Hackers raised freezer temperature at Estonian supermarket chain to +50°C

A cyberattack targeted a Selver supermarket in Estonia by accessing a computer that controlled refrigeration equipment and setting a freezer temperature to 50°C. The incident occurred at one store, where the temperature actually rose only about two to three degrees before staff restored normal settings within 10-15 minutes. The response took roughly ten minutes, preventing product losses. Selver said it had prepared for threats after similar attacks elsewhere and had upgraded refrigeration controls and software across its stores; the affected location was the last still using the old system. The attackers’ method of gaining access remained unknown.

The incident was part of a wider wave of disruptions affecting food retailers in Sweden, Belgium and Luxembourg. Some Swedish stores reported overheated freezers and discarded food, while chains in Belgium and Luxembourg investigated temperature changes. The attacks appear to exploit weaknesses in older refrigeration controllers, which are often network-connected and may not be updated. A refrigeration technology company said attackers were targeting systems with specific security gaps and linked the pattern to earlier interference with supermarket refrigeration in France and the Netherlands, including attacks that triggered defrost cycles. The cross-border incidents underline how digital systems managing essential store equipment can create operational and food-safety risks when older technology remains exposed.