461      iPhone_iPad_Mac_apple

icloud hacked, macbook disabled, have to pay to...

So after coming back from a long trip I turn my macbook on and it comes up with a message about icloud and I click ok on the message, restarts my computer and boots up into a lock screen saying my macbook is disabled and a strange email address at the bottom. 

I've read up on it and contacted apple, it appears to be the ransomware thing thats been happening, hacking my devices and asking for money to unlock it. 

Anyway, I had an appointment with the apple shop and they can restore my macbook but for a LARGE fee! Shouldn't this be free and covered by apple since its a backfire of their security feature? I can't reformat or restore the macbook myself because the device is locked at a firmware level. It's really frustrating. 

with the apple shop

Which Apple shop?

It wasn't an official apple store/centre, but an authorised apple service repair centre. The appointment was scheduled by apple support on the phone as it was the nearest one to me. Would it be free at the official apple store/centre?

Hello artdesign-boy,

Are you sure you have kept the Mac up to date, haven't installed any unsigned software, and are still under warranty?

The mac hadn't been updated in months, like I mentioned I just came back from a long trip and turned the macbook on after all that time. It popped up with a lot of update messages and there was a message about icloud as well, which I didn't really read but i just clicked through everything and it restarted. But I then received an email, saying my Macbook had been locked with find my iphone, which I did not do and my macbook has been disabled when I boot up. The macbook is not in my devices list anymore, the repair staff told me it has now been registered to the hacker.

The Macbook is not under warranty anymore, it is 5years old. But I just want the security lock removed, it's ridiculous how apple can't disable it from their end, even when I can prove ownership, and I have to pay a costly fee to have the entire laptop erased and restored to factory. I don't mind too much about losing the data, I would reformat restore myself but can't because of the security lock, so it's really frustrating that they would make me pay the hefty fee just because of apple's security feature backfiring. I'm here seeking advice if this service can be free, I tried calling apple support again after the meeting with the repair centre but there lines were busy today.

It wasn't an official apple store/centre, but an authorised apple service repair centre. The appointment was scheduled by apple support on the phone as it was the nearest one to me.

I would be asking them to explain just what they will be doing and why it's so expensive. You might also wonder how this has happened to you and to, well, no one else?

Do you have a bootable back up?

I'm not sure why you think Apple should be able to do things on your machine from "their end". Quite a security risk if they could, no?

As the machine is outside of guarantee, as it has not been kept up-to-date, then no, Apple would not do anything for free.

In the future I advise you to read dialogs before pressing OK, maybe it is not OK and you would like to know that.

Are you referring to the WannaCry ransomware? That attack has absolutely effect Macintosh Computers running OS X.

if the computer is locked from iCloud you will need to log into iCloud and unlock the device provided you own it and it appears in your list of devices.

You may wish to change your Apple ID log/pass with a password you do not use for any other on line service. If you use your same log/pass combo with another service (e.g. Yahoo, Twitter, Facebook, etc.) and that service is "hacked" then the perpetrators have to only try typing this same combo in any other service to get into your other accounts.

Change your Apple ID password - Apple Support

https://support.apple.com/en-ca/KM205079

Change the Email associated with the ID if you wish to remove the email in use:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202667

Also consider enabling two factor authentication if you have not done so already.

Availability of two-factor authentication for Apple ID - Apple Support

See this link regarding you security questions.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201363

Terence after researching the problem I can tell you I am not the only person this has happened to but quite a few. Yeah I think I've got the OS disk somewhere, the problem is the macbook is locked before you can even boot from disks or go into recovery or safe mode.

Well Apple support had told me on the phone, the service centre would be able to remove the lock from their end, and you should be able to see how it would be a problem if they couldn't unblock their own security feature, if icloud accounts got hacked or even if someone locked there own device and forgot their passcode then apple can't even do anything about it.

What is stopping you from erasing the your Mac and restoring your data, this is in no way insurmountable.

No not that one, there's been some similar stuff happening with apple devices as well over the past few years. I've recently read up on this one https://bgr.com/2017/03/24/iphone-icloud-hack-threat-is-real/ which I think is how they got my icloud account, as it was an outdated password which I commonly used. The macbook has been removed from my icloud account now and has most likely been registered to a new account with the hacker as the apple service people told me.

Csound1, like I answered in the previous reply, the mac is locked before even being able to boot from disks or going into recovery mode

That article warns of an exploit that will activate April 7. It didn't activate on that or any other date, don't be so easily fooled in future.

as pointed out that article is suspicious and it is conjecture.

Its generally more productive to point out specifics of your issue rather than look to these types of articles as a conclusion to what is going on specific to your machine.

If you choose too give up then you are right, it is locked enough to keep you out.

最后更新：2017-09-25 15:43:16

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