techBREAKING
Cyberattack Disables Supermarket Fridges and Freezers Across Seven European Countries
A cyber-attack has disabled supermarket fridges and freezers across seven European countries, Belgian firm Sabcobel says.
Key points
- Around 40 Delhaize supermarkets in Belgium and Luxembourg were affected, with smaller numbers hit in Sweden, Ireland, the Netherlands
- Sabcobel said the units' evaporators were switched to defrost mode, causing them to warm up.
- Sabcobel CEO Stephan Moelans said the affected units need physical modifications, not just software updates.
Why it matters. Most European supermarkets are linked to the internet and maintained remotely, so the source suggests other retailers with similar systems could face comparable exposure.
Dozens of supermarkets in seven European countries were hit by a cyber-attack that knocked out cooling, with around 40 Delhaize stores in Belgium and Luxembourg affected. Belgian firm Sabcobel said the units' evaporators were switched to defrost mode, causing them to warm up, and its CEO Stephan Moelans told Belga the units need physical modifications. A Delhaize branch in Hoeilaart said it had lost €100,000 (£83,500) of produce.
Latest updates
Cyberattack Disables Supermarket Fridges and Freezers Across Seven European Countries
Dozens of supermarkets across seven European countries have been hit by a cyber-attack that affected their refrigerators and freezers. Around 40 Delhaize supermarkets in Belgium and Luxembourg were affected. A smaller number of shops were hit in Sweden, Ireland, the Netherlands, Estonia and Finland. At several ICA grocery stores in Sweden, freezers had to be emptied after the attack. Sabcobel, a Belgian company that manufactures the affected refrigeration systems, is among the parties involved in the response. Details of the attacker and the full scope of the disruption have not been confirmed.
A fresh wave of cyberattacks has hit Europe’s supermarket refrigerators, destroying food across countries
This is the second wave of cyberattacks to hit supermarket refrigerators in a month, spoiling food and disrupting supplies. In Brief Posted: 6:08 AM PST · November 2, 2026 Image Credits: Mouneb Taim / Anadolu / Getty Images A second wave of cyberattacks is suspected to have hit supermarket refrigerators across Europe, causing fridges to increase temperatures and spoil food at dozens of stores across Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg and Sweden. Supermarket giants Ahold Delhaize and Colruyt confirmed the hacks overnight, with one Belgian company that operates Delhaize’s systems saying that the hackers had changed the settings to defrost, per Reuters . Stores have experienced heavy food losses from the cyberattacks, forcing supermarkets to throw out goods that had defrosted or were otherwise no longer consumable. The cyberattacks follow earlier refrigerator hacks across in France last month that caused food spoilage at hundreds of supermarkets by deliberately raising the temperature on the units. Security researchers said that the cause of the hacks were internet-connected refrigerators made by Danish company Danfoss, which was no longer providing security updates. Security company Claroty warned back in August that those refrigerator units were at risk of remote hacks and outages. The freezer hacks underscore how cyberattacks can have real-world effects, including on the food supply .
Cyberattacks Spoil Food as Supermarket Fridges Across Europe Fail Again
A second wave of suspected cyberattacks has struck supermarket refrigerators across Europe, causing units to warm and food to spoil. The incidents have affected dozens of stores in Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg and Sweden. Supermarket groups Ahold Delhaize and Colruyt confirmed the disruption. The attacks are the second such wave in roughly a month, and they have also disrupted supplies. The disruption shows how connected store equipment can be targeted to damage inventory. Investigators have not publicly named a responsible party in the source material.