Hackers Disable Coop Refrigerators in Italy

Hackers disrupted refrigeration equipment at four Coop supermarkets in Italy—three in Catania and one in Palermo. They gained remote control of the refrigerators, switched them to defrost mode and, in some cases, heated the units to 50 degrees; some perishable food spoiled.

What happened to the equipment

Refrigeration and freezer units in the stores stopped working properly. The interference changed their operating mode: instead of cooling, the units defrosted and sometimes heated up. At temperatures of up to 50 degrees, the food inside was exposed to heat, which led to some perishable goods spoiling.

According to the description of the incident, the attackers gained remote access to the refrigerators. This means they did not need to be on the shop floor to interfere: they made changes through the equipment’s control system. The method used to gain access and the specific models of equipment affected have not been disclosed.

Where the disruptions were reported

The incidents affected four Coop stores: three in Catania and one in Palermo. Both cities are in Sicily. The spread of the incidents indicates disruptions at several retail locations, rather than a single refrigerator breaking down in one store.

The confirmed scope is limited to these four supermarkets. There is no information about other Coop stores or other retail chains in different parts of Italy being affected. There is therefore no basis for describing this as a nationwide outage.

Why remote access matters

Supermarket refrigeration equipment depends not only on compressors and power supply but also on control settings. If an outsider can change those settings, a properly functioning unit can switch to an unsuitable mode without any obvious mechanical failure.

For a store, such a disruption directly affects the storage of perishable food. Switching to defrost mode or heating a unit disrupts temperature conditions, and the consequences depend on what products were inside and how long the equipment operated incorrectly. In this case, some food is reported to have spoiled, but the amount has not been specified.

What is known about when the incident occurred

The exact date or period when the disruptions occurred in Catania and Palermo has not been given. It is also unclear how long the units remained in defrost or heating mode, or when employees discovered the problem.

The suspected method of intrusion, the organizations responsible for the investigation and the security measures taken afterward have not been specified. This information is important for determining whether only access to refrigerator controls was affected or whether the stores’ wider systems were compromised. For now, the confirmed scope is four Coop supermarkets in Sicily; no further information about the investigation has been provided.