OngoingCyberattacks · Since 29 Dec 2025 · Last update 2 Nov 2026
Hackers hit supermarket fridges, alert apps and military freezers
Hackers keep going after the boring systems we all rely on: supermarket fridges, emergency-alert apps, even the power grid. Most attacks so far have caused spoiled food, scares and disruption rather than long outages, but the pattern is growing.
Timeline
- Suspected cyberattacks overnight on 1-2 November hit refrigeration systems at supermarket chains in several European countries, pushing some units to 50°C and forcing stores to throw food away. A first wave hit France in October; the UK's National Cyber Security Centre said those fridges were connected directly to the internet with default passwords. No group has been confirmed as responsible.
- On 1-2 November the Air Alert app in Ukraine and the Emergencies Ministry app in Russia sent false warnings of nuclear, radiation and chemical threats. Both governments confirmed the breaches and said there was no real radiation threat; Ukraine said it cleared the false alert within an hour, and Russia said its SMS, broadcast and siren systems were working normally. Who was responsible has not been independently verified.
- Refrigeration failures hit store freezers at US military bases in late August. Early reports cited 14 sites in 11 states; Reuters could document at least six. The Pentagon has acknowledged equipment problems but has not confirmed the cause, and investigators are looking at possible malicious interference in the control systems. It is not established that the incident is linked to the French and European supermarket attacks.
- Polish ministers said hackers targeted communications between renewable energy sites and grid operators across large parts of the country in the last days of December. The energy minister said Poland narrowly avoided a large-scale power outage, and the digital affairs minister said it came very close to a blackout. No outage occurred; attribution to Russian-linked actors was reported but officials differed on formal attribution.
Be ready: A cut-off or sabotaged supply chain is why official advice is to keep a few days of shelf-stable food, water and a charged power bank at home. Check any alert against official channels before acting on a screenshot.
We summarise public reporting for general information and link to the original sources. In an emergency, follow guidance from the emergency services and your local authority.