Ledger and Trezor Call for Responsible Vulnerability Disclosure, Warn Against AI-Driven 'Attention Farming'
Executives from leading hardware wallet makers Ledger and Trezor have urged security researchers to adopt responsible disclosure practices when reporting vulnerabilities. Ledger’s CTO Charles Guillemet highlighted that AI has made bug discovery and exploitation easier, yet premature public disclosure without available fixes endangers users and amounts to 'attention farming at someone else’s risk.' Experts recommend privately coordinating fix timelines — typically 90 days — before publishing details about issues.
Ledger’s stance and disclosure guidelines
Ledger’s CTO Charles Guillemet explained that AI significantly facilitates the detection of security flaws, increasing risks for end users. He criticized researchers who prematurely publish discovered bugs before fixes are ready, terming this practice as 'attention farming at someone else’s risk.' He urged for responsible disclosure by privately notifying vendors and agreeing on timelines to address vulnerabilities prior to public disclosure.
He mentioned that 90 days is a common default timeframe for remediation but may vary depending on the severity and effort required.
Trezor’s support and industry context
Jan Komárek, Trezor’s head of security, told Cointelegraph that the 90-day window represents a commitment not only from the researcher but also from the vendor. He encouraged researchers to first approach the manufacturers, agree on timelines for fixes, then publish comprehensive reports; if the vendor fails to deliver a patch within the agreed timeframe, researchers may then disclose independently.
Security of hardware wallets has been under scrutiny following over $100 million stolen from Coldcard wallets and a data breach at Trezor’s shipping provider exposing personal information of tens of thousands of users. These incidents highlight the necessity of responsible vulnerability disclosure.
Why it matters
As AI increasingly aids in uncovering hardware wallet vulnerabilities, Ledger and Trezor emphasize the importance of responsible disclosure practices. Premature public exposure of bugs before fixes are available risks significant financial losses for users and undermines trust in the industry. Coordinated agreement on remediation timelines balances the interests of researchers, vendors, and customers, minimizing risks and enhancing the security of valuable assets.
Prepared from the source material with AI-assisted editing and checked against the supplied facts.
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