Suspected Cyberattack Disrupts Supermarket Freezers Across Europe

Dozens of supermarkets in Belgium, Sweden, Ireland, and even the UK have been affected by a suspected cyberattack targeting refrigeration systems, disrupting store operations and forcing some retailers to discard food.

In Belgium, around 40 Delhaize stores and 15 Carrefour outlets reported problems. Delhaize described the incident as a computer-related issue, while Carrefour said it was investigating the disruption. In Sweden, several ICA stores and seven Coop branches were affected. Thirteen SuperValu shops in Ireland also reported problems. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) in the UK said that "a couple of instances where vulnerable technology had been exploited."

The impact was particularly severe at some Swedish locations. An ICA store in Sjöbo said hackers had compromised its refrigerators and freezers overnight, reportedly raising temperatures to 50°C. The store temporarily closed before reopening. Local media reported that thousands of euros worth of food had to be discarded.

The affected retailers said the incidents were limited to individual stores or that the situation was under control. ICA said the affected locations operated outside its central network, while Coop reported that the disruption at its seven stores had been contained.

The identity of those responsible and the precise method used to access the refrigeration systems remain unclear. The incident is similar to a disruption in France last month, when hundreds of supermarkets were reportedly affected by attacks on their cooling systems.

Though it’s still unknown whether the hackers utilized AI to hack these systems, Anthropic has previously warned that smart AI models could potentially worm into such devices if they’re connected to the internet.