Article By David Lindfield
Cyberattacks targeting supermarket refrigeration systems have spread across Europe, forcing stores to discard food after hackers raised temperatures in refrigerators and freezers.
Stores in Ireland, Sweden, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Estonia reported incidents, following last month’s attack on hundreds of French supermarkets that caused food losses and fires.
One Swedish store said Monday that its refrigerators and freezers had been set to 122 degrees Fahrenheit, matching the extreme temperatures reported during the French attacks.
The disruptions expose the consequences of connecting essential food-storage equipment to the internet: attackers can remotely turn refrigeration systems into a source of widespread spoilage and financial damage.
Stores Across Europe Report Overnight Disruptions
Food was removed from SuperValu stores in Ireland following a suspected cyber incident affecting refrigeration equipment.
Swedish grocery group ICA confirmed that some stores experienced overnight failures.
“We are aware that a limited number of stores were affected by an incident overnight, which impacted their refrigeration and freezer systems,” an ICA spokesperson said.
Coop told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet that six of its stores experienced similar incidents.
Sweden’s national cybersecurity center said it was working on several cases involving grocery-store refrigeration.
In Belgium and Luxembourg, local media reported that dozens of refrigerators and freezers at Delhaize locations were affected.
Delhaize and butcher shop De Laet & Van Haver reported sudden temperature increases.
Carrefour Belgium said 15 stores had been affected as of Monday morning.
Estonian refrigeration company Kitman Coldtech also reported an attack involving an unnamed supermarket chain, but said a rapid response prevented damage.
French Attack Heated Refrigerators for Six Hours
The latest incidents follow a major attack in France that remains under investigation by the country’s National Cybersecurity Agency, ANSSI.
Carrefour said 80 French supermarkets were hit.
Monoprix reported that approximately 5% of its roughly 490 stores were affected.
Les Mousquetaires, which owns Intermarché, said refrigeration systems at around 150 stores were heated to 122 degrees Fahrenheit for six hours overnight.
A spokesperson said all affected food was discarded to eliminate health risks.
Workers were seen dumping cartloads of thawed products into large trash containers, with melted ice cream spilling from damaged tubs.
Intermarché CEO Thierry Cotillard described the attack as unprecedented and warned that nationwide losses from a single day would run into the tens of millions in European currency.
No industry-wide total was immediately available.
Investigators Identify Software Vulnerability
Supermarket refrigeration is commonly managed through control panels that regulate multiple units and allow maintenance companies to adjust settings remotely.
A source close to the French investigation said ANSSI identified a vulnerability in software supplied by Danish manufacturer Danfoss.
Danfoss acknowledged incidents involving some refrigeration management systems in France and said the affected equipment used outdated firmware.
The company said it had long advised customers to update supported systems and replace legacy equipment with current-generation alternatives.
French retail association Fédération du Commerce et de la Distribution demanded “full transparency” from Danfoss about the incident.
Similar Failures Reported at U.S. Military Stores
The European attacks resemble refrigeration disruptions reported at approximately a dozen American military commissaries in late August, where equipment failures also caused food losses.
French authorities have been coordinating with European counterparts as investigators assess the reach of the attacks.
Some affected stores have resumed normal operations.
But the incidents demonstrate how a vulnerability in remotely accessible equipment can disrupt food supplies across numerous locations, destroying inventory without attackers ever entering a store.
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