Supermarket freezers across Europe hit by second suspected cyber-attack(theguardian.com)
398 points by fergie 1 day ago | 443 comments
tl;dr: Supermarkets across at least seven European countries (Belgium, Estonia, Ireland, Finland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Sweden) had refrigeration systems remotely hijacked overnight, with attackers cranking freezer temperatures up to 50°C and spoiling stock at chains including Coop, ICA, Ahold Delhaize, Carrefour, Ikea, and SuperValu. The attack mirrors a similar incident last month in France that hit ~700 stores via vulnerable Danfoss controllers, causing tens of millions in losses. With no ransom demands, analysts suspect sabotage targeting internet-exposed, unpatched operational technology controllers that remain widely reachable.
HN Discussion:
  • ~Technical defense explaining why freezer controllers are more complex than a simple knob
  • ↑Sarcastic appreciation that this attack serves as a wake-up call for securing critical infrastructure
  • •Speculation about the specific attack vector involving 4G-connected rural stores and exposed ICS systems
  • ↑Blame on store operators for ignoring vendor warnings to disconnect after the French attack
  • ↑Argument that OT devices shouldn't be internet-connected or should be read-only if they must be