A coordinated cyber-attack targeted refrigeration systems at supermarkets and retail stores across Belgium, Luxembourg, Sweden, Ireland, the Netherlands, Estonia, and Finland. The affected units were remotely switched to defrost mode, causing temperatures to rise dramatically. In some instances, freezer temperatures reached approximately 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit), well above safe food storage levels.
Sabcobel, a Belgian manufacturer of refrigeration systems, confirmed the attack and stated that its teams worked throughout the night to disconnect affected units from internet connections. The company indicated that the attack employed the same method used in a similar incident affecting hundreds of French supermarkets in early October, which resulted in millions of euros worth of food being discarded. Sabcobel’s CEO noted that while software updates alone could not prevent such attacks, physical modifications to the units were necessary to fully protect against the vulnerability.
Retailers reported significant financial losses from the incident. In one Delhaize store in Flanders, Belgium, losses were estimated at 100,000 euros in destroyed produce alone. Carrefour reported 15 Belgian stores affected, while Colruyt Group indicated five locations experienced attacks. Swedish retailers including ICA and Coop reported incidents at multiple branches, with seven of Coop’s 800 stores impacted. In Ireland, 13 SuperValu supermarkets were affected according to statements from Musgrave Group. The Netherlands experienced attacks on at least 17 companies’ systems, affecting butcher shops and small stores, while isolated incidents were reported in Estonia.
Cyber-security authorities across multiple nations confirmed they were investigating the incident. Belgium and Sweden’s national cyber-security agencies stated they were monitoring developments, while the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre indicated it was coordinating with international partners and industry stakeholders. Authorities in the United States were also examining potential connections between refrigeration malfunctions at American military bases reported in August and the European incidents to determine if they were linked.
The specific perpetrator behind the attack remained unknown. Most affected retailers immediately worked to restore systems and many customers switched to more secure internet connection protocols for refrigeration management following the attacks.
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