Ledger.com Customer Data Exposed in Global-e API Breach: Technical Analysis and Mitigation Recommendations

Executive Summary

On January 5, 2026, Ledger disclosed that a subset of its customers’ personal data was exposed due to a breach at its third-party payment processor, Global-e. The incident was caused by unauthorized access to a Global-e cloud-based information system, facilitated by a misconfigured API key on the Ledger website. The exposed data includes customer names, email addresses, postal addresses, and phone numbers for those who made purchases on Ledger.com using Global-e as the Merchant of Record. No payment information, account credentials, or crypto wallet recovery phrases were accessed or exposed. Both Ledger and Global-e have confirmed that their core systems, including hardware wallets and payment processing infrastructure, remain secure. The primary risk to affected customers is an increased likelihood of targeted phishing attacks. Immediate notification was sent to affected individuals and regulators, and both companies have implemented containment and remediation measures. This report provides a comprehensive technical analysis of the incident, its implications, and recommended mitigations, based solely on primary, date-stamped sources.

Technical Information

The breach originated from a misconfigured API key on the Ledger website, which allowed unauthorized access to a portion of the e-commerce and marketing database managed by Global-e. This database contained order data, including customer names, email addresses, postal addresses, and phone numbers. The attack did not involve the compromise of payment information, passwords, or the 24-word recovery phrases used to access Ledger hardware wallets. The incident was detected when Global-e observed unusual activity in its cloud environment and subsequently isolated the affected systems. Independent forensic experts were engaged to investigate the breach, confirming that only personal contact information was accessed.

The attack vector aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK framework as follows: the initial access was achieved by exploiting a public-facing application vulnerability (T1190), specifically through the use of a valid but misconfigured API key (T1078), which enabled the attacker to access and exfiltrate data from information repositories (T1213). No malware or specialized intrusion tools were identified in the course of the investigation. The breach did not impact Ledger’s hardware or software systems, and no private keys, recovery phrases, or crypto assets were at risk at any point.

The incident underscores the risks associated with third-party integrations in the cryptocurrency and e-commerce sectors. Attackers increasingly target service providers like payment processors to obtain sensitive customer data, which can then be used for phishing and social engineering campaigns. In this case, the exposure of contact information significantly increases the risk of targeted phishing attacks against Ledger customers, although no direct financial loss or compromise of crypto assets has been reported.

No specific threat actor or group has been attributed to this incident as of January 2026. The attack method—exploitation of misconfigured API keys in cloud environments—is commonly used by both financially motivated cybercriminals and advanced persistent threat (APT) groups. However, no technical indicators or tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) unique to a known group have been disclosed in the available sources.

Affected Versions & Timeline

The breach affected customers who made purchases on Ledger.com using Global-e as the Merchant of Record. The exact number of impacted individuals has not been disclosed by either Ledger or Global-e. The exposed data includes names, email addresses, postal addresses, and phone numbers. No payment information, account credentials, or crypto wallet recovery phrases were involved.

The timeline of verified events is as follows: On January 5, 2026, Ledger and Global-e publicly disclosed the breach and began notifying affected customers and regulators (BleepingComputer, CoinDesk). Global-e detected unusual activity in its cloud environment, isolated the affected systems, and launched an investigation with independent forensic experts (CoinDesk). Ledger confirmed that the breach did not impact its own systems or customer crypto assets (Ledger Support FAQ).

Threat Activity

The threat activity in this incident was limited to unauthorized access and exfiltration of customer order data from Global-e’s cloud-based information system. The attacker exploited a misconfigured API key, which provided access to the database containing personal contact information of Ledger customers. There is no evidence of malware deployment, lateral movement, or further compromise of Ledger or Global-e systems. The primary threat resulting from this breach is the increased risk of phishing and social engineering attacks targeting affected customers, leveraging the exposed contact information.

The attack method is consistent with known patterns in the cryptocurrency and e-commerce sectors, where third-party service providers are targeted to obtain customer data. The lack of payment information or crypto asset exposure limits the immediate financial impact, but the risk of follow-on attacks remains significant. No specific threat actor attribution has been made, and no unique technical indicators have been disclosed.

Mitigation & Workarounds

The following mitigations and workarounds are recommended, prioritized by severity:

Critical: All affected customers should remain vigilant for phishing emails, SMS messages, or phone calls purporting to be from Ledger or related entities. Customers must never disclose their 24-word recovery phrase or private keys to anyone, regardless of the communication channel. Any suspicious communications should be reported immediately to Ledger support.

High: Organizations using third-party service providers, especially in the cryptocurrency and e-commerce sectors, should conduct regular security reviews of API configurations and access controls. Immediate remediation of misconfigured API keys and implementation of least-privilege access policies are essential to prevent similar incidents.

Medium: Both Ledger and Global-e have notified affected customers and relevant authorities. Customers should ensure that their contact information is up to date with Ledger and monitor for any official communications regarding the breach.

Low: Customers are advised to review their personal security practices, including the use of strong, unique passwords for all accounts and enabling multi-factor authentication where available.

No further action is required regarding payment information or crypto asset security, as these were not impacted by the breach.

References

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/ledger-customers-impacted-by-third-party-global-e-data-breach/

https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2026/01/05/crypto-wallet-firm-ledger-faces-data-breach-through-global-e-partner

https://support.ledger.com/article/E-commerce-and-Marketing-data-breach-FAQ

About Rescana

Rescana provides a third-party risk management (TPRM) platform designed to help organizations identify, assess, and monitor risks associated with external vendors and service providers. Our platform enables continuous evaluation of third-party integrations, supports rapid incident response, and assists in the implementation of effective controls to mitigate supply chain and vendor-related security risks. For questions regarding this report or to discuss third-party risk management strategies, contact us at ops@rescana.com.