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By Faye James
US news reporter
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A cyberattack targeted Coolworld, a contractor that maintains storage equipment used by France’s national blood service, the Établissement français du sang (EFS). French weekly Le Canard Enchaîné said the attack took place overnight from November 1 to 2 and changed refrigeration settings at facilities, including sites in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. The units were normally set at about minus 30 degrees Celsius; the attackers changed the setting to 110 degrees.
Anadolu Agency said an EFS technician detected rising temperatures overnight, and that the Health Ministry said the incident caused no operational consequences. The products included blood samples used for transfusion monitoring and frozen plasma intended for transfusions.
Newsweek has reached out to EFS, the Health Ministry, Coolworld and cybersecurity officials for comment via email outside office hours.
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Supermarket Refrigeration Attacks Hit Europe
The blood-storage incident followed a wave of refrigeration problems at European supermarkets on November 2. Incidents have occurred in at least six countries: Sweden, Belgium, Luxembourg, Ireland, Italy and Estonia. Fridges and freezers warmed after remote access to their controls was compromised, prompting some businesses to remove or discard food.
The effects varied by location. A Swedish supermarket said its refrigeration units had been set to 50 degrees Celsius. In Athens, a butcher-shop owner told local television that a refrigeration unit had been set to 150 degrees; a technician took about two hours to regain control, and the owner said the meat was not affected. At the shop, staff disconnected the units’ Wi-Fi to limit outside access.
The European incidents came weeks after a larger attack in France. Hackers remotely altered refrigeration controls at hundreds of supermarkets and independent stores, causing temperatures to rise and food losses. France’s finance minister said about 700 of the country’s 10,000 supermarkets were affected. The investigation focused in part on older refrigeration systems and software that had not received security updates.
Connected refrigeration systems let retailers monitor temperatures across stores, receive alerts and arrange remote repairs. But the connection also means that refrigeration controllers can be exposed to the same cybersecurity risks as other internet-connected equipment.
Experts said the cyberattacks were a reminder of the risks that come as more things get connected to the internet. "This attack is a wake-up call. We have filled our homes and shops with devices that are really small computers, yet we still treat them like ordinary appliances," said Katerina Mitrokotsa, a cybersecurity professor at the University of St. Gallen, in Switzerland.
"A fridge doesn’t look like a security risk, and that’s exactly why attackers like it."
ANSSI Says Attacks May Still Be Underway
France’s cybersecurity agency, ANSSI, told Newsweek it was supporting potential victims and investigating incidents that began in mid-October. The agency’s official security alert lists Danfoss AK-SM and AK-SC, Copeland xweb and Dixell xweb remote controllers among the systems compromised. It says its alert, first published October 12, is being updated.
"Regarding the cyberattack against refrigeration systems that took place in several European countries, ANSSI is committed to supporting potential victims in France. Since the mid-October incidents, ANSSI is conducting investigations and ensuring the coordinated implementation of preventive and remediation measures, alongside every industry which might be impacted by this incident," a spokesperson told Newsweek.
"At this stage, ANSSI is aware of the compromise of refrigeration system remote controllers: Danfoss AK-SM and AK-SC Series, Copeland xweb and Dixell xweb. The Agency is also mobilized at the European level and is maintaining regular dialogue with its counterparts."
Investigators Have Not Identified the Attackers
Authorities have not publicly identified who carried out the supermarket attacks or established a motive. No group had claimed responsibility for the November incidents and it has not been determined whether those attacks were connected to the earlier French incident.
The similar focus on refrigeration systems does not establish that the blood-storage and supermarket attacks are linked. The public accounts do not identify the attacker in the Coolworld incident or establish that it used the same method as the supermarket intrusions. The possible consequences also differ: the supermarket attacks spoiled food, while the EFS incident involved equipment used to store blood samples and plasma.
Europe’s Emergency-Preparedness Guidance
The European Commission announced new public-preparedness guidelines on November 3. They include advice on helping people meet essential needs during the first 72 hours of an emergency, including through emergency supplies and grab bags. The guidance is part of the EU’s broader preparedness strategy, which addresses multiple types of crises. The commission did not identify the recent refrigeration attacks as the reason for issuing the guidelines.
Contact Newsweek editors for this story: Robert Greenall and Ben Kelly
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