iPhone owners report ransom demand for unlocking hacked handsets
29 May 2014
iPhones owners in the UK and Australia have reported hacking of their smartphones, and a ransom demand for unlocking the devices.
Users have taken recourse to official support forums on the Apple website to raise the issue, with iPhone owners reporting that a message appeared on their screen notifying them that the device had been hacked, and they would have to pay between A$50 and $100 in order to get their device unlocked.
Analysts said, the hacker, who identified himself as 'Oleg Pliss', was using the Find My iPhone app to send the messages and lock devices.
User veritylikestea wrote on the Apple forum: "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."
The development comes as the latest in a string of database hacks that had occurred in recent months.
According to analysts, the tactic was similar to the approach used by malicious software on computers known as ''Ransomware." ''Ransonware'' takes over person's computer and demands payment with the threat of police action from fabricated accusations over illegal activities that were being done on the infected computer, if the payment was not made.
iPads and iPhones users in Australia were the first targets as they woke to the sound of the ''Find My Phone'' alarm and to later discover a message on their iPads, iPhones (and on Macs) demanding $100.00 in return for the hacker relinquishing control of the affected iPad, iPhones and Macs.
iPad, iPhone (and Mac) users who received the message were able to unlock their affected device if the they had previously set a passcode. A passcode is the four digit number set by users to unlock their iPhone or iPad.
Users who had not set up a passcode would not be able to regain control of their device unless it was reset.
Users who had reset their iPhone, iPad or Mac to factory settings because of this hack had lost all their documents and photos, unless these had been backed them up to iCloud.
