Europe under cyberattack: Who is behind the supermarket fridge hacks? Sweden, Belgium, Luxembourg and Estonia hit as attacks follow the same pattern seen in France

Supermarkets across Europe are facing an unusual cyberattack. Instead of targeting payment systems or customer data, hackers appear to have gone after something much more basic; the refrigerators and freezers used to keep food fresh.

Stores in Sweden, Belgium, Luxembourg and Estonia reported problems with their cooling systems on Monday. In some cases, temperatures were changed remotely, forcing supermarkets to remove fresh and frozen food from their shelves.

So far, no individual, hacking group or organisation has claimed responsibility. The affected companies are investigating the incidents, but there is no confirmed evidence linking all the attacks to a single group.

Who is behind the supermarket refrigeration cyberattacks?

The identity of the attackers remains unknown. However, the incidents share a similar pattern. Someone gained access to systems controlling supermarket refrigeration and changed their temperature settings.

In Sweden, an ICA supermarket in Sjöbo said its refrigerators and freezers had been hacked. The temperature was reportedly raised to 50 degrees Celsius, making the stored food unsafe.

The store announced on Facebook that it had to throw away affected products while staff worked to restore the equipment.

Employees at other ICA outlets in Tomelilla and Stockholm also reported problems. ICA confirmed that a limited number of stores experienced an overnight incident involving refrigeration and freezer systems.

Six Coop stores in Sweden also reported similar problems.

Belgium and Luxembourg supermarkets report changes to freezer settings

The problem was not limited to Sweden. Ahold Delhaize, the Dutch supermarket group, confirmed that its cooling systems had been affected in Belgium and Luxembourg.

The company said the temperature settings had been changed without authorisation. The problem was discovered overnight and is being investigated.

Several dozen Delhaize stores were affected, most of them in Belgium.

Carrefour Belgium also confirmed a cyberattack targeting refrigeration equipment. The company said 15 of its more than 700 stores experienced an impact.

In Estonia, a similar incident affected one supermarket outlet. Selver later confirmed that one of its stores had been hit.

According to Estonia's public broadcaster ERR, attackers accessed a computer controlling refrigeration equipment and raised the temperature to 50 degrees Celsius.

Was the Danfoss thermostat involved in the attacks?

Hundreds of French supermarkets and independent grocery stores faced similar problems in October. Attackers reportedly changed the temperature settings of refrigeration systems, causing food losses.

That incident involved thermostats manufactured by Danish company Danfoss. The company told Danish news agency Ritzau that a limited number of systems had been affected.

However, there is no confirmation that Danfoss equipment was involved in the latest attacks across Europe.