// AI threat desk · 3 Nov 2026
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Supermarket refrigeration systems across Europe disrupted by cyberattacks

More than 50 stores in Belgium and over a dozen elsewhere were affected, The Record reported.

· 2 min read
AI-generated image of a technician inspecting supermarket refrigeration equipment in a plant room.
AI-generated image, not a photo of the event.
Key takeaways
  • The Record said more than 50 stores were identified in Belgium, with over a dozen others across Ireland, Estonia, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
  • The Record said the perpetrators were not identified, and EasternEye said authorities had not established whether the incidents were connected to the October French attack.
  • The Record said supermarket and grocery store refrigerators across Europe appear to have been hacked in the early hours of Monday.

The incidents affected stores in Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Sweden and Portugal. Convenience & Impulse Retailing said the attacks targeted systems that monitor and control refrigeration temperatures, rather than point-of-sale or inventory platforms.

The Record said more than 50 stores had been identified in Belgium, with over a dozen others affected across Ireland, Estonia, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. It said the incident followed a similar attack on hundreds of French supermarkets three weeks earlier.

On this page

Attackers manipulated refrigeration temperatures and defrost settings

The Record said attackers manipulated temperature controls and caused stock to spoil. It also said retailers reported that some freezers had been remotely set to 50°C.

The Record said an Estonian contractor reported that attackers accessed an older Danfoss system, while Copeland equipment was also reported targeted in Belgium.

Retailers reported different numbers of affected stores

Newsweek said the Belgian incidents included 40 Delhaize Proxy supermarkets, 15 Carrefour Shop & Go stores, 15 Intermarché shops and five Spar Q8 service station locations.

Carrefour Belgium said the incident was a cyberattack and that its impact was very limited. Coop said six of its Swedish stores were affected by similar incidents.

October attack had around 700 reported victims in France

The Paris prosecutor’s office reported around 700 victims in the October attack. The Record said no group had claimed responsibility for that incident or the November attacks.

Christophe Hansen, the EU agriculture and food commissioner, said the incidents were “a deliberate attempt to disrupt our food supply chain.”

The Record said no law enforcement or government agency had identified the perpetrators. Katrien Eggers said the Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium was aware of the incident but could not provide further information.

The Record said no group had claimed responsibility for either the November incidents or the October attack. EasternEye said authorities had not established whether the two waves were connected, while The Record said the EU’s Cyber Resilience Act will impose stricter requirements on such products from December 2027.

FAQ

What happened to supermarket refrigeration systems in Europe?

Convenience & Impulse Retailing said supermarkets in Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Sweden and Portugal reported fridge and freezer temperatures climbing on Monday 2 November, forcing stores to throw out food that had spoiled or was at risk of spoiling.

Which countries and stores were affected by the refrigeration attacks?

Convenience & Impulse Retailing listed Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Sweden and Portugal. The Record said more than 50 stores were identified in Belgium, while Newsweek listed affected Delhaize Proxy, Carrefour Shop & Go, Intermarché and Spar Q8 locations.

How did the supermarket refrigeration attack work?

The Record said attackers manipulated temperature controls. Stephan Moelans said Sabcobel found that affected units in Belgium had their evaporators switched to defrost mode, and The Record said an Estonian contractor reported access to an older Danfoss system.

Were the European refrigeration attacks linked to the French supermarket attack?

The Record said the November incidents followed a similar attack on hundreds of French supermarkets three weeks earlier. EasternEye said authorities had not established whether the two waves were connected.

Who carried out the supermarket refrigeration attacks?

The Record said no law enforcement or government agency had identified the perpetrators and that no group had claimed responsibility for either attack.

Were the affected supermarket refrigeration systems fixed?

Stephan Moelans said around 20 affected Belgian units needed physical modifications rather than only a software update. Musgrave said refrigeration issues at 13 SuperValu stores in Ireland had been fully resolved and all stores were operating normally.

Sources

  1. SuperValu stores hit by cyber attack now back to normal, MusgravePrimary
  2. Second wave of suspected cyberattacks hits supermarket freezers across Europe, The Record
  3. Map Shows Countries Hit by Supermarket Freezer Cyberattacks, Newsweek
  4. Europe: Cyberattack targets supermarket fridges and freezers, Convenience & Impulse Retailing
  5. European supermarkets hit by second wave of freezer cyberattacks after France incident, EasternEye
How we checked this story
ClaimSourceStatus
The Record said supermarket and grocery store refrigerators across Europe appear to have been hacked in the early hours of Monday.The RecordAttributed
The Record said the attacks manipulated temperature controls and caused stock to spoil.The RecordAttributed
The Record said more than 50 stores were identified as affected in Belgium, while over a dozen others were affected across several countries.The RecordAttributed
The Record said no law enforcement or government agency has identified the perpetrators.The RecordAttributed
Katrien Eggers said the Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium said it was aware of the incident but could not provide further information.Katrien Eggers, via The RecordAttributed
Katrien Eggers said the identity of those behind the attack may never be established.Katrien Eggers, via The RecordAttributed
The Record said the incident followed a similar cyberattack that hit hundreds of French supermarkets three weeks earlier.The RecordAttributed
The Paris prosecutor’s office reported around 700 victims in the October attack.Paris prosecutor’s office, via The RecordAttributed
The Record said no group claimed responsibility for either attack, and whether the same perpetrators carried them out is unknown.The RecordAttributed
The Record said retailers said their freezers had been remotely set to 50°C.The RecordAttributed
Stephan Moelans said sabcobel said around 20 affected refrigeration units were identified in Belgium and needed physical modifications rather than only a software update.Stephan Moelans, via The RecordAttributed
The Record said an Estonian contractor said attackers accessed an older Danfoss system, while Copeland equipment was also reported targeted in Belgium.The RecordAttributed
The Record said the European Union’s Cyber Resilience Act will impose stricter requirements on such products from December 2027.The RecordAttributed
Newsweek said refrigeration systems at 13 SuperValu stores in Ireland were hit, resulting in chilled and frozen products being removed.NewsweekAttributed
Newsweek said belgian incidents affected 40 Delhaize Proxy supermarkets, 15 Carrefour Shop & Go stores, 15 Intermarché shops and five Spar Q8 locations.NewsweekAttributed
Stephan Moelans said sabcobel said the affected units’ evaporators had been switched to defrost mode.Stephan Moelans, via NewsweekAttributed
Carrefour Belgium said the incident was a cyberattack and that its impact was very limited.Carrefour Belgium, via NewsweekAttributed
Coop said six of its Swedish stores were affected by similar incidents.Coop, via NewsweekAttributed
Christophe Hansen said the EU agriculture and food commissioner said the incidents were a deliberate attempt to disrupt Europe’s food supply chain.Christophe Hansen, via Convenience & Impulse RetailingAttributed
Convenience & Impulse Retailing said the attacks targeted refrigeration monitoring and control systems rather than retailers’ point-of-sale or inventory platforms.Convenience & Impulse RetailingAttributed
Convenience & Impulse Retailing said the latest incidents occurred on Monday 2 November and forced stores to discard spoiled or at-risk food.Convenience & Impulse RetailingAttributed
EasternEye said reports said authorities had not established whether the latest incidents were connected to the October French attack.EasternEyeAttributed
Musgrave said refrigeration issues at 13 SuperValu stores in Ireland had been fully resolved and all stores were operating normally.MusgraveConfirmed
Musgrave said the incident was limited to a specific refrigeration model and that chilled and frozen products were removed as a precaution.MusgraveConfirmed
rte.ie published its report on Nov 2, 2026.rte.ieConfirmed

Could not verify

  • Whether the latest incidents involved in-the-wild exploitation of a specific vulnerability is not established
  • Whether the latest incidents and the October French attack were carried out by the same perpetrators is not established
  • How many stores and how much food were affected across all countries is not established
  • Whether a specific manufacturer or refrigeration model links the incidents is not established
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