Fridge frenzy returns: Supermarkets hacked in Belgium, Sweden and Luxembourg
Refrigerators in supermarkets across three European countries experience temperature spikes in suspected cyberattacks mirroring French incidents last month.
Quick Look
Refrigerators in supermarkets across Belgium, Sweden, and Luxembourg malfunctioned after temperatures spiked to 50 degrees Celsius on Monday in apparent cyberattacks resembling recent incidents in France.
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Why It Matters
French supermarkets were hit with a wave of similar refrigeration cyberattacks mid October.
Refrigerators in dozens of supermarkets across Belgium, Sweden and Luxembourg were out of service on Monday, local news outlets reported, in what appears to be a repeat of cyberattacks that hit French supermarkets last month.
Several store managers told local media that refrigerator temperatures suddenly spiked to up to 50 degrees Celsius. This mirrors the French incidents, in which attackers mid October appeared to remotely manipulate the fridges’ defrosting mechanisms so that they overheated.
It's not confirmed that the attacks are connected or used the same software vulnerabilities that hit French chains last month.
Belgian media reported on Monday morning that temperatures in supermarket refrigerators had suddenly spiked, leading them to throw food away.
Supermarket chain Delhaize alerted its store managers early on Monday morning of problems with refrigerators, and Belgian broadcaster RTBF cited a store manager as saying that the problems were due to a cyberattack like those in France. Dutch media reported that Delhaize stores in Luxembourg are also affected.
A spokesperson for the company said it is aware of an "IT incident affecting the refrigeration systems in a number of Delhaize stores."
A spokesperson for Colruyt, which operates Spar stores in Belgium, said in a statement that fridges in “around five” Spar stores have been affected. “We are currently doing everything we can to resolve the issue,” they said, adding that no Colruyt stores have been affected. Fifteen Belgian Carrefour stores are reportedly also affected.
A spokesperson for the Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium said the agency is "closely" following the incident.
Stores in Sweden have also been hit. A spokesperson for supermarket chain ICA confirmed an “incident overnight affecting a small number of ICA stores operating outside ICA’s central network” which affected its fridges and freezers. Swedish media also reported that Coop stores have been hit.
French supermarkets were hit with a wave of similar incidents mid October, when attackers hit refrigerators by Danfoss, a Danish manufacturer of store fridges. The attacks in France triggered a response from the country’s prime minister and its cybersecurity agency.
Danfoss did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Open Questions
- Are the attacks connected to the French incidents?
- What software vulnerabilities were exploited?
- Who is responsible for the attacks?
