Cyberattack cripples supermarket fridges across Europe as hackers force continuous defrosting

What happened?

Several major supermarket chains across Europe are grappling with a cyberattack targeting their refrigeration control systems. The attack hit Danfoss-made refrigeration controls used by French chains Intermarché, Leclerc and Coopérative U.

Dominique Schelcher, president of Coopérative U, confirmed that the attack had affected the refrigeration production facilities of several stores in its network since the previous night. He described the incident as "extremely serious" and promised an investigation.

Why did the fridges heat up?

Attackers turned the automatic defrost function — which normally runs for just two hours a day — into a continuous, forced cycle, with the temperature set to 50 degrees Celsius. Sources described "a wave of heat" escaping from fridges and freezers.

Impact widens

In the Netherlands, NOS reported that the websites of Albert Heijn, Etos and Gall & Gall were taken down, disrupting deliveries. Electronic shelf labels were also compromised, disrupting in-store pricing. Albert Heijn said it had temporarily shut down some systems to protect its IT environment. Belgium's Delhaize chain, which belongs to Albert Heijn, also reported disruption.

Losses and uncertainties

Early estimates put losses at close to 300,000 euros, potentially running into several million euros nationwide. It remains unclear whether the two attacks are related or how widespread the incident is.