Cyberattacks target refrigeration systems at food businesses across Europe

In Germany, Handelsblatt reported that branches of supermarket chains Rewe and Edeka were affected by attacks on cooling systems. The newspaper also reported that some units were set to temperatures above 50 degrees Celsius, turning equipment designed to preserve goods into a potential source of disruption.

Tagesschau separately reported that German supermarkets had been affected and described security weaknesses involving both retail chains and equipment manufacturers. Together, the reports point to vulnerabilities in refrigeration controls that can affect operations beyond conventional office or payment networks.

Scientific American reported that attackers had hijacked built-in defrost controls and that food worth millions of euros had been spoiled across Europe. The account indicates that manipulating a system feature intended to manage ice buildup can have direct consequences for stored inventory.

The reported incidents were not limited to supermarkets. ANSA reported an anomaly affecting refrigerators used by Siaf, a Florence-based catering and canteen-services company, but said the episode had no consequences for services delivered.

The available reports do not establish that all of the incidents formed one coordinated campaign. Scientific American also reported that U.S. military bases may have been affected, but that possibility remains unconfirmed in the supplied material.