Ledger Discovers Laser Attack Can Reset All Tangem Hardware Wallet Passwords
Ledger researchers have found that a laser attack can reset the passwords on Tangem hardware wallet cards.
This attack requires physical contact with the device and uses approximately $250,000 worth of laboratory equipment; circulating cards cannot be patched through software.
Market mechanisms indicate that the exposure of hardware wallet security vulnerabilities leads users to shift their funds to solutions that are more resistant to physical attacks, putting pressure on Tangem products while benefiting competitors and increasing demand for security audit services.
Source: Public Information
ABAB AI Insight
Ledger previously faced a trust crisis in the community due to its Recover service; this proactive disclosure of the Tangem laser attack vulnerability continues its historical path of shaping industry security benchmarks through research reports, while highlighting the competition in security audits among hardware wallet manufacturers.
From a capital perspective, Tangem, as a card-style hardware wallet, previously attracted users with its low-cost portable design; the exposure of this vulnerability may force the team to invest resources in hardware iteration, while competitors like Ledger seize the opportunity to strengthen their anti-physical attack marketing to capture market share.
Similar to past cases of physical attacks on hardware wallets like KeepKey and BitBox, as well as Ledger Nano series' multiple firmware upgrades to address vulnerabilities, Tangem is currently under pressure to transition from prioritizing portability to enhancing physical security in the hardware wallet industry.
This essentially represents a technological replacement and industrial chain reconstruction: the lowering threshold of physical attack technologies like lasers is driving the evolution of hardware wallets from simple chip cards to more complex tamper-resistant designs, with pricing power gradually shifting to manufacturers with deep security R&D capabilities, a change driven by the diffusion of open-source security research.
ABAB News · Cognitive Laws
Physical contact is always the last line of defense in hardware security.
Cheap and portable hardware often falls first in the face of physical attacks.
Security is not a feature, but a continuous competition between cost and attack difficulty.