19:53Machine-translated from Azerbaijani by AIRead in Azerbaijani
Hackers Attack Supermarket Refrigerators in Europe, Spoiling Food
A new cyberattack targeting supermarket refrigerators in Europe has caused food to spoil at dozens of stores. Internet-connected refrigeration systems in Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, Sweden, the Netherlands, Estonia and Finland were remotely tampered with. Hackers raised the temperature to 50°C and switched some units to defrost mode. As a result, the refrigerators began blowing warm air.
The attack affected approximately 40 “Delhaize” stores, several “ICA” and “Coop” stores in Sweden, and 13 “SuperValu” stores in Ireland. The same problem also occurred at 15 “Carrefour” and 5 “Spar” stores in Belgium. “Ahold Delhaize” and “Colruyt” confirmed that their systems had been tampered with. The total number of affected stores has not yet been disclosed. The stores had to discard spoiled meat, dairy products and other frozen foods. A “Delhaize” store in Hoeilaart, Belgium, destroyed food worth 100,000 euros (approximately 190,000 AZN). A person who manages several stores in Brussels said that the products had already spoiled by the time the alerts came in. At one “ICA” store in Sweden, employees were unable to change the temperature. A similar attack affected more than 400 supermarkets in France in October 2026. The targets included “Intermarché,” “Carrefour,” “Monoprix,” “E.Leclerc” and “Coopérative U” stores. The deliberate increase in temperature resulted in millions of euros’ worth of food spoiling. Small fires also broke out at some stores. French prosecutors launched a cybercrime investigation into the incident. According to investigations, the attacks targeted internet-connected refrigeration systems developed by the Danish company “Danfoss.” Some of the affected units are older models and no longer receive security updates. “Claroty” warned as early as August that these systems could be remotely taken over and disabled. Because access controls are weak, hackers can control hundreds of units simultaneously. The U.S. Department of Defense is also investigating malfunctions in refrigeration systems at 6 military bases. Officials are trying to determine whether the incidents are linked to Iranian-backed hackers. The same groups were also blamed for attacks on U.S. water utilities in 2026. In 2025, a cyberattack on distributor “UNFI” caused food shortages and left store shelves empty. It is not yet known who is behind the new attacks in Europe. Because the stores removed the spoiled products from sale, the food is not expected to reach customers. European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Christophe Hansen said that the weaponization of food is now a reality. The incidents demonstrate the importance of regularly updating the security systems of internet-connected industrial equipment.
The attack affected approximately 40 “Delhaize” stores, several “ICA” and “Coop” stores in Sweden, and 13 “SuperValu” stores in Ireland. The same problem also occurred at 15 “Carrefour” and 5 “Spar” stores in Belgium. “Ahold Delhaize” and “Colruyt” confirmed that their systems had been tampered with. The total number of affected stores has not yet been disclosed. The stores had to discard spoiled meat, dairy products and other frozen foods. A “Delhaize” store in Hoeilaart, Belgium, destroyed food worth 100,000 euros (approximately 190,000 AZN). A person who manages several stores in Brussels said that the products had already spoiled by the time the alerts came in. At one “ICA” store in Sweden, employees were unable to change the temperature. A similar attack affected more than 400 supermarkets in France in October 2026. The targets included “Intermarché,” “Carrefour,” “Monoprix,” “E.Leclerc” and “Coopérative U” stores. The deliberate increase in temperature resulted in millions of euros’ worth of food spoiling. Small fires also broke out at some stores. French prosecutors launched a cybercrime investigation into the incident. According to investigations, the attacks targeted internet-connected refrigeration systems developed by the Danish company “Danfoss.” Some of the affected units are older models and no longer receive security updates. “Claroty” warned as early as August that these systems could be remotely taken over and disabled. Because access controls are weak, hackers can control hundreds of units simultaneously. The U.S. Department of Defense is also investigating malfunctions in refrigeration systems at 6 military bases. Officials are trying to determine whether the incidents are linked to Iranian-backed hackers. The same groups were also blamed for attacks on U.S. water utilities in 2026. In 2025, a cyberattack on distributor “UNFI” caused food shortages and left store shelves empty. It is not yet known who is behind the new attacks in Europe. Because the stores removed the spoiled products from sale, the food is not expected to reach customers. European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Christophe Hansen said that the weaponization of food is now a reality. The incidents demonstrate the importance of regularly updating the security systems of internet-connected industrial equipment.