Hackers Using iCloud's Find My iPhone Feature to Remotely Lock Macs and Demand Ransom Payments

Over the last day or two, several Mac users appear to have been locked out of their machines after hackers signed into their iCloud accounts and initiated a remote lock using Find My iPhone.

With access to an iCloud user's username and password, Find My iPhone on iCloud.com can be used to "lock" a Mac with a passcode even with two-factor authentication turned on, and that's what's going on here.


Apple allows users to access Find My iPhone without requiring two-factor authentication in case a person's only trusted device has gone missing.


2-factor authentication not required to access Find My iPhone and a user's list of devices.
Affected users who have had their iCloud accounts hacked are receiving messages demanding money for the passcode to unlock a locked Mac device.