Cyberattacks target refrigeration systems across Europe and Romania

A wave of cyberattacks is targeting the remote administration systems of commercial refrigeration units across Europe. The National Cyber Security Directorate (DNSC) has reported incidents in Belgium, Sweden, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Ireland, and Estonia, following a similar incident in France in mid-October 2026.

In Romania, six stores belonging to the same commercial chain experienced abnormal temperature increases in refrigeration equipment. The attacks specifically targeted controllers used to manage cooling systems rather than main IT networks. In some instances, attackers reportedly modified freezer temperatures to as high as 70 degrees Celsius by unauthorizedly activating defrost cycles.

The vulnerabilities affect several equipment families, including Danfoss AK-SC and AK-SM 800, as well as Copeland XWEB and Dixell XWEB systems. Many of these devices utilize outdated software or lack recent security updates. The DNSC noted that the targeted controllers were connected to the internet via GSM routers with fixed IPs, facilitating the unauthorized access.