Features

Saturday June 21, 2025 2:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are around three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices from credible sources. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of June 2025:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone X...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching in Three Months With These 12 New Features

Saturday June 14, 2025 5:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of June 2025:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone X through iPhone 14 Pro have a...
All Screen iPhone 2027 Feature 1

iPhone Reportedly Moving to All-Screen Design in Two Stages

Sunday June 22, 2025 3:58 pm PDT by
Apple has long been working towards an iPhone with an all-screen design, and it might finally achieve the feat in a few more years from now. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that Apple will shrink the size of the Dynamic Island on new iPhone models released next year. A year after that, he expects Apple to release a redesigned 20th-anniversary iPhone model....
Wi Fi WiFi General Feature

iOS 26 Adding Two New Wi-Fi Features, Allows AirDrop and AirPlay Alternatives

Saturday June 21, 2025 7:02 am PDT by
iOS 26 is gaining two new Wi-Fi features, including Captive Assist and Wi-Fi Aware. MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris discovered a reference to Captive Assist within the code for the first iOS 26 developer beta, but Apple has yet to enable the feature. It should be available by the time the software update is released later this year. In his Power On newsletter last month, Bloomberg's...
apple watch ultra 2 new black

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Finally Coming After Two-Year Hiatus

Monday June 16, 2025 8:45 am PDT by
Apple will finally deliver the Apple Watch Ultra 3 sometime this year, according to analyst Jeff Pu of GF Securities Hong Kong (via @jukanlosreve). The analyst expects both the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 to arrive this year (likely alongside the new iPhone 17 lineup, if previous launches are anything to go by), according to his latest product roadmap shared with...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro's Alleged Vapor Chamber Cooling System Partly Revealed

Sunday June 22, 2025 6:37 am PDT by
Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models are rumored to be equipped with a vapor chamber cooling system, and a leaker known as Majin Bu today shared a photo of an alleged copper thermal plate for the system. Many high-end Android smartphones like Samsung's Galaxy S25 Ultra are equipped with a vapor chamber cooling system, which can manage heat dissipation inside the...

Top Rated Comments

ArPe Avatar
54 months ago
John Wick did his job. Hope it was a great action scene.
Score: 66 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kkillam Avatar
54 months ago
I just think it would be funny if Apple responded with a message that just contained the names and addresses of people involved and they went “oh ****” and took everything down
Score: 42 Votes (Like | Disagree)
robinp Avatar
54 months ago

John Wick did his job. Hope it was a great action scene.
I think it was Tim Cook in his mission impossible guise from the recent event. It was a covert threat and now it's mission accomplished.
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
applesith Avatar
54 months ago
Look for a $50MM expense on apples next filing. ;)
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ArPe Avatar
54 months ago

Maybe they got caught, but I doubt it. It would be stupid of Apple to pay the ransom - other groups would take notice and make Apple their prime target.
Don’t try to blackmail the richest company in the world.

It won’t end well for you.



Attachment Image
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Spock Avatar
54 months ago
Apple has an internal person that deals with these kinds of people... Clean up on aisle 5.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)