Hackers Heat Freezers to 55C, Wiping Out Food Across 7 European Countries

Supermarkets in Belgium, Estonia, Ireland, Finland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Sweden reported widespread failures in their refrigerators and freezers on Monday, with temperatures rising to as high as 55C (131F) in some locations [277235][277536]. The attacks follow a nearly identical incident that hit between 400 and 700 French supermarkets just weeks earlier, where attackers remotely accessed cooling systems and manipulated thermostats, causing losses ranging from tens of thousands to 130,000 euros per store [279480].

Major chains from Carrefour to Ikea reported the same problem, with printed signs taped to empty shelves in Dublin reading: "Some refrigerated/frozen products are temporarily unavailable due to a technical issue" [279480]. The dairy, vegan, pizza and bread sections were all cleared out.

The damage has hit small communities hard. "I don't even understand how someone can do something like this, I don't see the point," said Mathieu Tilman, manager of a Delhaize store in Tourinnes-Saint-Lambert, a Belgian village of about 2,500 people, standing in front of dozens of garbage bags filled with spoiled food. "So many people are dying of hunger, people who don't have enough to eat. How is it possible that we end up throwing away so much food?" [279480]

In Sweden, staff at an Ica Kvantum supermarket in Sjöbo emptied freezer shelves of ice cream, chicken and meatballs, discarding food worth hundreds of thousands of kronor. "It's a form of terrorism," said department manager Rickard Nilsson [277133].

The wave of attacks has also extended beyond retail. A Norwegian warehouse suffered significant damage after its freezer temperature was raised so high that the sprinkler system activated, with management believing the freezer was hacked [278232]. In France, the attacks have now struck cooling facilities for blood supplies, disabling refrigeration systems that store donated plasma [278620]. Sweden is reviewing its cyber defenses following the French plasma attack, though no such cases have been reported in Sweden so far [281009].

The U.S. has issued warnings that cyber threats against industrial refrigeration systems are "ongoing" and could affect healthcare, agriculture and other industries. The warning follows the European attacks, with officials noting these systems keep food, medicines and other sensitive products at safe temperatures [281788]. At least six U.S. military bases reportedly suffered mysterious failures in refrigerators and freezers at their commissaries and grocery stores in August, with thousands of kilograms of food spoiled. The Pentagon and Army Criminal Investigation Division have reopened the case and are in contact with French authorities [279480].

Investigators are considering motives ranging from simple vandalism to cyberterrorism. "What is being analyzed is whether this is a prank or if there could be something more serious behind it," Josep Albors, research director at cybersecurity firm ESET, told elDiario.es [279480]. Experts are examining theories including economic extortion, hacktivist groups — particularly pro-Russian actors — state-backed operations, or individuals testing their capabilities with artificial intelligence.

The technical impact stems from vulnerabilities known for more than a year. Danfoss, the manufacturer of the sabotaged refrigerators and freezers, discovered a flaw in its systems and published security patches in March and August 2025. However, many affected systems had reached the end of their support cycle and no longer received updates. Investigators later discovered many stores had their refrigeration management panels fully accessible on the internet or protected by weak, default passwords [279480].

The EU has said the cyberattacks targeting supermarkets are not isolated incidents, as authorities continue to investigate [277950]. Specialists warn the chain of cyberattacks could continue against other countries. "What worries me is that, knowing the situation, these systems remain exposed," Albors said [279480].