Early morning today, Australian users of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s iCloud connected devices found that they could not use their devices anymore as they have been locked out of it. A message stating “Device hacked by Oleg Pliss” is originating in the find my device service of Apple on not only the phones and tablets, but also laptops and desktops. It, also, states that in order to unlock the device, the user will be required to send $100.
Problems in restoring Apple devices
A community Apple Inc.(NASDAQ:AAPL) support thread has been used by affected users, and few users have found that in addition to the device getting hacked, a pass-code too has been added because of which the users are not able to access or restore their devices. Apple’s iCloud has a section called Find My iPhone and it is assumed that from this only the pass-code has been added.
The device can be accessed again if it is restored from a backup using iTunes as reported by the users whose devices have pass-codes on them. The device with no pass-code prior to attack could not be unlocked even in an Apple Inc.(NASDAQ:AAPL) store, as informed by an Australian user holidaying in London.
Around 15 messages were received in the Hotmail accounts of users that stated through ‘Find My iPhone’ services a ‘lost’ status was applied to all their devices with sounds being played and later all devices were marked as ‘found’.
Assumption is that the hackers have been able to lock the devices by gaining access to the Find My iPhone service. Gaining access to Apple ID credentials of the users have enabled them to gain access to ‘Find My iPhone’ service.
Description by a user
Early morning at around 4:30 AM, an Apple Inc.(NASDAQ:AAPL) user, deskokat, received a message that read ‘hacked by Oleg Pliss’ with his iPad playing sounds that woke him up.
“I thought it was the morning alarm. I just signed in with my code, and all seems ok. I then signed in to my powerbook — but as a guest user — VERY grateful I did,” deskokat wrote.
“Message to say I’d been hacked there too, wouldn’t let me sign out without erasing all data for that user. As there was nothing but a couple of expendable files on there, I signed out. And the guest user portal has been erased. I then went into my own (password protected) desktop, no hacking message. Have changed my Apple ID password.”
