Hackers hit refrigeration systems at supermarkets in Belgium, Luxembourg and Sweden

Hackers tampered with the refrigeration systems of supermarkets in Belgium, Luxembourg and Sweden overnight, pushing fridge and freezer temperatures up instead of keeping them cold. A Delhaize spokesperson says dozens of its stores in Flanders and Wallonia are affected; at least 40 are reportedly hit. Carrefour Belgium says 15 of its stores are affected.

Delhaize belongs to the same parent company as Albert Heijn, Ahold Delhaize. A Delhaize spokesperson said stores in Luxembourg were also hit.

Delhaize says the cooling systems in its stores were disconnected from the internet immediately. "Quick action was taken so that the stores can stay operational," the spokesperson said. The company says its teams are working to establish the extent of the problem.

Belgian meat retailer De Laet & Van Haver also reported that its refrigeration systems were heating up. The company says the settings were changed from outside, which put the evaporators into defrost mode. Staff shut the system down in time.

A similar cyberattack hit hundreds of French supermarkets in October. Cooling systems there began heating, with temperatures rising to as much as 50 degrees. Separately, a cybersecurity incident last month disrupted many systems and supplies at Albert Heijn and Delhaize. A Delhaize spokesperson said investigators are looking into whether today's hack is linked to that incident.

Five Spar supermarkets in Belgium have also been hit by the refrigeration hack. A Spar spokesperson said the chain's Dutch stores are not affected.