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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Assume the exposure is real and move the assets. A recovery phrase is the master backup for every account derived from it; anyone who obtains it may be able to recreate those accounts and authorize transactions. Do not type the phrase anywhere else, do not give it to support, and do not keep using the suspected wallet except to perform a controlled emergency transfer. On a genuine replacement device bought through a trusted channel, generate a completely new wallet and recovery phrase, then send assets to the new addresses.
What to do in the first minutes
Speed matters, but a rushed transfer to a wrong address can create a second loss. Work from a device and network you trust, and treat every account derived from the possibly exposed phrase as affected.
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- Stop the leak. Close the suspicious website or app. Disconnect unknown browser extensions, remote-access software, QR scanners, and wallet integrations. Do not paste the phrase into a phone, computer, web form, cloud note, messaging app, or support chat.
- Do not disclose the phrase while seeking help. Official support does not need it. Ledger’s support guidance says, “Never share your 24-word Secret Recovery Phrase, even with Ledger Support.”
- Record the situation without recording the phrase. Note which device, app, website, extension, or person may have seen it; the approximate time; and which assets and networks are involved. Keep this incident log free of the words themselves.
- Check for an active drain only from a trusted interface. If transactions are leaving the wallet, prioritize moving remaining assets to a new wallet. Never approve an unfamiliar token allowance or “verification” transaction to unlock funds.
- Prepare a clean replacement. Buy the device from its manufacturer or an authorized reseller, and plan to initialize it yourself before signing anything.
A phrase that was merely photographed, copied, entered into a fake app, or shown during a support scam must be handled the same way. You cannot revoke or change a leaked phrase; containment means moving funds to accounts controlled by a new phrase.
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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteWhy a recovery phrase compromise affects the whole wallet
A recovery phrase is not a password for one coin. Trezor describes a wallet backup as “an ordered list of English words that contain all information necessary for recovering your wallet (i.e., accessing bitcoin or other cryptocurrency funds on-chain).” Wallet software uses the phrase to deterministically recreate the keys and addresses for supported networks.
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That means an attacker who has the words may restore the wallet elsewhere without possessing your physical device. Assume all accounts, addresses, tokens, and chains derived from that phrase are exposed, including accounts you have not used recently. A PIN, passcode, or device reset does not repair the phrase itself; those controls protect the device, not the backup that can recreate it.
Ledger’s security guidance states, “Never ever share your 24-word secret recovery phrase, also known as a seed phrase, in any form, with anyone.” The same rule applies to shorter phrases, passphrase-protected setups, typed fragments, photographs, and digital backups. If an additional passphrase was used, treat it as exposed too if it was entered or stored alongside the recovery words.
How to create a trustworthy replacement wallet
Verify where the device came from
Use the manufacturer’s own store or an authorized reseller. Do not buy a supposedly unused device from an auction listing, an informal marketplace, or a seller who cannot establish provenance. A 2026 incident report from Ledger described hidden components installed in genuine devices sold through some Southeast Asian resellers, showing that a real-looking product can still be tampered with before delivery.
Inspect and initialize it yourself
- Check packaging, seals, and the device model against the manufacturer’s current documentation. If anything is altered, missing, or inconsistent, stop and contact the manufacturer through a site you reached by typing its domain manually.
- Connect the device only to the official companion software obtained from the manufacturer. Avoid links supplied in unsolicited messages, advertisements, or support chats.
- Choose the option to create a new wallet. Never select a restore option unless you are recovering a phrase that has not been exposed; an old or preconfigured phrase defeats the purpose of migration.
- Let the device generate the recovery phrase. Confirm every word on the device’s own screen, not only on the computer or phone.
- Write the new phrase on an offline medium while alone. Do not photograph it, print it to a network printer, save it in a password manager, or dictate it into a microphone.
- Complete any device verification, firmware update, and backup-check procedure recommended by the manufacturer before receiving funds.
A device that arrives with a phrase already displayed, a wallet already configured, or instructions telling you to use a supplied phrase should be treated as unsafe. Return it through the seller’s documented process rather than attempting to “fix” it.
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Move assets from the suspected wallet
Create fresh accounts on the replacement device and migrate each asset from the old addresses. Ledger explains that importing a hot-wallet seed into hardware does not make already exposed keys safe; the safe sequence is to create fresh hardware-wallet accounts and transfer funds.
- Obtain a receive address on the new device. Display it on the device screen and compare it character by character with the address shown in the companion software. Malware can replace clipboard contents, so never trust a pasted address without this check.
- Match the network. A token can exist on several networks with different address formats and fees. Select the same network on the sending service and the receiving account; sending on the wrong chain can make recovery difficult or impossible.
- Send a small test amount when practical. Wait for the expected on-chain confirmation and verify that the balance appears in the new account before moving the remainder. For assets where a tiny transfer is uneconomical, verify the network, address, and amount on the device twice instead.
- Transfer native coins first when they pay fees. Keep enough of the relevant network’s native asset in the old account to pay transaction fees, but do not leave more than necessary while an attacker may be watching.
- Move tokens and collectibles individually or in clearly verified batches. Confirm contract, network, destination, and amount on the device. Do not approve an unlimited spending allowance as a shortcut.
- Review the old wallet after migration. Revoke unnecessary token allowances using a trusted tool, but understand that revoking an allowance does not protect the old private keys. Once balances and positions are moved, stop signing from the old accounts.
If an attacker is actively sweeping funds, a test transfer can reveal the situation and give the attacker time to react. In that emergency, use a prepared fresh account, verify the destination offline or on the device, and move the highest-value assets first. Keep transaction IDs and timestamps for an exchange, custodian, insurer, or law-enforcement report; they cannot reverse a confirmed blockchain transaction, but they document what happened.
If you typed the phrase into a fake app or used an infected computer
Typing the words into a website, browser extension, desktop wallet, QR scanner, or mobile app is a direct compromise even if nothing was stolen immediately. Assume the application copied the phrase and follow the replacement-and-migration process above.
Clean the computer without testing the old phrase
- Disconnect the computer from the internet if remote access or active malware is suspected.
- Update its operating system and security software, then run a full scan. Remove detected malware and restart as directed.
- From a separate trusted device, change email, exchange, and other financial-account passwords. Use unique passwords and enable two-factor authentication, preferably with a hardware security key or an authenticator rather than text messages where available.
- Review email forwarding rules, browser extensions, remote-access tools, exchange API keys, and active sessions. Revoke anything unfamiliar.
- Only after the system is clean should it be used for routine wallet administration, and the old phrase must never be entered again “to test” whether it is safe.
These steps follow the Federal Trade Commission’s response guidance for a computer exposed to a scammer. They protect associated accounts and devices; they cannot make the leaked phrase valid again.
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Can a hacked hardware wallet still be trusted?
The answer depends on what was compromised. A hardware wallet that merely lost its PIN but never exposed its recovery phrase may be recoverable after a verified reset and restore. A phrase that was displayed, photographed, typed, or supplied to another person is different: the device may still be genuine, but the accounts it controls are no longer trustworthy.
| What happened | What it means | Required response |
|---|---|---|
| Only the device PIN was exposed; the phrase stayed private | An attacker may unlock that physical device, but cannot recreate the wallet without the phrase. | Move funds if the device may be in the attacker’s possession, change the PIN, inspect it for tampering, and consider a new device if its integrity is uncertain. |
| Recovery phrase was seen, copied, photographed, or entered online | Every account derived from the phrase must be considered recoverable by an attacker. | Create a new wallet and phrase on trusted hardware, then migrate all assets. |
| Computer or phone had malware while signing | Addresses, transactions, passwords, or the phrase may have been altered or captured. | Stop signing, clean or replace the system, secure accounts from another device, and migrate to fresh addresses. |
| Device arrived preconfigured or showed unexplained hardware changes | The supply chain may have been tampered with before delivery. | Do not initialize or fund it; return it and obtain a replacement through an authorized channel. |
A factory reset erases local settings but does not rotate blockchain keys. If the phrase was exposed, only a newly generated phrase and new addresses provide containment.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Secure the new recovery phrase
Store the new phrase offline in a location where visitors, contractors, roommates, cameras, and online services cannot access it. Make the backup legible and verify it by using the device’s official recovery-check feature, without typing the words into a computer.
Paper is vulnerable to fire, water, and deterioration. A metal seed-phrase plate or capsule can improve physical durability, but it does not repair a phrase that was already leaked. Keep backups in separate secure locations only if you can control who can access each location; extra copies increase resilience and also increase the number of opportunities for theft.
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Do not store the phrase in cloud storage, email, screenshots, notes, password-manager fields intended for synchronization, or a document protected only by a device password. Never divide words among friends or support staff. A partial disclosure can become useful when combined with another copy or with information about the phrase’s structure.
How to choose replacement hardware
There is no single best device for every user. Compare the properties that affect a migration rather than choosing on appearance or a temporary price.
| Decision point | Questions to answer | Why it matters during recovery |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer provenance | Is the seller authorized, and can the device’s authenticity be checked? | Reduces the risk of pre-delivery tampering. |
| Asset and network support | Does the device support every coin, token, and network you actually hold? | Prevents leaving value behind in an unsupported account. |
| On-device verification | Can the receive address and transaction details be checked on a trusted screen? | Helps detect clipboard replacement and interface spoofing. |
| Backup and recovery workflow | Does it generate the phrase itself and provide a way to verify the backup? | Confirms that you, not a seller or app, control the wallet creation. |
| Firmware process | How are updates authenticated, and can you verify the release source? | Limits exposure to malicious update prompts. |
| Security architecture | What are the open-source, secure-element, and audit trade-offs? | Helps you understand what can be independently inspected and what relies on hardware protections. |
| Backup durability | Can the phrase backup withstand the hazards in your storage location? | Protects against fire, water, and physical deterioration after migration. |
Current prices, stock, and promotional terms change frequently and are not a security measure. Prioritize provenance, correct initialization, and verifiable transaction details.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteRecognize and report impersonation
People who know about a wallet incident often become targets for a second scam. Impersonators may claim to be support agents, investigators, recovery specialists, or security technicians and ask for the 12 or 24 words, a private key, a screen-share session, or a “verification” payment. Refuse every such request.
Reach support only by typing the manufacturer’s domain yourself or using documentation you already verified. Ledger states that official support will never ask for the recovery phrase. Save copies of suspicious emails, usernames, phone numbers, domain names, wallet addresses, and transaction IDs, but remove the phrase from anything you forward. Report the impersonation through the manufacturer’s official abuse channel, the relevant exchange, and local authorities where appropriate.
Mistakes that make the incident worse
- Restoring the old phrase on a new device: this reproduces the exposed keys instead of replacing them.
- Continuing to use the old wallet for convenience: every new signature gives an attacker another chance to exploit the account.
- Trusting a pasted address: clipboard malware can substitute an attacker’s address.
- Assuming a hardware wallet makes a hot-wallet seed safe: hardware storage cannot cleanse keys that were already exposed.
- Paying a recovery service: no legitimate helper needs the phrase to move your funds.
- Keeping the old phrase as a “backup”: it is a backup for the attacker as well; retain records only as needed for investigation, never for future deposits.
After migration, update saved receive addresses, payment instructions, exchange whitelists, multisignature policies, and estate or business procedures. Tell only the people who genuinely need the new address; never disclose the new phrase.
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