Wednesday, April 30, 2025
HomeCyber Security NewsLedger NPM Repo Hacked Through a Spear Phishing Attack on an Employee

Ledger NPM Repo Hacked Through a Spear Phishing Attack on an Employee

Published on

SIEM as a Service

Follow Us on Google News

In a recent turn of events, Ledger, a prominent hardware wallet provider, faced a security breach that sent shockwaves through the cryptocurrency community. 

The breach, initiated by a malevolent version of the npm package @ledgerhq/connect-kit, posed a severe risk to users’ digital assets.

Security research firm SlowMist Team sounded the alarm, unveiling a covert threat within the @ledgerhq/connect-kit package on the npm repository. 

- Advertisement - Google News
Ledger
Ledger

This malicious package harbored a concealed backdoor capable of pilfering users’ private keys—a potential catastrophe for those invested in the volatile world of cryptocurrency.

Ledger’s Confirmation and Swift Action

Acknowledging the breach on its official Twitter account, Ledger promptly confirmed the security lapse. 

The company swiftly released a fix for the vulnerability, urging users to update to the latest @ledgerhq/connect-kit package version. 

Ledger NPM Repo Hacked
Ledger NPM Repo Hacked

As an additional precaution, Ledger emphasized the paramount importance of safeguarding one’s 24-word recovery phrase.

The Ongoing Investigation

The scope of the breach remains shrouded in uncertainty. 

Ledger Team continues its meticulous investigation, aiming to unveil the extent of user impact and quantify potential financial losses. 

The aftermath of this breach underscores the inherent risks associated with the burgeoning realm of cryptocurrency.

Renowned for its hardware wallets, Ledger stands as a stalwart in cryptocurrency security. 

These hardware devices store private keys in fortified environments, making them a favored choice among users. 

The npm repository, a repository of JavaScript code packages, plays a pivotal role in the cryptocurrency ecosystem. 

Developers rely on it to discover and install essential code packages. 

The compromise of the @ledgerhq/connect-kit package exposes a vulnerability in this otherwise indispensable resource for developers in the cryptocurrency space.

Amid the chaos, the question lingers: How did the attacker infiltrate the npm repository? The possibility of a spear phishing attack emerges—a targeted ploy where the attacker masquerades as a legitimate entity, often leading the victim to divulge sensitive information. 

The intricacies of this attack method raise concerns about the broader security landscape.

In the aftermath of the breach, Ledger is taking decisive steps to fortify its security measures. 

Collaborating with npm, the company aims to enhance the security infrastructure of the npm repository.

Additionally, users are reminded to exercise caution and adhere to best practices, such as refraining from sharing their 24-word recovery phrases.

Gurubaran
Gurubaran
Gurubaran is a co-founder of Cyber Security News and GBHackers On Security. He has 10+ years of experience as a Security Consultant, Editor, and Analyst in cybersecurity, technology, and communications.

Latest articles

How CISOs Can Strengthen Supply Chain Security in 2025

The responsibilities of Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) are rapidly evolving as digital transformation...

The CISO’s Guide to Effective Cloud Security Strategies

As organizations accelerate cloud adoption, CISOs face unprecedented challenges securing dynamic, multi-cloud environments. The...

Mitigating Insider Threats – A CISO’s Practical Approach

Insider threats represent one of the most challenging cybersecurity risks facing organizations today, with...

Security Policy Development Codifying NIST CSF For Enterprise Adoption

The National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework (NIST CSF) has become a...

Resilience at Scale

Why Application Security is Non-Negotiable

The resilience of your digital infrastructure directly impacts your ability to scale. And yet, application security remains a critical weak link for most organizations.

Application Security is no longer just a defensive play—it’s the cornerstone of cyber resilience and sustainable growth. In this webinar, Karthik Krishnamoorthy (CTO of Indusface) and Phani Deepak Akella (VP of Marketing – Indusface), will share how AI-powered application security can help organizations build resilience by

Discussion points


Protecting at internet scale using AI and behavioral-based DDoS & bot mitigation.
Autonomously discovering external assets and remediating vulnerabilities within 72 hours, enabling secure, confident scaling.
Ensuring 100% application availability through platforms architected for failure resilience.
Eliminating silos with real-time correlation between attack surface and active threats for rapid, accurate mitigation

More like this

Security Policy Development Codifying NIST CSF For Enterprise Adoption

The National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework (NIST CSF) has become a...

Cato Networks macOS Client Vulnerability Enables Low-Privilege Code Execution

A critical vulnerability in Cato Networks’ widely used macOS VPN client has been disclosed,...

TheWizards Deploy ‘Spellbinder Hacking Tool’ for Global Adversary-in-the-Middle Attack

ESET researchers have uncovered sophisticated attack techniques employed by a China-aligned threat actor dubbed...