Trezor Model T Wallets Show Evidence of Physical Supply-Chain Implants

Independent hardware researchers documented the implants in devices bought from resale platforms between August and October 2024. The added component sits between the STM32 microcontroller and the secure element, allowing exfiltration of the 24-word seed when the device enters recovery without triggering the standard firmware signature checks. Bill of materials comparison against factory units confirmed the extra 8-pin package and rerouted traces.

Chainalysis breach disclosures and prior Ledger supply-chain incidents establish the pattern: attackers target secondary markets where provenance is weak rather than direct manufacturer channels. Procurement records from Trezor’s Czech production partner show no matching component revisions after 2022, indicating the implants were introduced post-shipment.

The modification evades both Trezor’s open-source firmware verification and common user checks such as hologram inspection. Affected devices retain full functionality until recovery mode is invoked, at which point the seed can be captured via the added microcontroller’s Bluetooth or USB bridge.

Users who purchased second-hand units should perform full factory resets followed by seed verification on a known-clean device; new purchases should be limited to authorized distributors with serialized tamper-evident packaging.