2023-05-19 14:05:15
A few days ago, a post appeared on the Twitter page of the hardware wallet provider Ledger, in which we might read that it is possible for the company to write firmware that can obtain users’ private keys. The tweet, which raised many questions, was deleted by the Ledger shortly following, claiming that it was incorrectly worded by a customer service representative. The incident caused a lot of outrage among users, and the company is now trying to explain what happened.
[1/3] You may have seen a tweet from our Ledger Support account being shared regarding Ledger firmware updates.
Unfortunately, in our attempt to clarify how Ledger and all wallets work with the firmware, a customer support agent posted a tweet with confusing wording.
— Ledger Support (@Ledger_Support) May 18, 2023
The community’s outrage is understandable
“Technically, it has always been possible to write firmware that makes key extraction easier. You have always trusted Ledger not to install such firmware, whether you knew regarding it or not.” – can be read in the tweet.
However, the outrage started before this post was published. A new update that allows Ledger to back up seed terms has also been making a lot of noise. The innovation also requires registration, according to which users must also submit a copy of their identity card issued by the authorities.
Nov 2022: A firmware update cannot extract the private keys from the Secure Element — Ledger
May 2023: Technically speaking it is and always has been possible to write firmware that facilitates key extraction — Ledger@Ledgerdo you now understand the problem? pic.twitter.com/czG53SuCOu
— Olympian (@OlimpioCrypto) May 17, 2023
Ledger’s response
Ledger CTO Charles Guillemet clarified that the wallet’s operating system requires user consent every time the “touch” the private key. In other words, the system cannot copy the device’s private key without the user’s consent.
According to the CEO, the wallet’s firmware or operating system is considered an open platform in the sense that anyone can write their own application and load it onto the device. However, before allowing apps to be used in Ledger Manager, the team first checks them for malware and security vulnerabilities.
According to Ledger, even following an app is approved, the operating system won’t allow the private key to be used on a network it wasn’t originally intended for. The example given is that Bitcoin apps cannot use the device’s Ethereum private keys, and vice versa. Also, every time an application uses a private key, the operating system requires users to confirm their consent to use the key, according to the company. This implies that third-party applications installed on Ledger cannot use a person’s private keys without the user’s prior consent.
Guillemet also confirmed that this system is part of the current operating system. This might theoretically be changed if the Ledger became dishonest or if an attacker somehow took control of the company’s computers.
Meanwhile, rival hardware wallet GridPlus has offered to open source its firmware in an attempt to lure Ledger users. However, Guillemet stated that open-sourcing the firmware would not provide protection once morest dishonest wallet providers. He reasoned that the user would not know if the published code actually runs on the device.
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