French Supermarkets Hit by Cyberattack, Refrigeration Systems Overheated

Major French supermarket chains confirmed on Monday they were hit by a cyberattack that caused their refrigerators to shoot up in temperature in hundreds of stores, forcing spoiled food to be thrown away and raising concerns about food security.

Top retailers E. Leclerc, Intermarche, and Cooperative U confirmed they suffered the cyberattack, which Cooperative U’s chief executive described as unprecedented. EU’s food and agriculture commissioner Christophe Hansen condemned the attack, stating food security requires more attention at all levels and that exploitation of food was now a reality. At least 300 shops of Intermarche or its Netto brand were targeted, along with over 100 Cooperative U outlets, and several E. Leclerc stores.

Paris prosecutors confirmed the attack and indicated it had sparked fires. BFM TV reported hackers managed to remotely trigger the forced defrosting of the refrigeration systems in numerous stores. Intermarche stated affected branches will have to throw away all of the products that are fresh and frozen. A source close to the issue said refrigeration control systems from Danish manufacturer Danfoss were targeted.

Danfoss stated most affected equipment was legacy products that no longer receive software or security updates, noting its AK-SM800 and AK-SC355 fridge regulator systems were affected, with a version of the former using outdated firmware. Danfoss had long advised supermarkets to update from those models. Hackers remotely altered fridge temperatures overnight, raising them as high as 50 degrees Celsius (122F).

The attack compromised cold-chain control software across nationwide locations, leading to vast quantities of spoiled produce, meat, dairy, and frozen goods. The Paris prosecutor’s office opened an investigation, and French authorities are coordinating with European counterparts amid reports of possible impacts in Spain, Portugal, Poland, Germany, and Belgium.