Fridge Controls Hacked Across Europe: Unpatched Cold Storage Systems Put Food Businesses at Risk

Cyberattacks on refrigeration systems have struck supermarkets and grocery stores across Europe in the early hours of Monday, in the second wave of such incidents in recent weeks after an earlier one in France. The unidentified attackers defrosted fridges, causing stock to spoil. Three British meat suppliers were affected, according to the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS). Its members were attacked through vulnerable Copeland XWEB supervisory controllers. AIMS spokesperson Tony Goodger called them "collateral" because they ran the same software, and said none lost meat.

Langridge Organic, a British fruit and vegetable wholesaler, also reported being hit. Managing director Alex Pearce said it "was amazing how many parameters" the attackers had changed. He believes he interrupted a live attack after seeing a fridge being remotely put into defrost mode, and he physically disconnected it from the internet. No stock was spoiled.

All of the British suppliers were reportedly using controllers that had a firmware update available since August. A security note shared among AIMS members said Copeland XWEB firmware version 1.12.1 and earlier contained "severe authentication bypass vulnerabilities that allow hackers to take control without a password." No group has claimed responsibility, and British authorities have not attributed the attacks. Belgium's cybersecurity agency said it "may never be possible to identify" who was behind them. Copeland did not immediately respond to a request for comment.