Cyberattack Hits Supermarkets Across Europe as Hackers Raise Freezer Temperatures to 50°C

Supermarkets in several European countries have been hit by suspected cyberattacks targeting refrigeration and freezer systems, forcing some retailers to remove chilled and frozen food from sale and discard potentially spoiled products.

The incidents were reported on Monday, November 2, 2026, across Sweden, Belgium, Luxembourg, Ireland and Estonia, raising fresh concerns about the vulnerability of supermarket equipment to remote cyber intrusions.

According to reports from European media outlets, the attacks involved unauthorised access to computer systems controlling refrigeration equipment, with temperatures allegedly increased to as high as 50 degrees Celsius in some locations.

In Sweden, ICA Group, one of the country’s major supermarket operators, confirmed that a limited number of its stores had experienced an overnight incident affecting refrigeration and freezing systems.

An ICA Kvantum store in Sjöbo, southern Sweden, said in a Facebook post that its refrigerators and freezers had been hacked and set to 50°C. The store said staff were discarding affected products.

The Coop supermarket chain also reported refrigeration problems at six stores in central Sweden, according to the Swedish news agency TT.

Belgium, Luxembourg and Ireland Also Affected

In Belgium and Luxembourg, supermarket operator Delhaize reported an IT incident affecting refrigeration systems in several dozen stores, most of them in Belgium.

The company said the incident temporarily reduced the availability of fresh and frozen products in affected outlets. However, its distribution centres continued operating normally, with no reported disruption to deliveries.

Carrefour also confirmed that a cyberattack targeting refrigeration systems had affected 15 of its more than 700 stores in Belgium. The company described the impact as extremely limited.

In Ireland, 13 SuperValu stores were reportedly affected, according to The Irish Times.

Musgrave Group, which owns the SuperValu chain, said chilled and frozen products had been removed from sale as a precaution.

The newspaper reported that the incident affected a specific refrigerator model.

Estonia Reports Refrigeration System Intrusion

In Estonia, a refrigeration technology company reported that attackers had accessed a computer controlling a client’s refrigeration system and increased the temperature to 50°C.

Jann Mutso, chief executive of Kitman Coldtech, told public broadcaster ERR that the attack was addressed within minutes and did not cause significant damage.

The Selver supermarket chain also confirmed that one of its outlets had been affected.

Previous Attack in France Raises Further Concerns

The latest incidents follow a similar case reported in France last month, when attackers allegedly gained remote control of refrigeration systems in hundreds of supermarkets and independent stores, causing temperatures to rise.

The incidents have raised concerns about the security of connected refrigeration equipment, particularly older systems that may be vulnerable to unauthorised remote access.

Refrigeration systems are essential to supermarket operations because they help preserve meat, dairy products, seafood, frozen foods and other perishable goods. When temperatures rise beyond safe limits, retailers may have to remove affected products from sale to protect consumers.

Although the incidents have been reported across multiple European countries, the available information does not establish who carried out the attacks or whether every incident was part of the same coordinated operation.

The investigations could help determine how the attackers gained access to the systems and what measures retailers and equipment manufacturers may need to take to prevent similar incidents in the future.