U.S. Military Base Freezer Malfunctions Treated As Suspected Cyber Attacks

[Irag8er]

The Pentagon is treating the spate of mysterious freezer malfunctions that spoiled food at military bases across the United States in August as a suspected hack, according to four officials familiar with the matter.

https://english.alarabiya.net/News/united-states/2026/10/29/pentagon-treating-military-base-freezer-malfunctions-as-suspected-cyberattack-officials-

 

[DEFCON Warning System]

You can hack freezers now? I think we are getting far too dependent on "smart" things.

 

[Sentry]

Seems like the sort of thing that you shouldn't plug into the internet.

 

[Sentry]

I just realised I own a "smart" fridge & washing machine".

 

[Librarylady]

You can hack freezers now? I think we are getting far too dependent on "smart" things.

That's what happened to supermarket chains in Europe a few weeks back. You'd think the Pentagon would have taken note ....

 

[Publius]

The internet of things, refrigeration, lights, environment systems, security, watering smoke detectors all can potentially be connected to the internet.
All of these things are at risk of being hacked remotely by unauthorized third parties.

 

[Dr Arthur]

The internet of things, refrigeration, lights, environment systems, security, watering smoke detectors all can potentially be connected to the internet.
All of these things are at risk of being hacked remotely by unauthorized third parties.

Yes but I always wonder why you would need an internet connected fridge, washing machine or drier. Sure there are places where an internet connection is a useful addition to a household device such as a smart TV but others just leave me scratching my head in wonder with mild amusement.

 

[Dr Arthur]

I just realised I own a "smart" fridge & washing machine".

My washer is a 20+ year old Fisher and Paykel Aquasmart with an LCD screen. Last year did a rebuild where I replaced the pump and tub shock absorbers. Has a stainless steel tub with bearings I also greased with a teflon grease. Works like new and no internet needed. Just turn it on and it works with nothing to hack. Similar story with my drier.

 

[Publius]

Yes but I always wonder why you would need an internet connected fridge, washing machine or drier. Sure there are places where an internet connection is a useful addition to a household device such as a smart TV but others just leave me scratching my head in wonder with mild amusement.

Well me too. Why would anyone have a Alexa? I have a faraday bag for my phone and tablet and use them from time to time.

 

[DEFCON Warning System]

I have a faraday bag for my phone and tablet and use them from time to time.

If it comes to the point where you need to use a faraday bag, the infrastructure to use those devices might not be there anyway.

 

[william]

Well me too. Why would anyone have a Alexa? I have a faraday bag for my phone and tablet and use them from time to time.

I have Alexa and Google. It's fun to let them debate each other.

 

[Publius]

If it comes to the point where you need to use a faraday bag, the infrastructure to use those devices might not be there anyway.

You know what bothers me the most about cell phones and mobile devises using geofencing to track individuals. Granted it’s a small number that this actually gets used against them. It just angers me to know I could potentially be tracked anywhere. And thanks to stingray devices law enforcement is reluctant to communicate sensitive or controversial information with a cell phone.
It’s just a pet peeve of mine.

 

[william]

The scale of coordination of this attack is absolutely insane. From Stockholm to Palermo, whoever is behind this has shown they want to target Europe as a whole: at 21:00, 13 European countries have signaled possible cyberattacks today:

https://twitter.com/x/status/2117358875116699998

• Verified incident: The post accurately describes a November 2, 2026 wave of cyberattacks on supermarket refrigeration systems, raising temperatures to ~50°C in stores across Belgium, Sweden, Ireland, Luxembourg, Estonia, Finland, Netherlands, and others—mirroring a large-scale French attack three weeks earlier and forcing disposal of spoiled food worth hundreds of thousands of euros.
• Technical vulnerability: Hackers exploited internet-exposed remote management interfaces on refrigeration units (often outdated Danfoss systems), switching evaporators to defrost mode; this low-effort IoT attack disrupts food supply chains without claiming responsibility so far.
• Post framing: @TheEuropeansHQ highlights the coordinated multi-country scale (listing 13 nations with alerts) as evidence of a targeted assault on Europe, referencing NATO Article 5 and EU mutual assistance possibilities to underscore hybrid threats and the need for unified respon. Grok

13 European countries have signaled possible cyberattacks today: - Bing

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