Ledger SDK found to transmit users' transaction data and device info by default

Privacy researchers revealed on November 10, 2026, that Ledger's default software development kit transmits user transaction details, device models, and network addresses to Ledger servers unless wallet applications explicitly opt out. Ledger's security team, Ledger Donjon, defended the practice, explaining that the lookups are required to fetch large Clear Signing descriptors for user readability, adding that no transmitted data is retained.

Ledger SDK default data collection

• ▪A Ledger engineer merged a code change titled 'Turn multichain sign reporter on' that posts transaction signing events for Ethereum and Solana
• ▪Data transmitted by Ledger's default software kit includes the user's Ledger model, software version, blockchain address queried or paid, destination address, and blind signing status
• ▪Ambire developer Kaloyan Kosev reported on November 10, 2026, that Ledger's default software kit sends details of every signature back to Ledger servers unless wallet apps opt out
• ▪Data transmission in Ledger's context-module package has been enabled by default since version 1.16, which was released in April or May 2026

Ledger responses and technical explanations

• ▪Ledger Donjon and SlowMist researcher Yu Xian clarified that data-reporting code runs within the software development kit used by wallet apps, not inside Ledger device firmware
• ▪Ledger Donjon stated that third-party wallet applications can integrate custom software modules to bypass default server lookup and data-sharing behavior
• ▪Ledger's security team stated that transaction details are sent to Ledger servers to look up Clear Signing descriptor files formatted to the ERC-7730 Ethereum standard
• ▪Ledger co-founder Nicolas Bacca stated on November 10, 2026, that the opt-out data-transmission setting in the Ledger software development kit might have been an overlooked default
• ▪Ledger's in-house security team, Ledger Donjon, stated that Ledger does not store any of the transaction data transmitted during Clear Signing lookups
• ▪Ledger Donjon stated that Clear Signing descriptor files are too large to store directly on Ledger hardware devices, requiring server lookups during transaction signing

Ambire code changes

• ▪Ambire merged a code change to keep Ledger's data reporting off
• ▪Ambire developer Kaloyan Kosev opened a pull request to keep Ledger's data reporting turned off unless explicitly enabled by the user

Previous Ledger security and privacy incidents

• ▪In 2023, Ledger's Live application transmitted clicks, account counts, crypto asset names, device types, and firmware details to analytics firm Segment
• ▪In October 2026, compromised hardware devices sold by a reseller in Malaysia drained over $86 million from cryptocurrency wallet users
• ▪A 2020 data breach at Ledger exposed personal information, including names, physical addresses, and phone numbers, belonging to approximately 272,000 customers