MediaMarktSaturn pulls Ledger products as Ledger probes tampering beyond CryptoBilis
In brief
- MediaMarktSaturn removed all Ledger products from its stores and online platforms, a spokesperson told Cointelegraph.
- Two Ledger wallets bought at separate MediaMarkt stores contained cellular modules, an X user claimed.
- Implants transmitted users' recovery phrases over cellular networks, Ledger said.
- Ledger said it's investigating reports beyond Southeast Asian reseller CryptoBilis.
- Ledger didn't answer Cointelegraph's question about confirmed tampered devices in Europe.
What MediaMarktSaturn said
The retail group removed all of the manufacturer's products from its stores and online platforms and is in contact with Ledger, according to a spokesperson's email to Cointelegraph. The statement was brief.
We take this incident very seriously.
(MediaMarktSaturn spokesperson, in an email to Cointelegraph)
Separately, an X user known as Johannes claimed on Monday that he bought two Ledger wallets from separate MediaMarkt stores, and he said both contained unauthorized cables and cellular modules. It's his claim, and it hasn't been verified. Ledger hasn't confirmed any tampered devices in Europe, at least not to Cointelegraph.
Ledger widens the probe
Security concerns first surfaced on Friday, when Ledger said it was investigating reports of losses involving devices sold through Southeast Asian reseller CryptoBilis. By Tuesday the company had added detail. Ledger said the implants transmitted users' recovery phrases over cellular networks, and that it was investigating reports beyond CryptoBilis.
By Ledger's own account, one reseller isn't the whole story anymore.
The Singapore claim
Former Mt. Gox CEO Mark Karpelès said Tuesday that a Ledger Flex purchased at Singapore's airport contained a spy implant. Ledger responded by referring users to its latest CryptoBilis investigation update. It didn't directly address the Singapore case.
Cointelegraph asked Ledger whether it had confirmed any tampered devices in Europe. The wallet maker hadn't responded by publication time, so for now the European side of this story rests on a retailer's removal of the products and one X user's unverified account (nothing more, nothing less).
Frequently asked questions
Why did MediaMarkt remove Ledger products?
A MediaMarktSaturn spokesperson told Cointelegraph the group removed all of the manufacturer's products from its stores and online platforms and is in contact with Ledger. The removal came amid reports of tampered hardware wallets. The spokesperson said the company takes the incident very seriously.
What did Ledger say the tampered device implants did?
Ledger said on Tuesday that implants transmitted users' recovery phrases over cellular networks. The company first said on Friday it was investigating losses involving devices sold through Southeast Asian reseller CryptoBilis, and later said it was investigating reports beyond CryptoBilis.
