Featured image: The image shows a supermarket aisle. AI-generated image; not a photograph of the reported event.
A widespread cyberattack has affected hundreds of French supermarkets, causing refrigeration units to heat up and spoil food worth millions of euros. Source: bbc.co.uk.
What Happened
Overnight, fridges and freezers in dozens of major supermarkets across France were compromised.
Systems controlling temperature settings were taken over by hackers, forcing units to heat up to as high as 50C (120F).
At Intermarché and its Netto brand, 180 stores were affected. More than 100 Coopérative U stores were targeted, with another 100 urgently disconnected from the internet to prevent further damage.
Carrefour reported 80 of its 6,000 stores were impacted. Monoprix said 5% of its 400-plus stores were affected, leading to the removal of unsalable food.
Key Facts
- At least 400 stores across France were affected out of approximately 15,000 total supermarkets.
- Intermarché confirmed fridges heated to 50C for six hours overnight.
- Food was discarded to avoid health risks, with some stores reporting small fires due to overheated units.
- French prosecutors have launched a formal investigation into the incident.
How the Attack Worked
The breach targeted software provided by Danish engineering firm Danfoss, which allows retailers to remotely manage cold storage units.
Normally, fridges undergo a brief defrost cycle overnight, where temperatures rise slightly. In this case, hackers instructed the units to remain at high temperatures instead.
Danfoss stated that the affected units were older models with outdated security software. The company said it had long advised businesses to keep supported systems updated.
It did not confirm how high temperatures reached during the attack, but the incident shows a vulnerability in legacy industrial software.
Why It Matters
Reliable refrigeration is essential for food safety and supply chain integrity.
When fridges fail, fresh and frozen food degrade, posing health risks and causing financial losses.
French Food Commissioner Christophe Hansen condemned the hack in a post on X and added: “Food security requires more attention at all levels. Because the weaponisation of food has become a reality.”
Coopérative U’s CEO, Dominique Schelcher, said the attack was ‘unacceptable’ and called for a full investigation.
What to Watch Next
French authorities will likely assess whether the attack was state-sponsored or the result of a broader threat to critical infrastructure.
Regulators may review software update policies for industrial equipment used in food retail.
Industry leaders may push for mandatory security standards in cold storage systems.
Source: BBC News
Original report
