By — Kelvin Chan, Associated Press Kelvin Chan, Associated Press By — Emma Burrows, Associated Press Emma Burrows, Associated Press By — Menelaos Hadjicostis, Associated Press Menelaos Hadjicostis, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/heres-what-to-know-about-another-cyberattack-on-european-supermarket-fridges Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Here's what to know about another cyberattack on European supermarket fridges World Nov 3, 2026 6:01 PM EST LONDON (AP) — Mysterious cyberattacks on European supermarket fridges have sent officials around the continent scrambling to figure out the cold, hard facts. Supermarkets in a number of European countries reported this week that their fridges and freezers warmed up after they were remotely taken over, resulting in tons of spoiled food at a total cost of millions of dollars (euros). READ MORE: Freezers at supermarkets in several European countries hit by apparent cyberattacks, ruining food One Swedish supermarket said its fridges and freezers had been hacked and set to 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit). It's a repeat of an earlier incident that struck refrigeration systems in hundreds of supermarkets and independent…
Here's what to know about another cyberattack on European supermarket fridges
In short
Retailers and independent grocers in at least six European nations, including Sweden, Italy, and Greece, suffered severe food spoilage after hackers altered cooling settings. In extreme cases, attackers pushed settings to 50 degrees Celsius in Sweden and 150 degrees Celsius at an Athens butcher shop. French investigators linked past similar waves to older, discontinued hardware modules manufactured by Danfoss and Copeland. Cybersecurity specialists emphasized that the perpetrators capitalized on internet-exposed controllers lacking active security patches rather than deploying advanced cyber tools.
Key points
- Connecting critical retail cooling systems to the public internet creates severe physical…: Connecting critical retail cooling systems to the public internet creates severe physical and financial operational risks.
- Attackers relied on basic exposures and discontinued hardware rather than advanced zero-d…: Attackers relied on basic exposures and discontinued hardware rather than advanced zero-day vulnerabilities.
- Businesses running end-of-life firmware face significant disruption unless legacy cooling…: Businesses running end-of-life firmware face significant disruption unless legacy cooling controllers are replaced or isolated.