Crypto thieves sell hardware wallets with secret eSIM
Attackers are selling modified Ledger hardware wallets that contain hidden eSIMs and chips to intercept and transmit seed phrases. This allows thieves to steal cryptocurrency by remotely accessing the user's private keys.
Why it matters
This represents a sophisticated supply-chain attack that undermines the fundamental security premise of offline hardware wallets.
Around 100 million US dollars in cryptocurrency have been stolen from users of certain hardware wallets. Because whoever can read the screen wins.
listen Print view Ledger wallet with built-in screen
“The Ledger Nano X is the most secure way to manage your cryptocurrency,” advertises the French company Ledger, its hardware wallet for cryptocurrencies. Nevertheless, users have lost around 100 million US dollars in cryptocurrencies. This is because unknown individuals have succeeded in intercepting and manipulating the offline wallets while on the go.
Each Ledger Nano X has a Secure Element chip that controls a tiny touchscreen. Ledger praises this as particularly secure. Unfortunately, this only applies if attackers cannot read the screen. This is exactly what the perpetrators are doing. They insert additional hardware into apparently genuine Ledger Nano X and then sell them to unsuspecting crypto speculators.
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