veritylikestea
Level 1 (1 points)

Q: My devices have been hacked. What do I do?

i was using my ipad a short while ago when suddenly it locked itself, and was askiwhich I'd never previously set up. I went to check my phone and there was a message on the screen (it's still there) saying that my device(s) had been hacked by 'Oleg Pliss' and he/she/they demanded $100 USD/EUR (sent by paypal to lock404(at)hotmail.com) to return them to me.

 

I have no idea how this has happened. I am not aware of having been exposed to malware or anything else, although i did recently purchase some new apps - perhaps one of these has something to do with it? I don't know. I am not sure what avenue has been used to reach my devices - I'm about to use my husband's laptop to check through some of my accounts (gmail, etc) and see if there is any clue there.

 

Has this happened to anyone else? What can or should I do? Many thanks

iPhone 5

Posted on May 26, 2014 4:57 AM

by georz,Solvedanswer
georz georz
Level 1 (10 points)
A:

I had the same problem originally. This is what I was told to do (and did) over the phone with applecare support.

 

Turn off your phone.

Plug your cable into the computer and have itunes up (do not plug into the phone yet)

Press and hold the home key on your off phone (I did mine for about 10 seconds). If nothing happens, plug in the cable into your phone (keep holding the home key)

What you want to see come up is the picture of itunes and cable on the front of the phone

Your itunes should then recognise the phone as an unidentified phone

Select restore factory settings (it should down load some software) ~15 mins and automatically install

The phone should go through some of the standard reset screens (usually black screen with apple icon and loading bar)

You will be prompted to restore the phone.... do this from itunes not the phone

 

Throughout this process you must not let the phone or computer go into sleep mode.... and don't disconnect.

 

I had the same issue with the lock screen but it was related to sim card once I did the restore.

 

I had to set the erase from icloud website, but that didn't originally work as it requires connection to the internet for it to apply, hence plugging it into the computer.

 

I accidentally started setting up my phone via the phone and got stuck on the sim card lock screen so had to do it from scratch again and this time via itunes and all good. Hope that helps

Posted on May 26, 2014 6:37 PM

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veritylikestea

Q: My devices have been hacked. What do I do?

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  • by deskokat,

    deskokat deskokat May 30, 2014 5:05 PM in response to Toasted111
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 30, 2014 5:05 PM in response to Toasted111

    Yeah... when I go to enter my AppleID to get in, I often have to do it two or three times - the first one says 'incorrect password' (when I know I'm putting in the right one) and the second sign in box will flash up behind it before I've entered to 'try again' - and then sometimes another will be behind it. And this duplicating, now I think about it, used to happen a lot a few months ago... would that be when they were collecting my ID?

  • by Toasted111,

    Toasted111 Toasted111 May 30, 2014 5:35 PM in response to deskokat
    Level 1 (8 points)
    May 30, 2014 5:35 PM in response to deskokat

    I don't know, but it sure looks like a possibility.

     

    Given the man in the middle bogus server concept just described.... Then Apple don't have a secure way for iPhone to communicate to their real Apple servers (without being fooled) ..... But Apple just say their iCloud services have not been compromised......Leaving the users to flounder about on a user forum like this.

     

    Sigh.

  • by deggie,

    deggie deggie May 30, 2014 5:37 PM in response to Toasted111
    Level 9 (54,831 points)
    iPhone
    May 30, 2014 5:37 PM in response to Toasted111

    iOS 7.0.6 update contained the security software update to block the man in the middle security issue.

  • by MajorIP4,

    MajorIP4 MajorIP4 May 30, 2014 5:45 PM in response to deggie
    Level 1 (33 points)
    Apple Music
    May 30, 2014 5:45 PM in response to deggie

    http://www.macrumors.com/2014/02/21/apple-ios-706/

  • by deggie,

    deggie deggie May 30, 2014 5:47 PM in response to MajorIP4
    Level 9 (54,831 points)
    iPhone
    May 30, 2014 5:47 PM in response to MajorIP4

    Yes, isn't that what I just said?

  • by iwantgizmos,

    iwantgizmos iwantgizmos May 30, 2014 10:38 PM in response to MidniteDaydream
    Level 1 (30 points)
    May 30, 2014 10:38 PM in response to MidniteDaydream

    despite my ignorance about not knowing what a newspaper is (according to midnitedaydream), me found a report with a screenshot of a lockscreen ransom demand that says paypal. it's in japanese. apparently hitting an iphone on softbank which is a japanese cellular carrier. scroll down the linked page to see screenshot.

    http://gigazine.net/news/20140528-ios-held-to-ransom/

  • by mikebhm,

    mikebhm mikebhm May 30, 2014 10:43 PM in response to veritylikestea
    Level 1 (39 points)
    Accessibility
    May 30, 2014 10:43 PM in response to veritylikestea

    Have the attacks stopped now? Don't seem to have been any new reports, but maybe people don't see any point in new reports.

     

    Initially I turned off Find my Phone as a bit of a knee-jerk reaction, but now it is not loooking like a fullscale global attack I am inclined to turn it back on, after switching to to 2step authourisation.

  • by dilbert41,

    dilbert41 dilbert41 May 31, 2014 10:48 AM in response to mikebhm
    Level 4 (3,712 points)
    iTunes
    May 31, 2014 10:48 AM in response to mikebhm

    Like you - I turned off Find My Phone, but only for a day. I figured that with a Passcode in place even if I did get "hacked", the pain of not finding my phone was greater than just resetting it.

  • by Greg Earle,

    Greg Earle Greg Earle Jun 9, 2014 11:32 AM in response to veritylikestea
    Level 2 (158 points)
    Windows Software
    Jun 9, 2014 11:32 AM in response to veritylikestea

    Update:

     

    Hackers accused of holding Apple devices to ransom detained in Russia

  • by thomas_r.,

    thomas_r. thomas_r. Jun 9, 2014 11:54 AM in response to Greg Earle
    Level 7 (30,944 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jun 9, 2014 11:54 AM in response to Greg Earle

    Greg Earle wrote:

     

    Update:

     

    Hackers accused of holding Apple devices to ransom detained in Russia

     

    That may not be related. There was apparently a similar incident specific to Russia, which wasn't reported in the western news and which had some significant differences. For example, it did not mention Oleg Pliss, and the message was followed up with an e-mail message scam. The lock message said (translated from Russian by Google):

     

    "Your device is locked in relation to the complaint. And can help you unlock it. Check your email!"

     

    It's possible these folks may have been behind the Australian hack as well, but it's also possible they are completely unrelated and just used a similar technique. Since we still don't have any idea what caused the Australian hack, it's impossible to say.

     

    We'll have to wait and see what other developments - if any - come from this arrest.

  • by Toasted111,

    Toasted111 Toasted111 Jun 9, 2014 5:41 PM in response to thomas_r.
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Jun 9, 2014 5:41 PM in response to thomas_r.

    This site is reporting "Hackers Involved in Locking and Ransoming Apple Devices in Australia Arrested"

     

    http://www.macrumors.com/2014/06/09/australia-device-hackers-arrested/

     

    Other than the headline it eems to be the same basic information as reported by thomas_r and Greg Earl's posts.

  • by Chris CA,

    Chris CA Chris CA Jun 9, 2014 7:55 PM in response to marumurak
    Level 9 (79,677 points)
    iTunes
    Jun 9, 2014 7:55 PM in response to marumurak

    marumurak wrote:

     

    Since you are such a genius Chris, explain why a song costs twice the price in Australia when it is a global coppyright?

    There is no such thing as a global copyright.

     

    Explain to me why the minimum wage in Australia is more than twice the minimum wage in the US?

  • by marumurak,

    marumurak marumurak Jun 9, 2014 8:39 PM in response to veritylikestea
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 9, 2014 8:39 PM in response to veritylikestea

    Because one of us is worth two of you

     

    If you want to clutch at straws you go for it. Copyright laws and fees in western countries are very similar. There is certainly no justification for one western country paying double the price for a song compared to another country. Anyway you are off topic

  • by Chris CA,

    Chris CA Chris CA Jun 9, 2014 8:45 PM in response to marumurak
    Level 9 (79,677 points)
    iTunes
    Jun 9, 2014 8:45 PM in response to marumurak

    veritylikestea (whom you responded to) did not comment on copyright.

     

    Because one of us is worth two of you

    Which is why you should pay double.

    If you want to clutch at straws you go for it.

    You seem to be the one clutching at straws.

    I have no issue with the price.

    Copyright laws and fees in western countries are very similar.

    Similar yes, but there is no global copyright.

    Anyway you are off topic

    Why did you go off-topic?

  • by deggie,

    deggie deggie Jun 9, 2014 8:48 PM in response to Chris CA
    Level 9 (54,831 points)
    iPhone
    Jun 9, 2014 8:48 PM in response to Chris CA

    Similar but not identical.

     

    His comment on the wage structure is on target.

     

    The copyright holder determines what they are going to charge, Apple is merely a conduit in this case. If you and everyone else in Australia think they charge too much vote with your wallet and quit buying anything from them.

     

    Have you ever written to any of the copyright holders and asked them why they price is set as it is?

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