A hardware cryptocurrency wallet Ledger Nano X with spy equipment inside was discovered in Russia. The device was purchased on the Ozon marketplace, but after opening it, the buyer found an extraneous board with an antenna under the screen. Information about the incident appeared in the international database of compromised cryptocurrency wallets, maintained by the former head of the Mt.Gox exchange, Mark Karpeles.
According to experts, the discovered board resembles spy modules previously found in wallets from Germany. Ledger has already confirmed the danger of such devices: the built-in chip can intercept the wallet's secret recovery phrase and transmit it to attackers via eSIM. Upon obtaining this data, fraudsters can seize the owner's cryptocurrency.
The first such cases were identified among devices sold through the Malaysian intermediary CryptoBilis. In early October, a large-scale cryptocurrency theft occurred, which is linked to modified Ledger wallets. According to independent analysts, the total damage exceeded $90 million.
Currently, Karpeles' database contains 15 confirmed cases of suspicious devices being discovered. In addition to Russia, such wallets have been identified in Japan, Singapore, China, Thailand, Malaysia, and Germany. However, it is unknown at what stage of sale the additional equipment was installed in the device purchased by the Russian user.