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Popup from Apple for password.

R

romanof

macrumors 6502
Original poster
This site needs a security forum. That is about the most important thing on the agenda these days.

Anyway

I suddenly got a popup on three Apple devices something along the lines of "Verify your password for better usage." Something like that. Since it came from Apple I filled out my password and almost hit enter when I suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. I had ALMOST replied to a request out of the blue for my password!!!

I backed out and got on another device that had the same popup, looked at it from all directions. It takes me to Settings and the legitimate password change page, and in all ways looks like it came from Apple. There is no URL to examine in the normal way and I am not a computer forensic analysys by a long shot.

Since it has been years, I decided to change it anyway and make it much longer, but doing it manually, so to speak.

Was this a legitimate popup? I have never seen it before. I can't decide. And if so, then Apple is violating the concept of never enter your password from a sudden popup/email/message/etc.
 
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Most likely a phishing attempt of some kind. Apple never asked me for my password and I've been with them for years. Especially out of the blue like that! I'm glad you changed it "the hard way" though. Who knows what would've happened if you went through with it through the popup. My mom would've fallen victim to it for sure.
 
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I am still looking at it on my MacBook (With wifi turned off in case I screw up). It doesn't lead to a URL as you expect for a phish, but straight to the Settings/Name/Signin Security. The case against malware is that it appeared on MacOS, iOS, and iPadOS on the same day. I take lots of caution about being had, but for all three OSes to get hit a the same time would be hard to believe. It isn't requesting a change of password, but a verification of such, either of which would be great for scammers. And it would require a code sent to a trusted device, then entered before it would take effect and all the other devices would get a message about the change.

My thought was that since my password is years ((and years) old maybe it is Apple advising to check. But Tim Cook will have to show up at my door and verify such before I am going to fill out the field and press enter.

Still mystified.
 
I change my password in system settings trust nothing.I believe you will receive an email from Apple saying your password has been updated if this is not you please contact Apple.
 
Can you post a photo/screenshot?

EDIT 2: I had some links here that linked to unrelated pop-ups. I removed them to keep this thread clean.
 
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Here it is again. All devices signed out and back on with new passwords, accepted with sent security codes. Then a couple of hours later I click on podcasts and get the following...
 

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I got the exact same message about 3 months ago, except I did the bolded steps which I added to your post:

romanof said:
...I suddenly got a popup on three Apple devices something along the lines of "Verify your password for better usage." Something like that. Since it came from Apple I filled out my password and almost hit enter when 10 seconds later I suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. I had ALMOST replied to a request out of the blue for my password!!!
...
Click to expand...

It was after Happy Hour here, and I realized I probably just screwed myself over big time! I panicked, and posted about it here immediately, and I got some great advice about covering my tracks/changing passwords immediately, which I did.
That was three months ago, and my Apple account has had no interference (I keep my investments/banking separate, and don't use Apple Wallet or Credit (they do have my normal CC number, which I can cancel at any time). That scared me, and I've been kicking myself ever since.

How a separate entity can throw an Alert out, simultaneously, on 3 different Apple OS's like that, as you said, I have no idea. You were very smart to inquire here before following thru; hopefully you can provide screenshots etc to Apple, I cleared every cache and password I could, at the time. Good luck!
 
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Ok. Glad to hear that it is a Apple caused, but still seems strange to me after warnings from everywhere and everyone that ""We will never ask for your password." But my concern is the fact that I almost entered my password at a sudden prompt, even after my often-given scorn at some clueless noob falling for such an obvious trick. Actually, concern is not the proper word - p*ssed off at myself is more accurate.
 
I am still trying to find the official Apple Support document that describes this. (Apple Support site is so unintuitve to search 😉 )
The prompt usually appears after changes (system updates, AppStore updates) or longer phases of inactivity.
(I mentioned I am an admin for 80 Macs and also some iPads.) Our devices are not allowed to connect to the internet, so Apple _thinks_ they are inactive and they show me this prompt every few months.

Again: It is good to be careful and think twice and this will probably not happen to you again. But having ALMOST given some info out probably happens to everyone at least once. Don't be too hard on yourself! Cheers.
 
Do you have two factor enabled on your account? I use to go through this cycle on all my devices every few months until I enabled 2FA.
 
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Certainly. Two factor on everything that allows it. Monsters sized random passwords unless a passkey is available. Have a separate machine isolated for my very infrequent downloads. I have always been anal on security, although my career is long enough to include old mainframes. Caution was important back then also, although not for the reason of hacking, but for protection against some idiot at the keyboard in the middle of the night.

Now that I have cooled down, I realize that the built in protections of Apple would have told me if it was a hack. My phone would have popped up with a notice of password change request. And they could not have completed the password change since I would get the authorization code requirement on ANOTHER device. Maybe some big group of baddies can work around that, but they would not be bothering with me.

Still ticked at myself, though.
 
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romanof said:
Ok. Glad to hear that it is a Apple caused, but still seems strange to me after warnings from everywhere and everyone that ""We will never ask for your password." But my concern is the fact that I almost entered my password at a sudden prompt, even after my often-given scorn at some clueless noob falling for such an obvious trick. Actually, concern is not the proper word - p*ssed off at myself is more accurate.
Click to expand...
It is always better to be cautious, but the System Settings does require your password.
 
Alameda said:
It is always better to be cautious, but the System Settings does require your password.
Click to expand...
Certainly. In the course of maintainance it is obvious that changing stuff will need authorization, but at that time a person is in the mindset of the task. But, when a user is watching an interesting podcast or engrossed in some major work for the company - or for that matter, sitting with friends around a table in a coffee shop - then having a sudden screen appear with "please enter your password" with apple logos and offical boilerplate and no given solid reason can apparently catch anyone off guard.

A better message would be "For (this reason), please enter settings and verify your password."
 
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romanof said:
Certainly. In the course of maintainance it is obvious that changing stuff will need authorization, but at that time a person is in the mindset of the task. But, when a user is watching an interesting podcast or engrossed in some major work for the company - or for that matter, sitting with friends around a table in a coffee shop - then having a sudden screen appear with "please enter your password" with apple logos and offical boilerplate and no given solid reason can apparently catch anyone off guard.

A better message would be "For (this reason), please enter settings and verify your password."
Click to expand...
Your caution was justified, that’s all I’m trying to say.
 
You are right to be careful.
You say it's a 'pop up' and from what we can see it's in 'apple account suggestions'
If you go out of settings and when you go back in again it is in fact in apple account suggestions it almost certainly ok
If it's outside of that and a pop up with something that looks like settings then it isn't
Trying to listen to a podcast is exactly the sort of even that will trigger this. It's checking your authorisation and it may mean you have had podcasts perhaps on a different account, someone else has used family sharing and downloaded something on a different log in.
It is pretty vague but I think you are OK
 
The strange thing is that I don't remember ever seeing the issue before but now it is popping up daily on both MacBook and iPad. I verify then tomorrow it wants me to verify again. ????
 
Changed iCloud password, selected function to log ALL devices out, rebooted all and logged them all back in. No difference. "Have a Verify Your Password. Verify your Apple Account password to always have access to your account and data" on my iPad right now. It has been verified about a dozen times now. You would think that would be enough even for Apple.
 
romanof said:
This site needs a security forum. That is about the most important thing on the agenda these days.

Anyway

I suddenly got a popup on three Apple devices something along the lines of "Verify your password for better usage." Something like that. Since it came from Apple I filled out my password and almost hit enter when I suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. I had ALMOST replied to a request out of the blue for my password!!!

I backed out and got on another device that had the same popup, looked at it from all directions. It takes me to Settings and the legitimate password change page, and in all ways looks like it came from Apple. There is no URL to examine in the normal way and I am not a computer forensic analysys by a long shot.

Since it has been years, I decided to change it anyway and make it much longer, but doing it manually, so to speak.

Was this a legitimate popup? I have never seen it before. I can't decide. And if so, then Apple is violating the concept of never enter your password from a sudden popup/email/message/etc.
Click to expand...


Next time please take a screenshot.


Also if you're concerned about security don't use passwords. Use passkeys. Even better, use physical passkeys like Yubikey, Google Titan etc.
 
ifxf said:
Do you have two factor enabled on your account? I use to go through this cycle on all my devices every few months until I enabled 2FA.
Click to expand...

Even 2FA (if it's with SMS) should be considered weak for accounts that matter. 😀 2FA with SMS is better than no 2FA at all, but if simple passwords are the bottom of the security totem pole, then simple passwords with 2FA using SMS are not a huge step forwards.
 
I have never run into this, so just throwing things out there that one or more could be combining for weird results:

Advanced Data Protection on somewhere? Have used multiple accounts over the years to get apps, media? Phone or Mac enrolled in company's device management solution to access work stuff (seen tales where see the message when company wants you on their iCloud account for example, or get apps from)?
 
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Howard2k said:
Next time please take a screenshot.


Also if you're concerned about security don't use passwords. Use passkeys. Even better, use physical passkeys like Yubikey, Google Titan etc.
Click to expand...
I have a screenshot higher up in this thread. And I use Passkeys wherever they can be used. No ADP anywhere. Retired, no company involved. Only iCloud account ever. I don't even get online much - bank and investments verifying once a week or so. Little surfing. All programming done on a Linux box. This isn't really a bother once I found that it wasn't a hacking attempt. I am just letting the little red number stay on the settings icon and ignoring it. Weird though. Started suddenly and I have not made any changes in either OS or apps in months other than loading updates. Maybe there was some security update that came in to start it - I have those in automatic install mode, all else, tell me one is available.
 
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romanof said:
I have a screenshot higher up in this thread. And I use Passkeys wherever they can be used. No ADP anywhere. Retired, no company involved. Only iCloud account ever. I don't even get online much - bank and investments verifying once a week or so. Little surfing. All programming done on a Linux box. This isn't really a bother once I found that it wasn't a hacking attempt. I am just letting the little red number stay on the settings icon and ignoring it. Weird though. Started suddenly and I have not made any changes in either OS or apps in months other than loading updates. Maybe there was some security update that came in to start it - I have those in automatic install mode, all else, tell me one is available.
Click to expand...

Thanks!

You're not using a passkey on your Apple account are you? That seems like the most significant place where you should be using one?
 
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