A wave of cyberattacks targeting supermarket refrigeration systems spread across at least nine European countries on Monday, following a larger campaign that hit France in October. Stores in Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden reported freezers and fridges being remotely forced into defrost mode, with temperatures rising as high as 50°C (122°F) and large quantities of food being destroyed.
France’s CERT-FR said the compromises affected remote control modules made by Danfoss and Copeland. It warned that the campaigns are probably still ongoing and advised operators to take controllers off the public internet. The French finance minister previously told Parliament that about 700 of France’s 10,000 supermarkets were affected in October, with some incidents sparking fires.
Among the newly affected retailers, Carrefour reported disruption at about 15 of its 700 Belgian stores, while around 40 Delhaize supermarkets in Belgium and Luxembourg were hit. Ireland’s Musgrave said 13 SuperValu stores were affected, and Portugal’s Mosqueteiros confirmed incidents at seven Intermarché stores. In Sweden, Coop said six or seven of its roughly 800 stores were hit and that affected shops used external Danfoss control systems on 4G connections, making them “more exposed.” A Delhaize branch in Hoeilaart estimated €100,000 in lost produce, and a Belgian butcher said about €15,000 of meat was ruined.
Danfoss told Dutch public radio that at least 17 companies in the Netherlands were attacked overnight. Belgian refrigeration contractor Sabcobel said evaporators had been switched into defrost mode, and its CEO said many older units need physical modifications rather than only software updates. Researchers at Claroty previously published flaws in Danfoss AK-SM 800A controllers, including an authentication bypass, and found 2,765 devices exposed online.
No group has claimed responsibility. EU Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen called the incidents a “deliberate attempt” to disrupt the food supply chain. Italy’s government scheduled a cybersecurity meeting on Tuesday, while Belgian federal prosecutors opened an investigation.
