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Fridge hack costing millions and sparking fires stemmed from poor security
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- DeepHorus
A mass cyberattack on refrigeration systems at roughly 700 French supermarkets this week forced store-wide fleets of fridges and freezers to malfunction. Attackers compromised internet-connected controllers used by technicians for remote administration, authorities said. They then activated defrosters until temperatures reached as high as 50° Celsius (122° Fahrenheit). The result was spoiled perishables and, in some cases, electrical fires.
The incident highlights how insecure industrial devices can disrupt critical infrastructure. The hacked controllers were made by Danfoss of Denmark and by Dixell and its parent company Copeland in the United States. Multiple security advisories and public research reports show all three models contained critical vulnerabilities. These flaws let attackers remotely log in with administrator-level rights.
Danfoss controllers, for example, until recently used a credential that changes daily. The password is generated by publicly available firmware based on the date. A hacker who analyzes that code can replicate the credential on unpatched devices. Daily passwords are identical across models in hundreds or thousands of stores.
Copeland and Dixell controllers had a raft of critical vulnerabilities fixed only in the past few months. Those flaws also provided similar remote access. Unknown attackers exploited these weaknesses to manipulate defrost cycles across many locations. Basic cybersecurity practices would have prevented the mass compromise, experts said.
The attackâs scaleâabout 700 supermarketsâshows the risk of internet-connected cooling systems without strong authentication. Spoilage and fires also raise safety concerns beyond commercial loss. French authorities are investigating, but no attacker has been identified.
Retailers now face pressure to audit remote controllers, segment networks, and apply patches quickly. Manufacturers may need to replace default or predictable credentials with secure unique keys. Until then, similar attacks on food supply and building systems remain possible.
