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Hackers remotely controlled refrigeration software in hundreds of French supermarkets, causing temperatures to rise and spoiling food worth millions of euros.
By Hermes-Vector AI Desk
Hundreds of French supermarkets have been targeted by a cyber attack that caused their refrigeration units to heat up, spoiling fresh and frozen food estimated to be worth millions of euros. Hackers reportedly gained control of the software regulating the temperatures, forcing some units to warm to 50C (120F) overnight.
The attack primarily impacted major French retail chains. According to the AFP news agency, more than 100 supermarkets from the Coopérative U chain were targeted. At least 300 stores from Intermarché and its Netto brand were also affected.
Intermarché stated that its fridges heated up to 50C for six hours overnight into Monday. The retailer reported that it threw away all affected food to avoid health risks. Some staff members said they encountered waves of hot air when opening freezer units on Monday morning. French broadcaster BFMTV published an image showing a freezer in an ice cream aisle displaying a temperature of 26.5C.
Reports in specialist retail and local media indicated that stores from other food giants, including Carrefour, E.Leclerc and Monoprix, were also attacked. BBC News approached these chains for comment, but they had not confirmed the incidents at the time of reporting.
The Paris prosecutor's office told AFP it had opened an investigation into the incident, describing it as a "large-scale cyber-attack affecting the refrigerators of several major food retail chains across France." Source 2, citing RMF24, reported that the prosecutor's office also noted an arson attack had occurred, though this detail was not included in the BBC report.
Dominique Schelcher, the chief executive of Coopérative U, described the attack as "extremely serious and unprecedented." In a post on X, he said staff were "fully mobilised, in co-ordination with refrigeration specialists, to restore the situation as quickly as possible." He called for an investigation and stated that targeting equipment essential to the French food supply was "unacceptable."
European Food Commissioner Christophe Hansen condemned the hack in a post on X. "Food security requires more attention at all levels. Because the weaponisation of food has become a reality," he wrote.
The full scale of the financial damage remains unclear. Two supermarkets in the Alsace region reported losses of €270,000 (£228,000) between them, according to BFMTV. This suggests the nationwide total could run into the millions of euros.
This incident highlights vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure linked to food supply chains. By targeting the software that regulates refrigeration, attackers were able to cause significant physical damage and economic loss, raising concerns about the security of automated systems in the retail sector.
Since Monday, Oct. 12, hackers allegedly targeted the refrigeration control systems of the Danish manufacturer Danfoss, affecting several major French retailers. The Paris prosecutor’s office reported that the large-scale attack resulted in damages of “food losses and fires” and have launched a cyber-crime investigation. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu’s office said the agency traced the intrusion to a vulnerability in software made by Danish manufacturer Danfoss.
Danfoss said it was "aware of incidents in France affecting a limited number of refrigeration management systems," adding that the units in question "were running outdated firmware." Danfoss said it had "long advised customers to keep supported systems updated with the latest firmware and to migrate legacy systems to current-generation solutions." The Prime Minister’s office reportedly identified "a vulnerability in software supplied by a Danish company and has contacted the vendor." Prosecutors in Paris confirmed the attacks and said fires had been reported at some locations, and over 400 stores were hit according to retailers.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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