Hundreds of supermarkets across France have been hit by a major cyberattack that caused refrigerators and freezers to heat up to 50 degrees Celsius, resulting in widespread food spoilage and fires.
The attack, which occurred overnight between Sunday and Monday, October 11 and 12, targeted refrigeration systems at several major supermarket chains, including Intermarché, Carrefour, Monoprix, Coopérative U and E.Leclerc.
According to reports, hackers gained access to software controlling the refrigeration units and remotely manipulated their settings, forcing some refrigerators and freezers to heat up for several hours.
Intermarché, which operates the Netto discount supermarket brand, reported that approximately 150 of its stores were affected, while Carrefour confirmed that 80 outlets had been targeted. Monoprix also reported disruptions at some of its stores.
The attack forced affected supermarkets to discard large quantities of fresh and frozen food to prevent potential health risks to consumers. Fires were also reported at some locations, although the full extent of the damage remains unclear.
The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed that an investigation had been launched into the large-scale cyberattack, which affected connected refrigeration systems across several major food retailers.
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has instructed the country’s National Cybersecurity Agency (ANSSI) to investigate the incident and assess the potential risks to other businesses.
Preliminary findings suggest that the hackers may have exploited security vulnerabilities in refrigeration management systems supplied by Danish engineering company Danfoss. The company said it was aware of incidents involving certain refrigeration systems and stressed the importance of keeping software and firmware updated.
Cybersecurity analyst Félix Aimé of Sekoia Threat Detection and Research also indicated that similar incidents may have affected businesses in other European countries, including Spain, Portugal, Poland, Germany and Belgium.
Meanwhile, Intermarché’s parent company, Les Mousquetaires, said all food affected by the incident had been discarded as a precaution.
The attack has raised concerns about the vulnerability of essential commercial infrastructure to cybercrime, particularly as businesses increasingly rely on internet-connected systems to manage everyday operations.
Authorities are continuing their investigations, while affected retailers work to restore their refrigeration systems and resume normal operations. No group had publicly claimed responsibility for the attack at the time of reporting.
