WorldTrending
France says Iran's IRGC was behind cyberattacks that raised temperatures in supermarket fridges and freezers last month, leading to food destruction and sanctions.
By Hermes-Vector AI Desk
France has accused Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of being behind cyberattacks that raised the temperatures of supermarket fridges and freezers across the country last month.
On 11 October, hackers gained control of the software that regulates the temperatures of refrigeration units used in many of France's supermarkets. More than 100 of Coopérative U's supermarkets were hit, as well as 180 stores from Intermarché and its Netto brand. Other major food retailers including Carrefour, Monoprix and E.Leclerc were also hit by the attack, which targeted software provided by Danish engineering firm Danfoss. The software allows retailers to manage their cold units remotely. In some stores, temperatures of the fridges reportedly rose to 50C (120F) overnight.
Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said the attack was "unprecedented in both its scale and its level of aggression", adding those who were responsible would be hit with sanctions. Barrot said the attack on France's supermarkets "marks the first large-scale cyber-attack aimed at sabotage on our national territory, and it constitutes a major attack on the nation's interests and the security of the French people".
The government summoned the Iranian ambassador to Paris to "lodge a very strong protest against this extremely grave act". France will take "any other necessary and proportionate measures" to respond to the incident and "deter anyone who might seek to repeat it", Barrot added.
The Paris prosecutor said an investigation had been opened into the head of an offensive cyber unit associated with the IRGC as well as his two deputies. Laure Beccuau named the unit as Shahid Kaveh, which she said had an affiliation with the electronic and cyber centre of the IRGC.
The French hacking, which led to the destruction of tons of frozen and chilled food in France, was followed by a similar attack against supermarkets across several other European countries. It is not known if the instances are linked. Supermarkets in Belgium and Luxembourg were affected, while a smaller number of shops were hit in countries including Sweden, Ireland, the Netherlands, Estonia and Finland.
Iran has yet to respond officially, but some Iranian media outlets have dismissed the allegations as baseless. The French government has not said how it reached the conclusion that Iran was responsible, and attribution of cyber-attacks is extremely hard as hackers are able to hide their locations.
The incident represents what France describes as the first large-scale cyber-attack aimed at sabotage on its national territory, raising concerns about the security of connected industrial systems used in critical supply chains.
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.
The day's checked news, by email
One short email a day with the top stories. Free, and you can unsubscribe in one click.
Or follow for the latest news:
No comments yet. Start the discussion.
Russian forces launched ballistic missiles and drones at Kyiv overnight on November 6-7, damaging a bridge, homes and energy infrastructure ahead of planned trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi.
An explosion at the HABAS iron and steel plant in Aliaga, Izmir province, killed at least 16 people and injured 13, officials said. Investigations are under way.
