Could Mac be compromised if Gmail says this?

Question

Level 1

9 points

Could Mac be compromised if Gmail says this?

I had new gmail account I used only once to make account in one forum. And today I got this:

I don't have a phone I'd give out like this so no testing it. Could this be sign my Mac is infected and someone got to my Gmail account through stealing password? Or if other accounts (my main old Gmail that I checked and is working fine) are not touched, it was just google being stupid?

I'm only worried if this is bad sign for my Mac, don't really care if this gmail account is lost.

Mac mini, OS X El Capitan (10.11.6), null

Posted on Mar 21, 2017 7:46 AM

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Answer 1

JimmyCMPIT

Level 7

29,306 points

Mar 21, 2017 7:50 AM in response to Sadegolo

Appears your google account has an issue, not your Apple Device.

You don't need anything from Apple to hack a google account, basically anything connected to the internet can be used to do that.

Change your Gmail password for that account.

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Answer 2

Mar 21, 2017 7:51 AM in response to Sadegolo

Where are you seeing this message? Go to www.google.com and try to log into your account. What happens?

If your Google account was compromised, any information in that account could be used. However, unless you had your Apple ID/passcode, passcode to your computer, what's more likely to happen than your computer being compromised is that the miscreants would try to steal your identity.

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Answer 3

Sadegolo Author

Level 1

9 points

Mar 21, 2017 11:25 AM in response to IdrisSeabright

When I try to log into my gmail, this pops up and won't let me in without offering my phone number.

Sorry, but what do you mean by this: unless you had your Apple ID/passcode, passcode to your computer

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Answer 4

Mar 21, 2017 12:50 PM in response to Sadegolo

Sadegolo wrote:

When I try to log into my gmail, this pops up and won't let me in without offering my phone number.

Sorry, but what do you mean by this: unless you had your Apple ID/passcode, passcode to your computer

I apologize. I appear to have left out a few words. If you have, in plain text, your Apple ID and passcode, somewhere in your Gmail and someone hacks that Gmail, they could get access to your Apple ID.

You might want to start here:

https://support.google.com/accounts/troubleshooter/2402620?hl=en

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Answer 5

Sadegolo Author

Level 1

9 points

Mar 21, 2017 12:52 PM in response to IdrisSeabright

Thank you.

No, that gmail was pretty empty, no personal info besides my log-in IP.

To sum it up:

This is not my Mac being compromised and not somehow someone getting gmail access from Mac, because any hacker/malicious side would take ALL of my accounts, including the other Gmail that is working fine?

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Answer 6

Mar 21, 2017 2:12 PM in response to Sadegolo

Sadegolo wrote:

To sum it up:

This is not my Mac being compromised and not somehow someone getting gmail access from Mac, because any hacker/malicious side would take ALL of my accounts, including the other Gmail that is working fine?

I don't believe there's anything dangerous going on here. However, it never hurts to update your passwords. Make sure you have two-factor authentication enabled on your Apple ID.

Best of luck.

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