Hackers Turn Supermarket Freezers Into Heaters Across Europe
Thursday, November 5, 2026112 words2 minutes281 reads
Some supermarket fridges and freezers in Europe stopped keeping food cold on November 2. Stores reported attacks on their computer controls. Workers had to remove food from sale. Some shops threw food away.
One Swedish shop said someone set its controls to 50 degrees Celsius. This was a reported setting, not a temperature measured in every freezer. The machines did not become new kinds of heaters. Their cooling was disrupted.
Some stores use the internet to check and control their equipment. Attackers can misuse access to these systems. In Ireland, 13 stores removed food to protect customers. Their problem was fixed that day. Investigators still need to find out who was responsible.
