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  • Hackers Reset Former Gizmodo Writer's iCloud Password Via Apple Tech Support
    by
    Phillip Swanson
    Published on 08-05-2012 06:31 PM
    41 Comments Comments


    Friday’s Gizmodo breach by a group called Clan W3 is now being blamed on Apple’s iCloud and Apple tech support.

    The breach affected former Gizmodo writer Matt Honan’s personal computers and social media accounts, which included access to Gizmodo’s official Twitter account. The hackers were able to access Honan’s iCloud account through some old-fashioned tech support manipulation.

    “I know how it was done now. Confirmed with both the hacker and Apple. It wasn't password related. They got in via Apple tech support and some clever social engineering that let them bypass security questions. Apple has my Macbook and is trying to recover the data. I'm back in all my accounts that I know I was locked out of. Still trying to figure out where else they were.” — Honan
    The hackers were apparently able to reset Honan’s password with their “social engineering” and access Honan’s iCloud account. The group then proceeded to wipe Honan’s iPhone, iPad, and MacBook Air. Honan first noticed something was amiss when his phone restarted while playing with his daughter. Honan attempted to connect his phone to his laptop when he noticed his Gmail account wasn’t syncing with Calendar. Honan checked his iPad, and it too was wiped clean.

    Moral of the story? Better security questions, better passwords, and less oblivious tech support.

    Source: Matt Honan's Tumblr [CNET]
    This article was originally published in forum thread: Hackers Reset Former Gizmodo Writer's iCloud Password Via Apple Tech Support started by Phillip Swanson View original post
    Categories:
    1. iPhone,
    2. iPad,
    3. iOS,
    4. Apple,
    5. OS X,
    6. Mac,
    7. iPad
    Comments 41 Comments
    1. bry2k2's Avatar
      bry2k2 - 08-06-2012, 07:16 PM
      Apple's new slogan should be, "Helping hackers destroy your life"
    1. Mrteacup's Avatar
      Mrteacup - 08-06-2012, 09:19 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by Dark_Ninja View Post
      Umm you realize the problem is that Apple products just seem more secure because they aren't a highly targeted OS right now because not everyone has one but that's changing my friend and btw I'm far away from being naive.
      The reason they are more secure is cause they aren't open source like androids. It doesn't have to do with targeting because look theirs a whole jb community that has already targeted hacking iPhones. Also saying not everyone has an iPhone proves how naive you are. iPhone's are the most popular single phone. Android is more popular but it's the software on all phones the droid x and Samsung galaxy 3 aren't nearly as popular as the iPhone.
    1. raduga's Avatar
      raduga - 08-07-2012, 01:58 AM
      Quote Originally Posted by Mrteacup View Post
      The reason they are more secure is cause they aren't open source like androids. It doesn't have to do with targeting because look theirs a whole jb community that has already targeted hacking iPhones. Also saying not everyone has an iPhone proves how naive you are. iPhone's are the most popular single phone. Android is more popular but it's the software on all phones the droid x and Samsung galaxy 3 aren't nearly as popular as the iPhone.
      Wow,
      I guess Windows must be way more secure than Macs, iPhones or Android phones then.
    1. Dark_Ninja's Avatar
      Dark_Ninja - 08-07-2012, 05:20 AM
      Quote Originally Posted by Mrteacup View Post
      The reason they are more secure is cause they aren't open source like androids. It doesn't have to do with targeting because look theirs a whole jb community that has already targeted hacking iPhones. Also saying not everyone has an iPhone proves how naive you are. iPhone's are the most popular single phone. Android is more popular but it's the software on all phones the droid x and Samsung galaxy 3 aren't nearly as popular as the iPhone.
      Has nothing to do with being open source dude. And I never once said iPhones aren't the most popular. They are trust me I know this cuz I see 5 year old kids all the way up to older folks with iPhones. Which means that apple products will start becoming the victim of more and more malicious attacks
    1. H4CK3R's Avatar
      H4CK3R - 08-07-2012, 05:21 AM
      It's funny to see how good these hackers are, yet how much they abuse it. I'm all for hacking and social engineering, but when they go ahead and erase the guys stuff, that's just gone too far. It puts a bad image on the whole hacking/social engineering community.
    1. Gamemaster77's Avatar
      Gamemaster77 - 08-07-2012, 03:10 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by H4CK3R View Post
      It's funny to see how good these hackers are, yet how much they abuse it. I'm all for hacking and social engineering, but when they go ahead and erase the guys stuff, that's just gone too far. It puts a bad image on the whole hacking/social engineering community.
      Yep, I'm fine with a little fun and games. But when people actually do that kind of damage, it's gone too far.
    1. szr's Avatar
      szr - 08-11-2012, 08:50 AM
      Quote Originally Posted by H4CK3R View Post
      It's funny to see how good these hackers are, yet how much they abuse it. I'm all for hacking and social engineering, but when they go ahead and erase the guys stuff, that's just gone too far. It puts a bad image on the whole hacking/social engineering community.
      You have no problem with social engineering? That is, "obtaining information by manipulating and/or deceiving people", as it's defined as, which is exactly what the article was about. Do you really think you should be treating the ability of acquiring someone's account information by lying to a tech support agent so lightly?
    1. H4CK3R's Avatar
      H4CK3R - 08-11-2012, 09:44 AM
      As Gamemaster mentioned earlier, it's fine for fun and games, but not for damage.
    1. szr's Avatar
      szr - 08-11-2012, 11:29 AM
      Quote Originally Posted by H4CK3R View Post
      As Gamemaster mentioned earlier, it's fine for fun and games, but not for damage.
      Care to give an example?
    1. H4CK3R's Avatar
      H4CK3R - 08-11-2012, 12:08 PM
      Convince your friend to give their iDevice to you and claim you'll jailbreak it. Jailbreak it and then use SBSettings or Springtomize to make all the icons hidden. Their reaction = Priceless.
    1. mmaboi21's Avatar
      mmaboi21 - 08-11-2012, 04:34 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by H4CK3R View Post
      Convince your friend to give their iDevice to you and claim you'll jailbreak it. Jailbreak it and then use SBSettings or Springtomize to make all the icons hidden. Their reaction = Priceless.
      Nicely said my friend I have to try that
    1. H4CK3R's Avatar
      H4CK3R - 08-11-2012, 04:53 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by mmaboi21 View Post
      Nicely said my friend I have to try that
      Tell me your friends reaction if you do
    1. mmaboi21's Avatar
      mmaboi21 - 08-11-2012, 06:30 PM
      Will do
    1. znbl's Avatar
      znbl - 08-11-2012, 07:00 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by H4CK3R View Post
      Convince your friend to give their iDevice to you and claim you'll jailbreak it. Jailbreak it and then use SBSettings or Springtomize to make all the icons hidden. Their reaction = Priceless.
      Um, that's we call a prank. Which is a far cry from real social engineering, where you coerce some hapless tech support rep into giving access to personal information.
    1. mmaboi21's Avatar
      mmaboi21 - 08-11-2012, 07:02 PM
      Oh no, the TECHNICAL police are in the building...
    1. H4CK3R's Avatar
      H4CK3R - 08-11-2012, 07:22 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by znbl View Post
      Um, that's we call a prank. Which is a far cry from real social engineering, where you coerce some hapless tech support rep into giving access to personal information.
      It's still social engineering. You CONVINCED them into giving you the device, they didn't give it to you. This applies to this article as well, they convinced tech support into bypassing the security questions.

      mmaboi we better take cover before they try and arrest us
    1. mmaboi21's Avatar
      mmaboi21 - 08-11-2012, 07:50 PM
      That is not my name, I don't know who you are referring to...

      😉
    1. H4CK3R's Avatar
      H4CK3R - 08-11-2012, 08:40 PM
      Can't see those on a PC lmao. -_-
    1. mmaboi21's Avatar
      mmaboi21 - 08-11-2012, 09:56 PM
      My fault
      Here ya go
    1. uri8472's Avatar
      uri8472 - 08-13-2012, 09:58 AM
      Quote Originally Posted by H4CK3R View Post
      It's still social engineering. You CONVINCED them into giving you the device, they didn't give it to you. This applies to this article as well, they convinced tech support into bypassing the security questions.
      It's still not the same thing. It's the difference between using a water gun with your friends in the backyard and using a real firearm to steal from someone in a public venue. Only one would be referred to as actual robbery, the other is not. Social engineering is not something to be taken lightly. Getting a friend to to hand over his device is not social engineering. That's called lending. Going after someones account and personal information, is an much different matter.
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