{
  "id": 18260401,
  "title": "How did supermarket fridges become a target for hackers?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/how-did-supermarket-fridges-become-a-target-for-hackers",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-11-05T06:00:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "RTE News",
    "slug": "rte-news",
    "url": "https://www.rte.ie/news/primetime/2026/1105/1598007-clarity-supermarket-cyberattack/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Supermarket fridges and freezers became targets of cyberattacks across Europe on Monday, causing temperatures in some units to rise as high as 50C. In Ireland, 13 SuperValu stores were affected, leading to the removal of chilled and frozen food from sale. The incident was resolved the same evening by Musgrave, the company behind SuperValu. This came just weeks after hundreds of French supermarkets faced similar attacks, and cold storage rooms at French blood banks were also targeted earlier in the week. The question arises: how did equipment designed to keep food cold become a target for hackers, and how did they gain access?\n\nSome Irish SuperValu stores used refrigeration controls supplied by Danish company Danfoss. These controls enable engineers to monitor temperatures and adjust settings remotely without visiting the store. Danfoss controllers were also among those targeted in last month's French cyberattack, which caused refrigerators to overheat at around 700 supermarkets. Researchers at Claroty, a cybersecurity firm specializing in protecting connected industrial equipment, had identified several security weaknesses in Danfoss refrigeration controllers prior to the French attack. They notified Danfoss, which released software updates to address the issues. Cybersecurity specialist Marta Rybczynska suggests that outdated software and refrigeration controls exposed to the internet may have facilitated the latest attacks in Ireland. Cyberattacks have historically targeted IT systems, but the recent incidents on refrigeration controller systems represent a shift towards targeting operational technology (OT). OT systems, which monitor and control infrastructure, are often connected to the internet, making them vulnerable to cyberattacks. Some affected French supermarkets had third-party contractors maintain their refrigeration controls, some of which might not have installed the necessary security updates. In some cases, shop owners were unaware that their fridges were connected to the internet, and many models have default passwords that are easy to guess. Danfoss has been in contact with customers over the past three weeks to help them manage the situation and advises against directly accessing systems via the internet. France's cybersecurity agency, CERT-FR, recommends removing direct internet access to affected systems and restricting remote access through secure VPNs or protected networks. The EU's Cyber Resilience Act aims to address these issues by requiring manufacturers to inform customers about the duration of security updates for their products. The involvement of Pro-Russian hacking groups NoName057(16) and Z-Pentest Alliance in the attacks remains unverified, and it is unclear if Monday's incidents and the October attacks were carried out by the same perpetrators.",
  "summary": "How did equipment used to keep food cold become a target for hackers — and what do we know about how they got in?",
  "key_points": [
    "Supermarket fridges hacked in Ireland, causing temperatures to rise",
    "French supermarkets also targeted in recent cyberattacks",
    "Danfoss refrigeration controls vulnerable due to outdated software and internet exposure"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Indian Express",
        "title": "European supermarket fridges were hacked. How did it happen? Find out here",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/european-supermarket-fridges-were-hacked-how-did-it-happen-find-out",
        "published": "2026-11-05T09:28:50.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}