Ledger Customers Targeted by Shadowy Figure Through Payment Processor Global-e

A data exposure incident has surfaced involving Ledger, the leading hardware wallet provider, but this time the culprit wasn’t the company itself. Instead, a shadowy figure exploited vulnerabilities in Global-e, Ledger’s third-party payment processor, to access customer personal information. The unauthorized intrusion affected order data stored in Global-e’s cloud infrastructure, exposing names and contact details of Ledger customers who purchased through the platform.

Blockchain analyst ZachXBT initially shared details of the breach after Global-e notified customers via email about the security incident. The shadowy actor behind the attack remains unidentified, though investigators have confirmed the improper access to sensitive customer data. Notably, the attack did not penetrate Ledger’s own systems, nor did it compromise payment information or any cryptocurrency holdings.

Unauthorized Intrusion: How the Shadowy Attacker Exploited Third-Party Weakness

Global-e, serving as a Merchant of Record for major global brands including Ledger, discovered unusual activity in its systems and launched an investigation. The company retained independent forensic experts to pinpoint the scope of the breach. While the exact number of affected Ledger customers remains undisclosed, Global-e confirmed that the shadowy threat actor accessed some personal data alongside order information from multiple other retailers using its platform.

The attack highlights a recurring vulnerability in supply chains—third-party processors often become attractive targets for cybercriminals seeking to bypass direct company defenses. In response, Global-e swiftly implemented additional security controls to prevent further unauthorized access.

Ledger’s Defense: Why Your Crypto Assets Remain Secure

Ledger emphasized a critical distinction in its official statement: this breach targeted order and contact data only, never touching the company’s platform, hardware, or software infrastructure. Most importantly, because Ledger operates on a self-custodial model, the shadowy figure gained no access to users’ 24-word recovery phrases, blockchain balances, or any secrets related to digital assets.

“This was not a breach of Ledger’s platform, hardware or software systems, which remain secure,” the company clarified. Ledger further noted that payment card information was never compromised, as that data flows through separate secure channels. The company is coordinating with Global-e to reach out to affected users with relevant security information and next steps.

A Pattern of Persistence: Past Breaches and the Industry’s Security Battle

This incident echoes previous challenges Ledger has faced. In 2020, a data exposure through e-commerce partner Shopify exposed information on 270,000 customers. In 2023, Ledger fell victim to a more severe breach—a $500,000 exploit linked to malicious code from a former staffer that impacted several decentralized finance applications.

Yet each incident has reinforced Ledger’s commitment to distinguishing between company vulnerabilities and third-party exploitations. The recurring threat from shadowy actors attempting to infiltrate the cryptocurrency ecosystem underscores an industry-wide challenge. As Ledger stated, the company remains “united with the industry at war against hackers and bad actors who are tirelessly trying to steal users’ information in the ecosystem and e-commerce space at large.”

Users are advised to remain vigilant and monitor their accounts for suspicious activity, while Ledger continues strengthening its vendor risk management protocols.