Ledger researchers have discovered a vulnerability in a certain Android chipset, putting mobile Web3 wallets at risk of physical attacks.

December 4th — Ledger has revealed a vulnerability in a widely used Android smartphone processor that could put Web3 wallet users at risk if an attacker gains physical access to the device. The flaw allows attackers to exploit hardware fault injection to bypass core security checks and take control of the chip. Notably, Ledger hardware wallets are unaffected by this discovery, which instead underscores the risks of relying solely on smartphone hot wallets to secure digital assets. Ledger’s team tested MediaTek’s Dimensity 7300 chip (manufactured by TSMC) to assess whether electromagnetic fault injection could disrupt the chip’s early boot process. Using open-source tools, they injected timed electromagnetic pulses to interfere with the chip’s boot ROM, extract runtime information, and map the attack path. Subsequently, the team bypassed the chip’s write command filtering mechanisms, overwrote the return address on the boot ROM stack, and executed arbitrary code at EL3 (the processor’s highest privilege level) — with the attack repeatable in minutes. Ledger emphasized that even top-tier smartphone chips are vulnerable to physical attacks and unsuitable for safeguarding private keys, stressing the critical role of secure elements in self-custody of digital assets. The vulnerability was reported to MediaTek in May, and affected device manufacturers have been notified.