Fridge Hacks Hit Blood Labs and Grocery Chains
Original: The Fridge-Hacking Spree Is an Internet-of-Things Wake-Up Call
Why This Matters
Unpatched IoT devices in critical cold-chain infrastructure pose real public health risks.
Internet-connected refrigerators were hacked across Europe and US military bases, temporarily raising blood storage temperatures at three French blood sites and spoiling food at supermarkets in 11 countries, exposing basic IoT security failures.
Three French blood and plasma storage sites were hit on November 2 when attackers remotely spiked cold room temperatures. The Établissement Français du Sang confirmed the incident but said staff detected it fast enough to prevent blood sample damage. The attack came amid a broader wave: supermarket refrigerators across 11 European countries were similarly compromised, with photos showing massive food waste across the continent. French stores suffered comparable attacks in October. In August, six US military commissaries on American bases experienced the same thing — the Pentagon is now investigating in coordination with French law enforcement, per Reuters.
Many of the attacks trace back to unpatched temperature controllers made by Danish firm Danfoss, some allegedly protected by weak passwords derived from dates. Danfoss says affected systems ran outdated firmware and has urged customers to update. The company did not respond to WIRED's comment request.
Who is behind all this — and whether these attacks are coordinated or separate actors — remains unknown. Critical infrastructure researcher Josh Corman put it plainly: 'Our dependence on connected technology is growing faster than our collective will to protect it.' The US CISA issued an alert Thursday addressing the incidents.