Digital intruders have compromised cooling systems in multiple European countries, leading to massive food spoilage. The National Cyber Security Centre issued an alert to retailers following these coordinated strikes on critical infrastructure.
The -27C to 50C temperature spike
Digital intrusions have caused physical destruction by forcing refrigeration units into defrost mode. In Stockholm, Engla Ingwall, a sales manager at an ICA store , confirmed that freezers reached 50C, leading to the total loss of stock. Similarly, Coop reported that six of its Swedish locations faced identical incidents overnight.
As the National Cyber Security Centre reported, these attacks have targeted shops in Belgium, Sweden, Ireland, Luxembourg, and Estonia. In France, the impact was so severe that staff had to discard molten ice cream and defrosted goods, with some incidents even triggering fires.
Sabcobel and Danfoss remote access vulnerabilities
Hackers are expploiting the remote accses capabilities built into modern refrigeration control panels. According to the report, recent attacks targeted units manufactured by the Belgian firm Sabcobel, where attackers manipulated evaporators to trigger defrosting. A similar pattern was observed in France, where Danfoss-supplied fridges were compromised.
Because Danfoss also supplies major British chains like Tesco and Sainsbury's, the vulnerability poses a significant risk to the United Kingdom's food supply chain. Stephan Moelans, CEO of Sabcobel, stated that his team had to work overnight to disconnect affected units from the network to prevent further damage.
Sabotage vs. extortion in the shadow of Ukraine
The lack of financial demands suggests these attacks may be part of a broader trend of hybrid warfare. Tom Hegel, a researcher at the cybersecurity firm SentinelOne,suggested that the absence of ransom requests points toward sabotage rather than traditional extortion. This shift in motive aligns with growing anxieties regarding the spillover of conflicts from European borders, specifically following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine .
While Moscow has denied any involvement in sabotage operations, John Billow, head of Sweden's national cyber-security centre, noted that many operational technology devices in Sweden are currently in need of urgent security patches.
The mystery of the unnamed Estonian supermarket chain
While many incidents have been identified, several details regarding the scope of the attacks remain unverified. In Estonia, the firm Kitman Coldtech reported a targeted strike on an unnamed supermarket chain, though they managed to prevent any actual damage through a rapid response.
Additionally, while Ikea noted that refrigeration control systems at a Belgian store were affected, the company has not yet ruled out whether the impact extends to other locations.. It remains unclear if the attacks on Musgrave's 13 SuperValu stores in Ireland were part of the same coordinated wave or isolated incidents.
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