A security researcher just documented a large-scale counterfeit Ledger Nano S Plus operation selling compromised devices across multiple online marketplaces. The fake units look identical to the real thing but contain completely different hardware. Instead of Ledger's secure element chip, the counterfeits run an ESP32 microcontroller with modified firmware labeled "Nano S+ V2.1." Seeds and PINs are stored in plain text and transmitted to attacker-controlled servers. Any wallet initialized on the device is drained. The operation goes beyond the hardware. The sellers also distribute a fake version of Ledger Live built with React Native and signed with a debug certificate. It intercepts transactions and exfiltrates sensitive data to multiple command-and-control servers. The campaign spans five attack vectors: compromised hardware, Android APKs, Windows executables, macOS installers, and iOS apps distributed through TestFlight to bypass App Store review. This comes days after ZachXBT documented a separate fake Ledger Live app that made it through Apple's Mac App Store review process. That operation drained over $9.5 million from more than 50 victims, including musician G. Love, who lost 5.92 BTC after entering his recovery phrase into what he believed was the legitimate app. The pattern is clear: the attack surface for hardware wallet users has shifted from firmware exploits to supply chain and distribution fraud. The devices themselves remain secure. The problem is that users are being intercepted before they ever touch a real one. Ledger's own "genuine check" feature can be bypassed when the hardware itself is compromised at the source, which makes where you buy the device as important as how you use it. The rules haven't changed, but they've never been more important: buy hardware wallets only from the manufacturer. Never enter your recovery phrase into any software. If a companion app asks for your 24 words on a screen, it's a scam. Every time. image

Replies (17)

1776's avatar
1776 3 weeks ago
Even without this exploit, ledger will never see another dime from me. 90% of the spam and phishing emails that I get now are a result of a customer data breach that they suffered four years ago. How to mention that they rugged everybody ending support for a device that countless people were using with the solution being to simply upgrade to a newer or more expensive unit. And the NanoX internal battery is garbage.
Just as likely to be done with a Trezor, Bitbox or Jade. The more popular the device, the more likely it is to be faked. The incentive to attempt to steal your bitcoin will only increase as bitcoin becomes more popular. This is all while the cost & expertise required to produce the fake is decreasing. Be ultra careful with your seed phrase!
This is very unfortunate. Rather than teaching people how to securely lock down their bitcoin wallet, we have people trying to sell you some device or software with the illusion it will protect your stack. Heres my blog that contains several articles providing examples of creating cold wallets. cadayton.onrender.com/blog Hopefully, this helps someone over the hump.
ChadXMR's avatar
ChadXMR 3 weeks ago
"buy hardware only from the manufacturer" ? Seems like a bad take away considering ledgers OWN data breach of customers addresses 🤔 and your still prone to supply chain attacks... This whole hardware wallet push is stupid IMO. If you're educated enough build your own, otherwise just stick to a classic hot+cold wallet setup. The security trade off isn't great when trying to shield your seed while in the end still risking to expose AND potentially putting a huge target on your back...