Russian hacktivists claim freezer attacks on European supermarkets, but attribution remains unproven
Investigators have not confirmed who is responsible, and the groups' claims have been met with scepticism.
Two Russian hacktivist groups, Noname057(16) and Z-Pentest Alliance, claimed on Telegram that they carried out the waves of freezer hacks against European supermarkets, but those posts and channels have since been deleted and the claims are met with scepticism. Three cyber-security firms running decoy honeypots report that the second wave looked planned and coordinated, with one firm, Lupovis, seeing its honeypots probed only in Europe and none in Africa, South America or Ukraine. Sequoia says the activity fits Russian hacktivists or the Russian government but also points to Iranian-aligned actors, who have previously targeted the same kind of equipment in Israel and the US. Danfoss controllers were compromised at about 40 Israeli supermarkets in 2022, while the controller models involved in freezer defrost incidents at US military bases remain unconfirmed. No formal attribution has been made and investigations are ongoing.
Why it matters
Supermarket refrigeration is a physical target, so attacks on it can spoil stock and disrupt store operations. Security researchers see a coordinated second wave aimed at European systems, which suggests the activity was planned rather than opportunistic. Because the claims are unconfirmed and the evidence also points toward Iranian-aligned actors, retailers and the public cannot yet be sure who is behind the attacks or how far they will spread. Until a formal attribution is made, the picture remains open.
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