Critical Check your exposure
Hundreds of freezers reportedly forced to defrost, spoiling food
Waterfall Security blogfood, refrigeration
What happened. Hundreds of freezers in France, elsewhere in Europe and possibly US military commissaries were ordered into defrost cycles while full, spoiling millions of dollars of food. Details are scarce; the most plausible theory is hacktivists reaching exposed, unsupported management systems.
Who is affected. Operators of freezer management systems in France and other parts of Europe, and possibly US military commissaries. The source names no vendors.
What to do. Check which of your management and control systems are reachable from the internet and remove them from public exposure.
Editor's reading
Forasset ownerOT security leadleadership
- Purdue level
- L5
- L2
Why: Freezer management systems are supervisory systems (L2) that were reportedly reachable directly from the internet (L5).
- Are you exposed?
Search internet-scan services such as Shodan for your public addresses and list any management interfaces that respond.
- If you cannot fix it yet
- Place management systems behind a firewall and require multi-factor authentication on any remote-access path, including accounts used by outside management companies.
- Isolate or replace obsolete, unsupported management systems that cannot be patched.
- Watch for
- Logins to freezer or refrigeration management systems from unknown internet addresses.
- Defrost commands that do not match the normal schedule or operator activity.
- ATT&CK for ICS
- T0866Exploitation of Remote ServicesT0886Remote Services
Inferred from the facts above, not stated by the source. Check it against your own site before acting.
Source: Waterfall Security blog (opens waterfall-security.com)
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