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European Supermarkets Hit by Cyberattacks on Freezers
· Confirmed
In Short: Supermarkets in seven European countries reported temperature spikes in refrigeration units, prompting fears of a coordinated cyberattack.
AOL.co.uk and Aol reported that hackers remotely cranked up the thermostats in supermarket freezers across seven European countries, setting temperatures as high as 122 degrees Fahrenheit and spoiling food. Tech Brew detailed that the attack occurred overnight, affecting refrigeration units in dozens of stores.
ICA Group, a Swedish supermarket chain, confirmed that a limited number of its stores were affected, with one store in Sjöbo reporting temperatures as high as 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit). Coop, another Swedish chain, reported issues in six of its stores in central Sweden.
A spokesperson for ICA Group told news agency TT that the incident had affected refrigeration and freezing systems. Carrefour in Belgium stated that the cyberattack had an extremely limited impact, affecting only 15 of its more than 700 stores.
Rickard Nilsson, head of an Ica shop in Sjöbo, southern Sweden, said, 'We can’t adjust the temperatures, we can’t change them. Hot air is blowing into the freezers. Everything is ruined.'
Supermarkets across Europe are rushing to remove chilled products after the cyberattack. ICA is currently supporting the affected stores in managing the situation. The incident follows a similar attack on French supermarkets in October.
In Sweden, SuperValu, the country’s third-largest supermarket chain, reported that a specific model of refrigeration system had been affected by a cyber incident at 13 of its 223 stores.
The attack has resulted in significant food spoilage, with destroyed refrigerated goods being thrown away from powerless freezers at affected stores.
Despite the widespread impact, AOL.co.uk noted that the UK has not yet been affected, and retailers are working with the NCSC to ensure their fridges and freezers are secure.
Background
Dozens of grocery stores in seven European countries lost chilled and frozen food overnight after remote refrigeration units were switched to defrost.
Dozens of supermarkets in seven European countries reported temperature spikes in refrigeration units, prompting fears of a cyberattack similar to one that hit French retailers last month.
What's confirmed
- The Carrefour supermarket chain in Belgium said a “cyberattack targeting refrigeration installations only had an extremely limited impact,” affecting 15 of its more than 700 stores.
- An ICA Kvantum store in Sjöbo, southern Sweden, said its fridges and freezers had been hacked and set to 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit).
- The Coop chain said that six of its stores in central Sweden had problems with their fridges and freezers, TT reported, though it didn’t immediately have details.
- No politically motivated “hacktivist” group has claimed responsibility and neither has a ransomware gang exploited the vulnerability to demand the supermarkets pay – which in any event would be difficult because the damage is already done when their fridges overheat.
- Supermarkets in Sweden, Belgium, Luxembourg, Ireland and Estonia reported disruptions to their refrigeration systems, apparently caused by cyberattacks.
- Destroyed refrigerated goods are being thrown away from powerless freezers at ICA Baronen store on Odengatan in Stockholm, Monday, Nov.
What's still developing
- Instacart operates a grocery-focused marketplace that connects consumers with supermarkets and other retailers, while DoorDash has been expanding aggressively into grocery, convenience, retail, and other local commerce categories.
- Fridges are not unique in having their controls exposed to hackers.
- 2, 2026, as some of stores have suffered problems with their refrigerators and freezers overnight.