Supermarket freezer systems across Europe disrupted as temperatures spike to 50°C

Supermarkets in nine additional European countries reported refrigeration failures overnight Monday, widening a disruption first identified in France. Stores in Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden said freezer and refrigeration systems malfunctioned, with some Estonian units reaching 50°C. French cyber agency CERT-FR said earlier incidents in France involved attackers forcing equipment into a continuous defrost cycle, spoiling food and causing fires at some locations. About 700 of France’s 10,000 supermarkets were affected, according to Finance Minister Roland Lescure. Investigators have not confirmed whether Monday’s wave is tied to the French cases, and no group has claimed responsibility. Officials and companies have pointed to older remote-control modules and Danfoss systems in several affected sites, while researchers previously disclosed vulnerabilities in Danfoss AK-SM 800A controllers. CERT-FR said internet-exposed end-of-life devices without security patches face a very high risk of compromise.