Cyberattacks hit supermarket refrigeration systems in 7 EU countries, food stocks spoiled: Report

Cyberattacks targeting supermarket refrigeration systems have been reported in seven European Union (EU) countries, causing temperatures in refrigerators and freezers to rise sharply and leaving large quantities of food spoiled, according to Euronews.

The affected countries are Belgium, Sweden, the Netherlands, Estonia, Luxembourg, Finland and Ireland. The incidents come less than a month after a similar cyberattack disrupted refrigeration systems at hundreds of supermarkets in France on October 12.

According to Euronews, the latest attacks are believed to have taken place between Sunday night and Monday morning (local time). Cybercriminals reportedly exploited vulnerabilities in remotely controlled refrigeration systems, causing temperatures to rise to unsafe levels.

In Belgium, several supermarkets reportedly recorded refrigerator temperatures of up to 70 degrees Celsius, forcing retailers to discard food worth hundreds of thousands of euros.

The country's Centre for Cybersecurity (CCB) confirmed that it was aware of an incident involving supermarket refrigeration systems. CCB spokesperson Katrien Eggers told Belgian news agency Belga, "We are aware of an incident, but have no further information."

Belgian newspaper Le Soir reported that around 40 Delhaize Proxy supermarkets, 15 Carrefour Shop & Go stores, 15 Intermarché shops and five Spar Q8 service station locations were affected. Butchery group De Laet en Van Haver and an IKEA store in Bergen, near Mons, were also reportedly hit.

A Delhaize spokesperson told Euronews, "We have identified an IT incident affecting the refrigeration systems in several dozen stores. We immediately took the necessary measures to keep our stores operational."

Carrefour Belgium spokesperson Mich Vergauwen also confirmed the attack, saying, "It's a cyberattack, there is no other reason." However, he added that the "impact is very limited".

Stephan Moelans, CEO of Belgian refrigeration installer Sabcobel, which manages Delhaize's refrigeration systems, said the attack used the same mechanism as the one reported in France.

Speaking to Belga, Moelans said the incident occurred when the evaporators in refrigeration units were switched to defrost mode. He added that a software update alone would not be enough to fix the vulnerability and that physical modifications were also needed.

"Over the past few weeks, we've been working very hard to protect our customers' fridges against this vulnerability," Moelans said.

Ireland, Sweden among countries affected

In Ireland, SuperValu, the country's third-largest supermarket chain, confirmed that refrigeration systems in 13 of its 223 stores had been affected by a cyber incident. Sky News reported that the problem was limited to a specific model of refrigeration system. Chilled and frozen products were removed from sale as a precaution.

Sweden's National Cyber Security Centre said it was responding to several incidents involving grocery stores operated by ICA and Coop, where freezer temperatures had risen sharply overnight.

Engla Ingwall, sales manager at an ICA franchise store in Stockholm, told Sky News that the attack took place at around 2 am and was detected at 5:30 am (local time).

"There has been a cyberattack and all our freezers reached 50C," she said, adding, "Everything is destroyed."

ICA confirmed that a limited number of its stores had been affected. Swedish daily Aftonbladet reported that six Coop stores had experienced similar incidents.

John Billow, head of Sweden's National Cyber Security Centre, said the agency had identified several exposed operational technology devices in the country that needed to be updated or patched.

In Estonia, one Selver supermarket was reportedly affected after its refrigeration temperatures were set to 50 degrees Celsius. The incident was reported by public broadcaster ERR, citing technology supplier Kitman Coldtech.

In the Netherlands, the freezing and cooling systems of at least 17 companies were reportedly targeted, according to a spokesperson for refrigeration supplier Danfoss. The companies' identities were not disclosed.

In Luxembourg, Delhaize suspended its ordering systems as a precaution against a similar incident. Finnish media also reported that several K Group supermarkets had been affected.

Concerns over vulnerabilities in remote systems

The incidents have raised concerns about security gaps in remotely controlled refrigeration equipment and other operational technology systems. As technology has advanced, equipment such as refrigerators and heating systems, which were once operated manually, can now be monitored and controlled remotely.

A European Commission spokesperson said the attacks underlined the need to strengthen cybersecurity across the bloc.

"These incidents show that cyberattacks can disrupt services, affect businesses and directly affect citizens' daily lives," the spokesperson said.

No group has claimed responsibility for the latest attacks. Authorities have also not identified those behind the similar incidents reported in France last month.

(With ANI inputs)