Cyber-Attack Targets Supermarket Freezers Across Seven European Nations

A cyber-attack targeting refrigeration and freezer systems has disrupted operations at dozens of supermarkets across seven European countries, forcing retailers to empty units and discard spoiled produce. The affected nations include Belgium, Luxembourg, Sweden, Ireland, the Netherlands, Estonia, and Finland.

UNITS OVERHEATED AFTER EVAPORATORS SWITCHED TO DEFROST

The incident forced cooling units into defrost mode, causing evaporators to warm up and raising temperatures inside some freezers to as high as 50C (122F). Stephan Moelans, CEO of Belgian refrigeration manufacturer Sabcobel, identified the disruption as a cyber-attack. Moelans stated that crews worked through the night to disconnect compromised equipment from the network.

Moelans noted that the method mirrors a similar cyber-attack in early October that targeted hundreds of French supermarkets, resulting in millions of euros in lost food. Addressing the vulnerability requires physical modifications to the physical units rather than standard software updates alone. While most European supermarket cooling networks allow remote maintenance over the internet, Moelans emphasized that managing systems via secure internet connections remains the primary solution.

WIDESPREAD LOSSES ACROSS EUROPEAN RETAILERS

The attack impacted around 40 Delhaize supermarkets in Belgium and Luxembourg. In northern Belgium, a Delhaize location in Hoeilaart reported direct stock losses of €100,000 (£83,500), excluding additional financial impact from temporary store closures. Other Belgian retailers affected include Carrefour, which reported disruptions across 15 locations, and Colruyt Group, which confirmed five franchised Spar stores were targeted. Furniture retailer Ikea also reported cooling system disruptions at its store in Mons, Belgium.

In Sweden, several Coop and ICA stores were affected. Seven out of 800 Coop locations experienced issues, though the company confirmed the situation has been contained. ICA reported that a small number of stores operating outside its central network were compromised, including a location in Sjöbo where temperatures were remotely altered to 50C.

In Ireland, 13 SuperValu supermarkets owned by Musgrave Group suffered disruptions restricted to a specific refrigerator model. In the Netherlands, Danish manufacturer Danfoss reported that cooling systems at least 17 companies, including small neighbourhood stores and butcher shops, were breached. Disruption was also confirmed at K-stores in Finland and a Selver supermarket in Estonia.

INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES MONITOR THE INCIDENT

The perpetrators behind the cyber-attack remain unidentified. National cyber-security agencies in Belgium and Sweden are actively monitoring the situation. The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre confirmed it is engaging with international partners and industry experts to evaluate the incident, noting no UK locations have been hit.

In the United States, authorities are examining refrigeration malfunctions that occurred at several military bases in August to determine potential links to the European incidents in coordination with French officials.