Pop-up on my iPhone 11 saying that I have Trojan Viruses

Hi. My parents recently received a similar “warning”. Unfortunately they clicked on the ‘Remove Virus’ button 🤦🏼‍♀️ which took them to what looked like the App Store. Thankfully they didn’t download any app. Is their iPhone now compromised? If yes, how best to resolve the situation? Is it best to restore factory settings? Any advice is appreciated.

oh no! well i was using an app (from the App Store) that lets you watch lots of free movies and i was watching atla (avatar the last airbender) and every episode you have to watch an add in order to watch the next episode. and then i wanted to watch the next episode and an add came up. it looked so realistic. it said i had the Trojan Virus! i was so confused and scared. it said it took 17% damage. i clicked on the “remove virus” because i believed it and i was so scared. i unfortunately downloaded the app, and it said i had (i forgot the number) viruses as soon as i opened the app. I pressed “remove virus” and it said i had to pay in order for it to protect my device. i didn’t pay because i knew my dad would get mad, so i deleted the app. i don’t know what to do now! i don’t know if i actually have a virus on my phone 🙁, please someone reply as soon as you see this 😭😭

Yes, it’s a scam. There is no such thing as a “Trojan virus”. Trojans and Viruses are two completely different things.

In order to get a Trojan, you would have to jailbreak your phone and download an app from outside of the App Store.

There are no viruses, which are self replicating, that can infect an iphone that is not jailbroken.

KiltedTim wrote:

Yes, it’s a scam. There is no such thing as a “Trojan virus”. Trojans and Viruses are two completely different things.

Two other clues that it is a scam are the claims that

• the message is from "Apple Security" – the icon and font may look "official" enough, but if there is an Apple Security, they would be concerned with securing Apple's workplaces, not with sending messages out of the blue to customers.
• the phone's memory already has 17% of damage, and that the device will soon become defective. Even on computers running Windows, most viruses and other malware are not capable of damaging hardware.

It is indeed a scam. Close the offending page and avoid sites that are involved in such bogus advertising tactics.

Phony "tech support" / "ransomware" popup… - Apple Community

Golden Pickaxe can’t be installed unless it’s done through a malicious management profile that you have to approve and install yourself (or someone with physical access to the device and your passcode).

You obviously did not bother to read or attempt to comprehend the words I wrote.

A Trojan is not a Virus. In order to get a “Trojan” you have to actively install it yourself and it can only come from outside of the App Store.

Search for ‘Golden Pickaxe’ Trojan which isn’t dependent on jailbroken devices.

There’s also a ton of other remote access vulnerabilities (CVE-2023-32409 ) & Triangle DB Spyware, ( (CVE-2024-23222) as well as ( CVE-2024-23206 — allowed a maliciously crafted website to "fingerprint a user," while a third Webkit bug — CVE-2024-23214 )…. This is only since January 24 and all of these exploits are categorised as ‘ in the wild’. No one should be naive enough to believe that anything that has a chip can’t be hacked. Apple CVE-2024-23206 — allowed a maliciously crafted website to "fingerprint a user," while a third Webkit bug — CVE-2024-23214

[Edited by Moderator]

The defining characteristic of a Trojan is that you get fooled into running or installing it yourself - like the way the people in the walled city let down their guard to accept the “gift” of a large wooden horse. (THEY opened the gate and dragged the wooden horse in - not the attackers.) Then it does whatever kind of bad stuff the sender intended (like the wooden horse discharging enemy soldiers to attack the city from within).

The “payload” might install a virus - but more likely would carry out some other kind of attack like installing a password stealer, or launching a ransomware attack.

Thus rhe use of the term “Trojan virus” is usually part of a scam by criminals who think that combining two scary words will make their intended victims even more scared, and more vulnerable to being preyed upon.

So I got this popup on safari and I clicked on remove virus and I didn’t install the app because it wasn’t on the apple website the popup and it said it was from apple so I didn’t download the app the app was probably the virus anyways so if you get this pop up do not download the app

As i Can see you are very sure about your answer ... can you please help me by answer my post please ???

Possible no click attack. How can I know? - Apple Community

thanks in advanced ...

You are welcome.