Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski told TVN24 that 140 industrial fridges vulnerable to cyberattacks have been identified in Poland. He called on businesses to take the at-risk devices out of use.
Gawkowski referred to a wave of attacks on refrigeration equipment in Europe. According to the minister, vulnerabilities have been detected across Europe at refrigerator manufacturers that allow devices to be switched off, attacked and their temperature changed.
The minister noted that the at-risk devices are used not only to store food. Expensive preparations or blood may also be kept in them. „We have identified 140 such fridges in Poland” he said.
Where the figure of 140 comes from
The figure was determined by CERT Polska. On Tuesday, 4 November, the director of NASK-PIB, Radosław Nielek, reported that after an incident in France, the Polish network had been scanned for fridges accessible from the internet. The head of CERT Polska, Marcin Dudek, said 140 devices visible on the network had been detected, which could facilitate an attack, and their owners had received recommendations.
Dudek explained that the number refers to devices, not locations. Several fridges could stand in one store and belong to one supplier. According to him, CERT contacted each of the entities, among which were also well-known retail chains. Around 70 companies disconnected the equipment from the network following the intervention.
Attack in Poland
CERT Polska confirmed that an attack on refrigeration devices took place in Poland. According to the head of the team, two devices were attacked — in a small grocery store and at a food distributor — without material losses. Auchan Polska reported irregularities in the operation of control systems for refrigeration devices.
Dudek assessed that these are not sophisticated attacks. Attackers mass-scan the network, look for such devices and test simple passwords and vulnerabilities known for years. In his view, such devices should not be exposed directly to the internet, and remote access must be provided securely. He added that fridges are the least dangerous of the devices accessible from the network — attacks on the energy sector or water utilities are more serious.
Scale in Europe
According to Gawkowski, in October an attack in France affected approx. 700 supermarkets. Hackers took control of refrigerators and freezers and changed temperature settings, which led to food spoiling. On the analysis by Forescout, according to which Poland is fifth in the world in terms of exposed refrigeration interfaces, we reported earlier.
The Main Sanitary Inspectorate (GIS) is analysing the scale of the threat and preparing measures aimed at reducing the risk of food stored in improper conditions reaching sale.
