Compromised Ledger Wallets Found in MediaMarkt With Custom LTE Modules
Ledger confirms hardware crypto wallets sold via MediaMarkt contained malicious internal LTE modules designed to steal seed phrases.
Hardware cryptocurrency wallets distributed through retail stores operated by MediaMarkt contained unauthorized internal modifications, a security issue confirmed by wallet manufacturer Ledger following customer reports.
The issue came to light when a buyer known online as 0xJohannes_ published a video unboxing two Ledger wallets purchased at MediaMarkt stores, revealing extra cables and an unauthorized LTE module inside both devices. The customer urged the manufacturer to recall the affected products.
Mark Karpeles, head of Karpeles Lab and chief technology officer at Shells.com, examined the design and noted that the hardware represented a significant escalation over crude past tampering attempts. According to the analysis, the modification utilized a custom-manufactured industrial flexible printed circuit board rather than a hand-soldered DIY setup. The malicious hardware intercepted button presses and display data to extract seed phrases, transmitting them via an LTE connection using an eSIM.
Ledger stated that all confirmed cases of tampering involved devices sold through a reseller named CryptoBilis, while maintaining that its own direct sales channels remain unaffected. The company has launched an internal investigation and demanded that CryptoBilis halt all sales of Ledger hardware.
Source: habr
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