Cyberattack Targets Refrigeration Systems in European Supermarkets
Hackers remotely raised temperatures in refrigeration units at multiple European grocery stores, causing food spoilage and prompting investigations into the vulnerability of connected equipment.
Hackers accessed refrigeration control units at supermarkets across several European countries on Monday, causing temperatures to rise sharply and leading to the disposal of perishable goods. The incident affected dozens of stores belonging to Ahold Delhaize in Belgium and Luxembourg, five Spar locations operated by Colruyt Group, and multiple outlets of Carrefour, Intermarché, IKEA, ICA, Kesko, Supervalu and One Selver.
"In most cases, the security measures in place made it possible to quickly contain the attack," an Intermarché spokesperson told CNBC. "However, a few stores did suffer some stock losses, although nothing comparable to the attack in mid-October."
"The incident has a limited impact on the offering in our restaurant and Swedish Food Market," an IKEA spokesperson said by email, adding that the company was inspecting the affected equipment and checking installations at other Belgian stores.
European Commission for Agriculture and Food Christophe Hansen previously warned that food security faces new risks after a similar wave of attacks in October. The latest breach appears unrelated to any claimed group, and investigators are examining why many refrigeration units remain exposed online despite a vendor patch released in August.
Cybersecurity analyst Fredrik Blix noted that the control units are directly reachable via the public internet and that many devices never received the necessary update. He suggested that the lack of a ransom demand points to motives other than financial gain, possibly aiming to create disruption in countries supporting Ukraine.
Sophos Counter Threat Unit senior director Rafe Pilling said there is no evidence that artificial intelligence was used in this particular attack, although criminals have employed AI to accelerate other operations.
Authorities and retailers are working to restore normal temperatures and assess any remaining losses while broader concerns about the security of critical infrastructure persist.