European supermarkets are dealing with a fresh round of suspected cyberattacks on their refrigeration systems, with intruders remotely raising freezer temperatures and spoiling food across several countries. The method matches an earlier incident wave: rather than stealing data or locking systems for ransom, the attackers manipulate cold-chain controls so that stock becomes unsellable.

This is the second such campaign in roughly a month, according to reporting from TechCrunch and TechRadar, and it has disrupted supplies as grocers throw away compromised goods. TechRadar reported that in some cases temperatures were pushed as high as 50C, leaving stores no option but to bin entire freezer sections.

The repeat attacks suggest the first wave was not a one-off, and they highlight how exposed networked building systems — refrigeration included — have become. Unlike conventional ransomware, sabotage of physical infrastructure converts a security lapse directly into destroyed inventory, hitting retailers' margins and local food availability at the same time. Investigators have not yet publicly named a perpetrator, and it is unclear whether the campaign is financially motivated or intended purely to disrupt.