Ledger discovers popular smartphone chip vulnerable to unpatchable attacks

A serious unpatchable security vulnerability has just been discovered in MediaTek’s Dimensity 7300 chip by Ledger’s Donjon research team, allowing hackers to gain full control of the device through a precisely timed electromagnetic attack. This vulnerability exists in the boot ROM—the earliest stage of the chip’s startup—making it impossible to fix with a software update. By emitting electromagnetic pulses at a critical moment during the boot process, researchers were able to bypass memory protection mechanisms and gain access at the highest privilege level of the ARM architecture.

This discovery comes amid a sharp increase in crypto-related crime, with over $2.17 billion stolen since the beginning of 2025. Ledger warns that smartphones cannot guarantee absolute safety for private key storage, and users should prioritize dedicated security devices such as hardware wallets with a Secure Element.