Supermarket chains in Sweden, Belgium and Luxembourg have reported a second suspected cyber-attack targeting refrigeration systems, causing temperatures in freezers and fridges to rise overnight. Sweden’s Coop confirmed six stores affected, while ICA noted a limited number of outlets impacted. Dutch retailer Ahold Delhaize said an 'IT incident' hit dozens of its supermarkets in Belgium and Luxembourg, with temperatures in cooling systems increasing.
Belgium’s Le Soir reported dozens of stores affected, including Spar, Shop & Go, and Proxy Delhaize outlets. Sabcobel mobilised technicians at 1am to disconnect affected installations. This follows a similar attack in France in October, where hackers seized control of cooling units in up to 700 supermarkets, causing millions of euros in food losses.
Hackers remotely overrode settings, pushing temperatures from -27C to over 50C, affecting chains like Intermarché, Carrefour, and Monoprix. Most cold aisles are internet-connected for remote maintenance. In the French attack, hackers pirated controllers, mostly from Danfoss, disabling alarms before adjusting thermostats.
Danfoss had previously identified security flaws and recommended updates. The Paris prosecutor’s office opened an investigation, citing food losses and fires, and ANSSI confirmed involvement of controllers from two other companies.
Source: Hacker News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing