European Solar Systems Exposed in Major Cyber Vulnerability

Critical renewable energy infrastructure exposed online across 35 European countries, with Poland facing at least 30 attacks in December 2025.

Researchers identified 8,547 solar park and wind farm systems exposed online across 35 European countries in a study using Modat's Magnify platform. Spain led with 2,766 solar systems (35% of total), followed by Greece (1,860), Italy (753), Germany (672), Hungary (514), and Turkey (454). The count excludes rooftop installations and likely undercounts systems only tied to specific sites. Poland experienced at least 30 attacks in December 2025, exploiting default credentials to disable critical infrastructure like remote terminal units and communications equipment. These incidents were attributed to a group linked to Russia's Federal Security Service.

The vulnerability stems from systems being exposed via internet-facing firewall devices with weak security protocols. This exposes critical renewable energy infrastructure to direct cyberattacks, risking grid stability and energy security for systems generating 54% of the EU's electricity in Q2 2026.

This friction threatens the reliability of renewable energy access. If attacks disrupt operations, it could increase costs or gate renewable energy for communities relying on these systems, particularly in countries with high exposure like Spain and Germany. The undercount and lack of specific project names mean the full scale of risk remains uncertain.

What to watch: Immediate EU security responses, whether Poland's attacks represent a pattern, and whether default credential vulnerabilities are patched before winter. The researchers note this is likely an undercount, so the actual exposure may be higher. The source does not name specific projects or operators, limiting actionable details for immediate mitigation.

Source: pv magazine