Hackers Hijack Campus Washing Machines, Making Laundry Free

Hackers hijacked five smart washing machines at Amsterdam’s Spinozacampus, making the washings free.

More than 1,200 students living at the University of Amsterdam’s Spinozacampus have been unable to do their laundry since July after hackers broke into the digital payment system of five smart washing machines, as first reported by Folia.

The attackers modified the built-in payment system and allowed students to wash their clothes for free. The housing provider DUWO disabled the laundry room access because they could no longer afford to maintain the costs.

“Because we purchase the machines ourselves, we need the income to be able to continue offering laundry services to our residents at affordable prices,” a spokesperson for Duwo said to The Register.

The 1,250 campus residents now rely on ten outdated analog washing machines, as the hacked laundry facilities at Spinozacampus remain closed. However, students now face long delays as the older machines are often overloaded, with students reporting that sometimes only one works.

While most residents say the summer heat has been a bigger issue than the laundry, the incident highlights a growing cybersecurity risk.

Hacking expert Sijmen Ruwhof explained: “Smart devices, such as some speakers, washing machines or televisions, are connected to a network. Using a programme on your laptop, you can take control of a washing machine,” as reported by Folia

Ruwhof warned that hacked devices can be used for more than free laundry. “If thousands of those hacked internet connections simultaneously go to a large website such as NOS, that website will be down in no time,” reported Folia.

He also noted that finding the culprit is difficult and suspects a professional rather than curious students. Dutch law allows prison sentences of up to six years for such hacks. DUWO has now decided to switch back to analog machines, expected in mid-September.