Hackers reprogrammed French blood-bank freezers to 110°C as Europe-wide freezer attacks spread
Attackers got in through refrigeration contractor Coolworld and pushed storage set at -30°C up to 110°C; a technician spotted the overnight spike and stock was saved. AFP counts at least 11 European countries hit by freezer attacks.
Why it matters
Remote tampering with freezers was first reported in supermarkets, but the attack on France's national blood agency, the Etablissement Français du Sang, shows the same weakness reaching medical cold chains. The intruders came in through a maintenance contractor rather than the agency itself, a common route into connected building and refrigeration systems. Only a technician's quick reaction to an overnight temperature spike prevented the loss of plasma and blood samples. Watch for a named culprit, the number of facilities affected and any EU guidance on connected cold-storage equipment.
Key facts
- Target: Etablissement Français du Sang (EFS)
- Entry point: refrigeration contractor Coolworld
- Incident reported 1 to 2 November
- Freezers normally at -30°C were set to 110°C
- A technician spotted the spike; stock was saved
- AFP: at least 11 European countries hit by freezer attacks