European supermarkets hit by new fridge cyberattack
- On Monday, November 2, 2026, a suspected cyberattack compromised refrigeration systems at SuperValu, ICA, Coop, and Delhaize supermarkets across Ireland, Sweden, and Belgium, forcing stores to discard large quantities of fresh and frozen food.
- This disruption mirrors large-scale attacks reported last month in France, where hackers seized control of cooling units; technical analysis suggests vulnerabilities in Danfoss equipment running outdated firmware allowed unauthorized remote access.
- At least 40 Delhaize locations and 13 SuperValu stores reported compromised cooling units, with temperatures reaching 50°C. One Swedish store manager said, "Everything is ruined" after discovering spoiled merchandise.
- Supermarket chains are investigating the breach and have disconnected affected systems from the internet to contain damage. "As a precaution, chilled and frozen products in the affected stores have been removed from sale," Musgrave Group said.
- These incidents reveal security risks in connected retail infrastructure, where remote access capabilities create vulnerabilities for attackers. Store chains must update legacy firmware on operational technology devices to prevent further unauthorized manipulation.
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762 Articles
Hacking attacks involving the remote operation of refrigeration and freezing equipment occurred in supermarkets across nine European countries. Hackers forcibly activated defrosting modes to raise temperatures, resulting in inventory losses for food distributors in Europe. Governments in each country launched investigations, and the EU viewed this as a deliberate threat targeting the daily lives of citizens, urging for strengthened security.
Sydney Morning Herald
New cyberattack on European supermarket freezers
Supermarkets across seven European countries have been hit by a cyber-attack impacting their refrigerators and freezers.
There was a wave of cyber attacks across Europe on supermarket refrigerators, with damage amounting to millions of euros, as reported by the Polish RMF24.
The European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food described these attacks as "extremely worrying"
Cybercriminals have again attacked refrigeration systems in European supermarkets.
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