European Retailer MediaMarktSaturn Withdraws Ledger Hardware Wallets Following Tampering Allegations
MediaMarkt has withdrawn all Ledger wallet products from its shelves and online store while the cryptocurrency hardware wallet manufacturer investigates tampering incidents that extend beyond Southeast Asian distributor CryptoBilis.
The parent organization of MediaMarkt, MediaMarktSaturn, a major European electronics retailer, has withdrawn Ledger hardware wallet products from both its physical retail locations and digital storefronts following allegations that the devices have been compromised.
In an email statement provided to Cointelegraph on Tuesday, a company spokesperson stated: "The MediaMarktSaturn Retail Group has removed all of the manufacturer's products from its stores and online platforms and is in contact with the manufacturer." The representative added: "We take this incident very seriously."
On Monday, an individual identified on X as Johannes reported that he had acquired two separate Ledger wallet devices from different MediaMarkt retail locations. According to his account, both units were found to contain cables and cellular modules that were not authorized.
These security issues came to light on Friday when Ledger announced it was examining reports of financial losses connected to devices distributed through CryptoBilis, a reseller operating in Southeast Asia. In a Tuesday statement, Ledger revealed that the implants were designed to transmit users' recovery phrases via cellular networks and confirmed it was looking into reports that extended beyond the CryptoBilis reseller.
In a separate disclosure on Tuesday, Mark Karpelès, the former chief executive officer of Mt. Gox, reported that a Ledger Flex device he purchased at the airport in Singapore was found to contain a surveillance implant. In response, Ledger directed users to its most recent update regarding the CryptoBilis investigation, but did not provide a direct statement about the Singapore incident.
Cointelegraph reached out to Ledger seeking confirmation regarding whether any compromised devices had been verified in Europe, but had not received a response at the time of publication.
Felix Ng contributed reporting.