GoKawiilLedger orders halt to wallet sales across Asia after tampered-device thefts
Ledger has directed resellers and distributors in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong to stop selling its hardware wallets and pull them from shelves while it investigates implanted chips found in devices sold by reseller CryptoBilis. The company's Donjon security team found a hidden microcontroller that reads recovery phrases and transmits them over LTE via an embedded eSIM, bypassing Ledger's normal integrity checks. Similar tampered units have also been reported from other sellers in Asia and Europe, including a Singapore airport retailer and MediaMarkt in Europe, which has already removed the product.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The incident shows that attackers can compromise hardware wallets before they ever reach a customer, undermining a core selling point of devices meant to be the most secure way to hold crypto keys. Because the implant operates independently of Ledger's Secure Element and software checks, existing verification tools may not catch similar tampering, suggesting Ledger and other hardware wallet makers may need stronger physical supply-chain safeguards. The spread of reports beyond one reseller indicates the problem could be broader than initially known, which may explain why Ledger widened its halt to cover entire regions rather than a single retailer.
- Ledger has told resellers across six Southeast Asian countries and Hong Kong to stop selling wallets pending investigation.
- A hidden implant using an eSIM and LTE was found transmitting users' 24-word recovery phrases to attackers.
- Compromised devices have also surfaced through other retailers, including MediaMarkt in Europe, which has pulled the product.
Ledger Nano X Hardware Wallet — This incident is a reminder that hardware wallets are only as secure as their supply chain—always buy directly from Ledger or an authorized retailer rather than third-party resellers. The Ledger Nano X keeps your private keys offline and secure, and purchasing it sealed from a verified source ensures you avoid tampered devices like those at the center of this attack.
See Ledger Nano X Hardware Wallet on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: bleepingcomputer.com, 2026-10-14
Published there as: “Ledger asks sellers across Asia to halt sales after supply-chain attack”
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