The Questions Ledger Owes Us Answers To

The issue is NOT the fact that keys can be extracted from a hardware wallet.

The issue is, Ledger wrote the code to do it, and they built that code into a firmware update. Once you update your firmware, key extraction code is on your wallet even if you opt out of "Recover."

Ledger was telling users a firmware update would never enable key extraction while writing firmware to it. That's fraud.

DOCUMENTING THE LIE:

"Hi - your private keys never leave the Secure Element chip, which has never been hacked. The Secure Element is 3rd party certified, and is the same technology as used in passports and credit cards. A firmware update cannot extract the private keys from the Secure Element."

SOURCE: @Ledger

"The secret keys or seed are never exposed to the BLE stack and never, ever leave the Secure Element."

SOURCE: Ledger.com

"While Ledger is using a dual chip system with an MCU as well, the important part is that your private keys remain inside the Secure Element."

SOURCE: Ledger.com

"This means that, beyond keeping your private key offline and away from hackers, the Ledger device itself is also completely impenetrable from external threats"

SOURCE: Ledger.com

Now, they admit that's a lie:

"yes a firmware update can extract the seed"

SOURCE: murzika, Ledger Co-Founder, Former CEO, and Former Chairman

To be clear: It isn't a lie because keys can be extracted.

It's a lie because Ledger wrote code to extract keys from our wallets. Period. And Ledger is installing that code on our wallets whether we sign up for Recover or not. Period. Even if we opt out of "Recover," the code for extracting our keys is on our Ledger devices. Period. It's part of the firmware.

And since Ledger's code is not open, Ledger can't prove there isn't a backdoor which could give Ledger or attackers access to our keys:

There's no backdoor and I obviously can't prove it

SOURCE: btchip, Ledger owner & co-founder

TEN QUESTIONS LEDGER OWES US ANSWERS TO:

Question #1: Which devices have firmware containing key extraction code? I'm not just asking about "Recover." I'm asking which Ledger devices have firmware containing any form of key extraction code, including but not limited to APIs and backdoors.

The Nano S?
The Nano S Plus?
The Nano X?
Stax?

Question #2: Going all the way back to the very first firmware release for each device through the current firmware: Which firmware releases contain any form of key extraction code?

Question #3: Will Ledger agree to release firmware for each device which does not contain any form of key extraction code?

Question #4: Will Ledger issue a public apology for placing key extraction code on users' wallets?

Question #5: Why is Ledger still marketing hardware wallets by stating keys cannot be extracted even as you're issuing firmware to enable key extraction?

Question #6: Because Ledger sold hardware wallets under false statements which now jeopardize user safety, will Ledger agree to give users who no longer feel safe at least a partial refund if not a full refund?

The next questions are about user data. For context, here's proof that Ledger is receiving data regarding how users use Ledger devices. This is Ledger's CEO saying that users don't use advanced features on their wallets:

"All these features that are hardcore features, are not used. Nobody uses them." "When we bring features, these features... they don't use it."

SOURCE: Ledger CEO Pascal Gauthier

Gauthier can't know for a fact which features of the wallet users are using, unless Ledger is mining data from users' computers, phones, and/or hardware wallets. So...

Question #7: What data, specifically, does Ledger collect from a user's hardware wallet?

Question #8: What data, specifically, does Ledger collect from Ledger Live?

Question #9: Who specifically does Ledger share user data with, and what data specifically is being shared?

And, last, but not least:

Question #10: How is it not fraud to market and sell hardware wallets with no key extraction capabilities, and then write code to add key extraction into the operating system of those hardware wallets? Even if the user opts out, Ledger placed the code for key extraction on their wallet via a firmware update, which is something Ledger publicly said they would never, ever do.

Ledger was telling users a firmware update would never enable key extraction while writing firmware to enable key extraction. This is not a rhetorical question: How is that not fraud?

A CLOSING THOUGHT:

"If, for you, your privacy is of the utmost importance, please do not use our product, for sure."

SOURCE: Ledger CEO Pascal Gauthier

On this, we agree.