Hackers raise Estonian supermarket fridge setting to 50 degrees

A cyberattack on a major Estonian grocery chain changed a refrigerated display case setting to 50 degrees Celsius, ERR reported. The attackers accessed a computer used to control the store’s refrigeration system remotely.

Jann Mutso, head of refrigeration systems manufacturer and distributor Kitman Coldtech, said the affected store was part of a large chain. He declined to identify it. The attack happened on Monday morning, and other companies in Estonia had also been targeted, he said, though the scale was not yet clear.

The attackers accessed a computer controlling an older Danfoss refrigeration system. Mutso said the method resembled attacks in France and the Netherlands in October, when supermarket refrigeration systems were also interfered with and their temperature settings changed.

The incident was addressed within 10 minutes, and no damage was reported. Mutso said disrupting digital refrigeration systems could affect food safety and cause significant losses. He added that attackers were targeting older controllers that had not been updated, even as grocery chains worked to improve their systems.

Kitman Coldtech lists Selver, Rimi, Coop and Lidl among its clients.