Cyberattack on Supermarket Fridges Causes Food Waste Across Europe

• •Hackers altered fridge temperatures in supermarkets across Europe, causing significant food waste.
• •The NCSC warns this incident signals a rise in cyber threats exploiting outdated technology.
• •Retailers are advised to improve cybersecurity for connected devices to prevent future attacks.

On November 1, 2026, hackers targeted supermarket fridges in multiple European countries, including Belgium, Sweden, and France, remotely altering temperature settings. This led to the disposal of tens of thousands of euros worth of food as retailers sought to prevent public health risks. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) in the UK confirmed that similar attacks affected UK stores, with reports of vulnerabilities in older technology being exploited. Richard Horne, head of the NCSC, warned that this incident is just the beginning of more frequent disruptions as cyber threats evolve. The attacks primarily exploited known vulnerabilities in specific fridge models, highlighting the risks associated with connected devices in retail environments. Retailers are urged to enhance their cybersecurity measures to protect against such incidents. No specific CVEs or tools were mentioned in the articles, and the full scope of the attacks is still being assessed.