Hackers Hit Supermarket Freezers Across Europe in Second Wave of Attacks
Supermarkets across Europe are throwing out carts full of spoiled food after a second wave of suspected cyberattacks took control of their fridges and freezers, cranking up temperatures overnight.
The attacks hit stores in Belgium, Sweden, Ireland, Luxembourg, Estonia and the Netherlands early Monday, just weeks after a similar attack struck hundreds of supermarkets in France.
Freezers Heated to 50 Degrees
Retailers said more than 50 stores were affected in Belgium, with over a dozen more in Ireland, Estonia, the Netherlands and Luxembourg and a "limited number" of smaller stores in Sweden, according to The Record.
In some stores, freezers were reportedly set remotely to 50 degrees Celsius, or about 122 degrees Fahrenheit, ruining everything inside.
"We can't adjust the temperatures, we can't change them. Heat is blowing into the freezers. Everything is ruined," Rickard Nilsson, a supermarket manager in southern Sweden, told broadcaster TV4.
In Belgium, chains including Delhaize, Carrefour and Spar were affected, according to the Belga news agency. In Sweden, Coop and Ica stores were hit. Retail groups Ahold Delhaize and Colruyt confirmed the hacks overnight, TechCrunch reported.
"We are extremely sad and working hard to get everything back up and running," one Ica Kvantum store wrote on Facebook, according to Tom's Hardware.
How the Hackers Got In
The attackers appear to have targeted refrigeration control systems that are connected to the internet. In Belgium, hackers remotely switched units into defrost mode, warming them up, the same method used in France, according to Help Net Security.
Stephan Moelans, CEO of the Belgian refrigeration installer Sabcobel, said his company began mobilizing technicians at 1 a.m. and knew of about 20 affected units among the hundreds it manages. He said the units need physical modifications, not just a software update, to be fully fixed.
Security researcher Kevin Beaumont said the affected freezers all had management systems facing the internet, with the same weakness exploited in France. He noted that many are older, end-of-life units that "have no patch available."
In Estonia, a contractor said attackers accessed an older Danfoss system, while Dutch broadcaster NOS reported that Copeland equipment was also targeted in Belgium. After the attack in France, both Danfoss and Copeland said the affected devices were mainly discontinued products that no longer received security updates.
The First Wave in France
The earlier attack, in October, hit roughly 700 victims in France, according to the Paris prosecutor's office. France's cybersecurity agency, ANSSI, said hackers compromised remote controllers for refrigeration systems from several brands, including Danfoss, Copeland and Dixell.
After that attack, most French customers moved their fridges to secure internet connections, Moelans said.
No group has claimed responsibility for either wave, and authorities have not identified who is behind them. It is also unclear whether the same hackers carried out both attacks.
A Growing Threat to Everyday Systems
The incidents highlight how attacks on internet-connected equipment can cause real-world damage. Security firm Claroty warned in August that the units were at risk of remote hacks and outages.
The attacks also come as hackers increasingly target systems people rely on every day. Earlier this year, officials said Iranian hackers were likely behind a cyberattack on a Minnesota water system, and U.S. Defense Department officials are reportedly investigating whether freezers on military bases were hacked.
New European Union rules may help in the future. Starting in December 2027, the EU's Cyber Resilience Act will require manufacturers to provide security support for products for their expected lifetime. For now, there is no legal obligation for companies to fix older devices targeted in attacks like these.
Stores are still working to restore their systems and restock shelves. The full cost of the lost food has not been released.
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