'New Cold War'? Supermarket freezers hacked in six European countries, food worth millions spoiled. Who's behind it?

A wave of cyberattacks has struck supermarket refrigeration systems across several European nations, including Belgium, Sweden, Luxembourg, and Estonia, raising serious food safety alarms. These breaches allowed unauthorized access to cooling units, causing hazardous temperature increases that threaten product integrity. Experts are voicing concerns about the rising risks associated with connected technologies, while investigators work diligently to pinpoint the perpetrators and safeguard against future breaches.

Supermarket refrigeration systems in several European countries have been targeted in a series of cyberattacks, raising concerns about food safety and the vulnerability of internet-connected appliances. The attacks have reportedly affected stores in Belgium, Sweden, Luxembourg and Estonia, while incidents have also been reported in Ireland and the Netherlands.

The attacks allowed unauthorised access to supermarket cooling systems, causing refrigeration units to heat up to dangerous temperatures and putting fresh and frozen food at risk. One notable incident involved an ICA Kvantum supermarket in Sweden, where the temperatures inside refrigerators and freezers were reportedly raised to 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) overnight.

Swedish supermarket chain Coop acknowledged that "unauthorized actors were able to access and tamper with the cooling systems at a small fraction of our stores." Dutch retailer Ahold Delhaize also reported an "IT incident" that resulted in changes to the temperatures of refrigeration units at several supermarkets in Belgium and Luxembourg.

The latest incidents follow a similar attack in France last month, when hackers reportedly raised the temperatures of refrigeration units to as high as 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit), causing food to spoil and fires to break out. The French incidents resulted in losses worth millions of euros.

A similar series of mysterious freezer malfunctions that spoiled food at military bases across the United States in August is also being investigated as a suspected cyberattack, Reuters reported in October.

What happened to supermarket freezers in Sweden?In Sweden, ICA Group spokesperson Gustaf Nilsson told news agency TT that a "limited number" of stores had been affected overnight by an incident involving their refrigeration and freezing systems. He declined to disclose the exact number of affected outlets.

The ICA Kvantum branch in Sjöbo, southern Sweden, said in a Facebook post that its refrigerators and freezers had been hacked and their temperatures set to 50 degrees Celsius. The store said it was working to dispose of the affected food products.

The Coop chain also reported problems with refrigeration units at six of its stores in central Sweden, TT reported. It did not immediately provide further details.

Supermarkets in Belgium and Luxembourg affectedThe Delhaize supermarket chain said an "IT incident" had affected refrigeration systems at several dozen of its stores, mostly in Belgium and a few in neighbouring Luxembourg.

"In the affected stores, the range of fresh and frozen products is temporarily somewhat limited. Our distribution centres are operating normally, and there has been no disruption to deliveries to our stores," spokesperson Sarah De Meester said.

Carrefour Belgium said a cyberattack targeting refrigeration installations had an "extremely limited impact", affecting 15 of its more than 700 stores.

What happened in Estonia?In Estonia, a company that manufactures the affected technology said one of its clients had been targeted in a cyberattack. The attackers accessed a computer controlling the refrigeration system and raised the temperature to 50 degrees Celsius, public broadcaster ERR reported.

Jann Mutso, CEO of Kitman Coldtech, declined to identify the affected store but said the incident was addressed within minutes and caused no significant damage.

The Selver supermarket chain confirmed that one of its outlets had been affected.

What type of freezers were affected?Danish engineering company Danfoss said on Monday that its products were involved in the hacking of supermarket refrigeration systems in Europe.

The incidents have raised questions about the security of connected refrigeration equipment, particularly systems that can be remotely monitored and controlled.

Earlier attacks in France appeared to target older systems, highlighting the potential risks associated with outdated equipment and inadequate cybersecurity protections.

Can hackers really get into your refrigerator?In theory, yes. Any appliance connected to the internet, either directly or through an app, cloud service or home network, could potentially be vulnerable to a cyberattack. As reported by Reuters, in 2015, researchers demonstrated at a hacking conference in Las Vegas how a Samsung smart refrigerator could be compromised, allowing attackers to intercept some of the internet traffic passing through the device. However, the risks vary depending on the appliance, its software, security settings and network connections.

In many cases, cyberattackers are interested in stealing data, disrupting services or exploiting connected devices to gain access to larger computer networks. The latest European incidents demonstrate that the consequences could extend beyond stolen information or disrupted online services. A compromised refrigeration system can also threaten food supplies, cause substantial financial losses and disrupt supermarket operations.

Who is behind the freezer attacks?So far, investigators have not identified those responsible for the cyberattacks targeting supermarket freezers across Europe. No hacker group has publicly claimed responsibility. While some conspiracy theorists have pointed fingers at Russia and Iran, describing the incidents as a possible 'New

Cold War', there is no evidence establishing a link to either country.

Gérôme Billois, a partner at cybersecurity and technology company Wavestone, told The Guardian that the attacks bore the hallmarks of possible political sabotage.

"The two most feasible scenarios are either it was a group of youngsters or activists who wanted to blow up a few freezers to prove what they could do, or it was a destabilising attack, what we call sabotage, by internal or external state actors," he said.

He added that a politically motivated destabilisation operation remained a possibility, with the aim of making people feel unsafe, creating the impression that governments were losing control and ultimately spreading fear.

"Currently there are two international actors known for doing this sort of thing: Iran and Russia," he said.

However, identifying those responsible could prove difficult. Cybersecurity specialist and researcher Marta Rybczynska told *The Guardian* that tracing the attackers would depend on their technical capabilities and how carefully they had concealed their tracks.

"Whether it's possible to trace the hackers depends on their level of capability; if it's a handful of youngsters, it's easier because they probably won't have thought to remove traces. If they are professionals it's more complicated and will take longer. If they're in a foreign country, it'll be extremely difficult," she said.