{
  "id": 13997361,
  "title": "Hackers hit European supermarket refrigeration systems, spoiling food and forcing stores to dump stock",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/hackers-hit-european-supermarket-refrigeration-systems-spoiling-food",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-12T16:19:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "TechSpot",
    "slug": "techspot",
    "url": "https://www.techspot.com/news/114176-hackers-hit-european-supermarket-refrigeration-systems-spoiling-food.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Hackers struck European supermarket refrigeration systems, leading to spoiled food and forced store closures. On Sunday night, cybercriminals infiltrated controls at approximately 150 Intermarché stores, activating the defrost mode and heating the refrigeration units to 122 degrees Fahrenheit. The attack also affected fewer than 100 Cooperative U stores and some Leclerc stores. The compromised systems were managed by Danfoss, a company with a history of security vulnerabilities. Early estimates suggest the financial impact may reach 300,000 euros, but this number could rise as the full extent of the incident becomes clear. The supermarket chain's CEO, Dominique Schelcher, dispatched teams to repair the damage and conduct a thorough investigation. No suspects have been publicly identified yet. The attack may have been a test run to prove the hackers' capabilities, potentially devastating if combined with other attacks on power grids or utilities.",
  "summary": "A spokesperson for the supermarket chain told Bloomberg that attackers infiltrated controls for the cooling systems and activated the defrost mode, which heated them to 50 degrees Celsius, or 122 degrees Fahrenheit. Roughly six hours passed before employees noticed. By that time, all of the food in the coolers had been ruined. Read Entire Article",
  "key_points": [
    "Hackers targeted European supermarket refrigeration systems.",
    "Defrost mode activated, temperatures rose to 122°F.",
    "Financial impact estimated at 300,000 euros."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Seeking Alpha News",
        "title": "Lucid Group to add retail stores in France as its European presence grows",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/lucid-group-to-add-retail-stores-in-france-as-its-european-presence",
        "published": "2026-10-12T16:57:16.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}