Cyberattacks target supermarket refrigeration systems across Europe

Supermarket refrigeration systems in several European countries were hit by suspected cyberattacks on Monday, causing temperatures in fridges and freezers to rise and forcing retailers to discard spoiled food.

Affected Regions and Retailers

The incidents were reported in Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Sweden. Specific impacts reported by retailers include:

• Sweden: The ICA Group reported a "limited number" of stores were affected. An ICA Kvantum store in Sjöbo reported temperatures were set to 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit). The Coop chain reported six stores were affected, and Axfood reported freezers at a distribution centre in the Gothenburg area were hacked.
• Belgium: Carrefour reported 15 of its stores were affected, describing the impact as "extremely limited." The Colruyt Group reported five Spar shops were attacked. Sabcobel reported knowing of approximately 20 affected units.
• Ireland: Musgrave Group reported that 13 SuperValu stores were affected by a "cyber incident."
• Estonia: Kitman Coldtech reported that attackers accessed a computer controlling a client's refrigeration system, raising the temperature to 50 degrees Celsius.
• Luxembourg and Belgium: Ahold Delhaize reported an "IT incident" affected refrigeration systems in several dozen stores, mostly in Belgium and some in Luxembourg.

Technical Details and Vulnerabilities

Experts noted that many of these systems, which were once operated offline, are now connected to the internet for remote monitoring and management. Kevin Tellier, a cybersecurity engineer at Synacktiv, stated, "Most of the time, that's done through a web interface. You connect to it with a password and you then have the possibility to choose what the temperature in the fridge is."

While these systems are intended to be on closed networks, Tellier noted some were exposed "to anyone with some basic knowledge." Olivier Daloy, a cybersecurity expert at Zscaler, identified two primary risks: the exploitation of technical vulnerabilities and the use of compromised credentials.

In Estonia, a contractor reported attackers accessed an older Danfoss system. Following a similar attack in France in October, both Danfoss and Copeland stated that the affected devices were mainly discontinued products that no longer received security updates.

Investigation and Security Concerns

No group has claimed responsibility for the Monday attacks or the October attack in France, which the Paris prosecutor’s office stated involved around 700 victims. Katrien Eggers, a spokesperson for the Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium (CCB), stated, "It is not known who is behind this attack, and it may never be possible to identify them."

Eggers expressed concern regarding the rising number of incidents, noting a development where AI has been used to identify and exploit vulnerabilities. However, she stated the CCB does not yet know if AI was used in these specific attacks.

Why it matters

These incidents highlight the vulnerability of food supply chains to digital interference. A 2025 French national security document identified such attacks as a priority threat, stating, "These incidents highlight how vulnerable food supply chains are to cyberattacks."

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Sources

• france24.com: Refrigeration cyberattacks highlight risks of connecting industry to the internet - France 24
• thebusinessjournal.com: Cyberattacks hit supermarket refrigeration systems across Europe
• aljazeera.com: Suspected cyberattacks trigger supermarket fridge failures across Europe | Cybersecurity News | Al Jazeera
• therecord.media: Second wave of suspected cyberattacks hits supermarket freezers across Europe | The Record from Recorded Future News

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.