Suspected Cyber-Attack Disables Grocery Freezers Across Six European Countries

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Grocery store employee discarding bags of spoiled food from a supermarket refrigerator

Dozens of supermarkets and grocery stores across six European countries have been struck by a suspected cyber-attack that disabled commercial refrigeration and freezing units, forcing merchants to discard millions of euros worth of perishable food.

The widespread disruption affected around 40 Delhaize supermarkets in Belgium and Luxembourg, alongside smaller numbers of shops in Sweden, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Estonia. According to local media reports, the economic toll has mounted into millions of euros in ruined stock as temperatures inside compromised storage units reportedly spiked as high as 50 degrees Celsius, or 122 Fahrenheit.

Sabcobel, a Belgian firm that manufactures and operates systems for some of the affected refrigerators, confirmed the incident was a cyber-attack. Stephan Moelans, CEO of Sabcobel, stated that technical teams had been working overnight and through the morning to disconnect compromised units from network connections. He explained that the intrusion method involved switching the units’ evaporators into defrost mode, a tactic believed to mirror an incident that struck hundreds of French supermarkets earlier in October.

Following the French attacks, Sabcobel had moved to protect client systems against the vulnerability, Moelans noted, though he emphasized that the hardware required physical modifications rather than simple software patches. The simplest mitigation involves managing the refrigeration units over a secure internet connection, a transition most customers made following the October breach.

Supermarket operators across the affected regions reported varying degrees of damage. In Flanders, Belgium, a Delhaize branch in Hoeilaart estimated its spoiled inventory alone totaled 100,000 euros, or roughly 83,500 pounds, a figure that excluded additional losses from temporary store closures. Carrefour reported that 15 of its Belgian stores were impacted, noting that prompt countermeasures ensured all locations remained open. Meanwhile, a Colruyt Group spokesperson confirmed that five franchise-operated Spar stores in Belgium experienced system compromises.

In Sweden, several ICA and Coop locations were targeted. An ICA spokesperson confirmed that the breach affected a small number of stores operating outside the company’s central network, with an individual branch in Sjöbo sharing on social media that its hacked systems had driven refrigeration temperatures up to 50 degrees. Out of roughly 800 Coop stores in Sweden, seven were affected, though the company reported the situation was contained and under control.

Impacts extended further north and west. In Ireland, 13 SuperValu supermarkets were hit, with a spokesperson for parent company Musgrave Group confirming a cyber incident limited to a specific refrigeration model. In the Netherlands, Danfoss manufacturing representatives reported that freezing and cooling systems belonging to at least 17 companies, including butcher shops and neighborhood stores, were targeted overnight. Estonia’s public broadcaster ERR reported that a Selver supermarket and other local businesses were similarly affected.

National authorities and cybersecurity bodies have stepped in to investigate the coordination behind the incident. Government cyber-security agencies in Belgium and Sweden confirmed they are monitoring developments, while the United Kingdom’s National Cyber Security Centre stated it is collaborating with international partners and industry representatives to fully understand the incident, though no UK shops have reported disruptions. As yet, no group or individual has claimed responsibility for the apparent attacks.