Russian hacker targets Apple in $50 million ransomware attack: Details here

Russia-based hackers have hit Apple in a $50 million ransomware attack via a Taiwan-based company that manufactures MacBooks and other products for the Cupertino-based iPhone maker, the media reported.

According to The Record, the operators of the REvil ransomware are demanding that Apple pay a ransom demand to avoid having confidential information leaked on the Dark Web.

The cybercriminals timed the attack to coincide with Apple’s “Spring Loaded” event. Files leaked on the Dark Web show “schematics for Macbook laptops”.

REvil is a Russian hacking group that’s also known by the name Sodinokibi.

The hackers claimed that they have Apple product data after breaching Quanta Computer, a Taiwanese company that is the biggest laptop manufacturer in the world.

“In a message posted on a dark web portal, the REvil gang said that Quanta refused to pay to get its stolen data back and, as a result, the REvil operators have now decided to go after the company’s primary customer instead,” the report said late on Wednesday.

According to report, Quanta refused to pay the $50 million ransom for the data.

Reached out for comment, “Apple said it was looking into the incident and had nothing to share at the moment”.

The REvil operators said in the message that “Our team is negotiating the sale of large quantities of confidential drawings and gigabytes of personal data with several major brands. We recommend that Apple buy back the available data by May 1.”

Known customers of Quanta Computer include some of the biggest laptop vendors in the world, such as HP, Dell, Microsoft, Toshiba, LG, Lenovo, and many others, according to the report.

Files leaked today show schematics for Macbook laptops, none of which are particularly sensitive nor appear to include anything beyond assembly information and technical details. One of the file was dated March 9, 2021, but is unclear if the depicted product was new or just updated technical specs.