Supermarket freezers across Europe hit by second suspected cyber-attack

Supermarket chains in Sweden, Belgium, and Luxembourg have confirmed that refrigerator and freezer temperatures in dozens of their stores rose overnight, raising concerns of a cyber-attack similar to a recent incident in France. Sweden’s Coop chain reported six affected stores, while ICA acknowledged a limited number of stores experiencing issues with refrigeration and freezer systems.

Dutch retailer Ahold Delhaize reported an "IT incident" impacting fridges and freezers in multiple supermarkets across Belgium and Luxembourg. Belgian newspaper Le Soir stated that dozens of stores, including Spar outlets, Shop & Go convenience stores, and Proxy Delhaize minimarkets, were affected. Sabcobel, a company specializing in refrigeration system installations, mobilized technicians to disconnect affected installations from the grid.

French police reported last October that hackers had taken control of cooling units at up to 700 supermarkets, leading to significant food losses and highlighting the vulnerability of internet-connected systems. French chains Intermarché, Coopérative U, Carrefour, Leclerc, and Monoprix were among those impacted, with losses ranging from tens of thousands to over €130,000. In the French attack, hackers overridden freezers and fridges, causing temperatures to soar from -27°C to above 50°C.

Danfoss, a Danish company supplying controllers for many supermarket cold aisles, acknowledged security flaws and recommended customers install updates. The Paris prosecutor’s office launched an investigation into the French incident, citing "food losses and fires." Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu instructed France’s national cybersecurity agency, ANSSI, to investigate. ANSSI confirmed that supermarkets using controllers from two other companies were also targeted in the attack.