Well, Ledger has really taken a nosedive this time.
The company just confirmed that unauthorized chips were implanted in some users’ hardware wallets—and the wallets were drained remotely.
Folks, let’s start with the numbers.
On-chain researchers estimate the losses at $86 million to $93.4 million. More than 300 wallets were emptied in just a few hours on October 9, across several chains, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, TRON, and SOL.
Put simply, the problem wasn’t with Ledger itself, but with what happened after the devices left the factory.
All confirmed cases point to Southeast Asian reseller CryptoBilis. The devices were opened and tampered with before they ever reached users.
The method sounds straight out of a movie.
A modified Nano X had a chip hidden inside. When you set it up, the chip captured the recovery phrase displayed on the screen and sent it out over a cellular network.
The scariest part? It could even pass the official authenticity check, because it didn’t tamper with the secure element—it just secretly watched from the sidelines.
People used to think hardware wallets meant absolute security: as long as your recovery phrase never went online, you were safe.
Now we know better. If someone has tampered with the device before it reaches you, even the best cold wallet is no use.
Of course, this doesn’t mean hardware wallets are no longer safe to use. It means “where you buy it” and “whether it’s been opened” matter more than “which brand you buy.”
Three tips for anyone who owns one:
If you don’t know where it came from—especially if it was bought through CryptoBilis—don’t set it up.
If you’ve already set it up, don’t reuse the original recovery phrase. Move your funds to a new seed.
Buy only through officially authorized channels, and never touch a returned or resold device.
Also, Tether has frozen the related $USDT, but recovered funds are always the exception.
Remember: in crypto, your private keys’ security can come down to one shipping step you never thought twice about 😂
#Ledger确认用户设备遭植入未授权硬件 #Ledger #硬件钱包
The company just confirmed that unauthorized chips were implanted in some users’ hardware wallets—and the wallets were drained remotely.
Folks, let’s start with the numbers.
On-chain researchers estimate the losses at $86 million to $93.4 million. More than 300 wallets were emptied in just a few hours on October 9, across several chains, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, TRON, and SOL.
Put simply, the problem wasn’t with Ledger itself, but with what happened after the devices left the factory.
All confirmed cases point to Southeast Asian reseller CryptoBilis. The devices were opened and tampered with before they ever reached users.
The method sounds straight out of a movie.
A modified Nano X had a chip hidden inside. When you set it up, the chip captured the recovery phrase displayed on the screen and sent it out over a cellular network.
The scariest part? It could even pass the official authenticity check, because it didn’t tamper with the secure element—it just secretly watched from the sidelines.
People used to think hardware wallets meant absolute security: as long as your recovery phrase never went online, you were safe.
Now we know better. If someone has tampered with the device before it reaches you, even the best cold wallet is no use.
Of course, this doesn’t mean hardware wallets are no longer safe to use. It means “where you buy it” and “whether it’s been opened” matter more than “which brand you buy.”
Three tips for anyone who owns one:
If you don’t know where it came from—especially if it was bought through CryptoBilis—don’t set it up.
If you’ve already set it up, don’t reuse the original recovery phrase. Move your funds to a new seed.
Buy only through officially authorized channels, and never touch a returned or resold device.
Also, Tether has frozen the related $USDT, but recovered funds are always the exception.
Remember: in crypto, your private keys’ security can come down to one shipping step you never thought twice about 😂
#Ledger确认用户设备遭植入未授权硬件 #Ledger #硬件钱包