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.
bleepingcomputer.com
· 2026-10-14
An ongoing investigation has found that counterfeit or tampered Ledger hardware wallets, sold through third-party resellers like Cryptobilis in Southeast Asia and elsewhere, contained hidden eSIM and LTE chips capable of capturing users' recovery phrases. Researchers say more than $93 million has already been stolen from affected users, while wallets purchased directly from Ledger remain unaffected. Cryptobilis has halted sales of all hardware wallet brands while the investigation continues.
tomshardware.com
· 2026-10-13
Ledger has confirmed that at least one of its hardware wallets, sold through Malaysia-based reseller CryptoBilis, contained an unauthorized hardware implant that drained users' cryptocurrency funds. The company asked CryptoBilis to halt sales and shipments on October 9, and a day later confirmed the tampering, saying it is contacting affected users and working with authorities to find those responsible. Ledger says all reported fund losses trace back to devices from this one reseller and describes the scale of the breach as limited.
bleepingcomputer.com
· 2026-10-12
Ledger said its October 10 investigation into reported crypto thefts tied to Southeast Asian reseller CryptoBilis uncovered an unauthorized hardware implant inside one affected customer's wallet. CryptoBilis has suspended sales of all hardware wallets while Ledger works with authorities and contacts other impacted users. Researcher Mark Karpelès separately reported finding suspicious electronics behind the screen of a Ledger Nano X in Malaysia, while blockchain analytics firm Bitquery estimated losses of $92.9 million across 311 wallets, a figure Ledger has not independently confirmed.
crypto.news
· 2026-10-12
Ledger says it is investigating reports of stolen funds from users in Southeast Asia who bought devices through reseller CryptoBilis, and has asked the reseller to pause all sales and shipments pending results. The company told buyers from the past 90 days not to set up their devices, and advised those who already have to transfer assets to a new Ledger with a fresh recovery phrase. On-chain researchers Specter and tanuki42 have separately traced victim wallets to suspected theft addresses, estimating losses above $86 million and $72 million respectively, though Ledger has not confirmed any figure, victim count or cause.
techreport.com
· 2026-10-10
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