Hackers Heat Supermarket Freezers Across Europe
A cyber attack raised temperatures in refrigeration units at dozens of European supermarkets, forcing stores to discard food.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Cybersecurity
Live Poll
Do you trust internet-connected appliances in your home to be safe from hackers?
Hackers raised temperatures in refrigerator and freezer units at dozens of supermarkets from Sweden to Belgium, forcing stores to throw away food. A similar attack occurred in France last month, and no group has claimed responsibility.
Why it matters
The attacks show that networked industrial control systems used in everyday retail can be taken over remotely to cause physical losses. Because no ransom has been requested and the targeting was refrigeration rather than financial or personal data, the motive remains unclear.
The refrigeration units could be operated remotely over the internet after hackers took command of networked industrial control units. Some security software used by the impacted chains had not been updated, though Woolworths' store refrigeration controllers are not connected to external networks.
The players
Australian Signals Directorate
Australia's national signals intelligence and cyber security agency, which issues warnings about malicious cyber activity affecting the country.
Woolworths
Australia's largest supermarket chain, whose store refrigeration controllers were noted as not being connected to external networks.
The details
Hackers took over networked industrial control units that run refrigerator and freezer systems, raising temperatures at dozens of stores in several European countries. Stores were forced to discard food, and investigators have not said how the intrusions were first gained.
Timeline
Last month: a similar cyber attack on refrigeration units occurred in France.
This week: freezer temperatures were raised across stores in Europe.
Over the past year: Australia's Signals Directorate issued more than 4,400 warnings about potentially malicious activity.
Threat Landscape
The Australian Signals Directorate recorded more than 4,400 warnings about potentially malicious activity over the past year, an 80 per cent increase on the prior 12 months. The refrigeration attacks in Europe fit within that rising trend of attacks targeting physical industrial systems.
Shoppers may see disruption in stocked frozen and chilled goods if stores lose refrigeration. Businesses running networked refrigeration controls may need to confirm that their security software is up to date.
The takeaway
Connected cooling and refrigeration systems are now a cyber target with physical consequences for food supply. Retailers that keep control software patched and isolated from outside networks reduce the risk of losing stock.
Further reading
Explore more stories in our Cybersecurity section for context on how attacks on industrial systems are unfolding.
Source note: This article includes information reported by SBS.
Live Poll
Do you trust internet-connected appliances in your home to be safe from hackers?
