Hackers didn’t steal credit cards or leak emails. They turned up the heat. Between Sunday and Monday, cyberattackers remotely accessed refrigeration systems at major supermarket chains in Belgium, Sweden, Ireland, and Estonia, setting freezers and fridges to boiling point temperatures in some cases. The result: mountains of spoiled meat, dairy, and produce dumped into bins. In Belgium, one Delhaize branch alone threw away an estimated €100,000 worth of food after its units hit 70 degrees Celsius, according to local media.
The scale is significant. Thirteen SuperValu stores in Ireland reported the breach. In Belgium, roughly 40 Delhaize outlets and 15 Carrefour stores faced disruptions. Sweden’s ICA and Coop chains also reported compromised systems; one ICA store in Sjöbo confirmed its fridges were hacked overnight and set to 50 degrees Celsius. Carrefour Belgium spokesman Mich Vergauwen called it a cyberattack, stating there was “no other explanation,” though he insisted the impact was limited and operational measures were taken immediately.
This isn’t the first time. In October, a similar attack hit Intermarché and Coopérative U supermarkets in France, targeting the same refrigeration vulnerabilities. Stephan Moelans, chief executive of Belgian refrigeration installer Sabcobel, told Belga that the current attack used the same mechanism. Since October, firms have been patching software, but Moelans warns that digital fixes aren’t enough. “The simplest solution is to manage the fridges over a secure internet connection,” Moelans told Euronews, noting that physical modifications to the systems are now required to prevent recurrence.
In Estonia, the attack was detected within minutes. A hacker accessed a computer controlling refrigeration at one Selver supermarket and changed a freezer setting to 50 degrees above zero, but the retailer said no products were damaged. National cybersecurity agencies in Belgium and Sweden are now monitoring the incident. The identity of the attackers remains unclear, but the financial hit across Europe is already in the millions of euros.
Retailers are scrambling to isolate affected systems and restore normal temperatures. But the real work starts now: implementing the physical and network security upgrades Moelans and other experts are pushing. Until those changes are in place, every connected fridge in Europe remains a potential target for the next digital heat wave.