Fridge Hack in France Causes Spoilage and Fires Due to Poor Security

A mass hack of refrigeration systems at approximately 700 supermarkets in France has caused widespread spoilage and, in some cases, fires. The hack targeted Internet-connected controllers that allow technicians to remotely administer store-wide systems. The attackers compromised these controllers, activating defrosters and causing refrigerators to reach temperatures as high as 50° Celsius (122° Fahrenheit). The compromised systems were made up of entire fleets of refrigerators and freezers throughout a store. The hack could have been prevented with basic cybersecurity measures. Multiple security advisories and public research reports have identified critical vulnerabilities in the controller models used in the incident. These vulnerabilities allow attackers to remotely log in to the devices with administrator rights. The affected controllers, sold by Danfoss and Dixell, contained a daily password that was generated by publicly available firmware based on the date. This password was identical across models located in hundreds or thousands of stores, making it vulnerable to hacking.