Hackers have hijacked internet-exposed refrigeration controllers used in supermarkets and cold storage facilities, according to SecurityScorecard. The company reports that the devices are being turned into infrastructure for a suspected spam botnet and proxy services.
The report follows a string of attacks against European refrigeration systems. Help Net Security began covering those attacks in October. In that period, hundreds of French supermarkets had to throw out spoiled stock after attackers took over the systems running their fridges and freezers overnight and switched them to heating.