‘Unprecedented’ cyberattack hits French supermarkets, causing food losses | Cybercrime News
Cyberattack Disrupts Refrigeration Systems at Supermarkets Across France
A cyberattack on refrigeration systems at hundreds of supermarkets in France has raised temperatures in fridges and freezers to as high as 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit), resulting in food spoilage and fires in several locations, retailers confirmed on Monday.
Major supermarket chains, including Intermarché, Cooperative U, and E Leclerc, described the incident as “unprecedented” in scope. Reports indicate that at least 300 Intermarché and Netto outlets were targeted, in addition to more than 100 Cooperative U stores. Carrefour reported that 80 of its supermarkets were affected, while Monoprix noted damage at approximately 5 percent of its 490 stores.
The Paris prosecutor’s office stated that the “large-scale” attack impacted connected refrigeration units at several major food retailers across the country. The incident has already led to significant food losses and fires, the office reported.
In response to the attack, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has instructed France’s National Cybersecurity Agency (ANSSI) to launch an investigation into the incident. A source within his office informed Reuters that France is collaborating with European counterparts, as there is concern that other countries may also be impacted. Authorities are currently evaluating whether additional French companies are at risk.
Intermarché’s CEO Thierry Cotillard told BFM TV that the already significant losses could amount to “tens of millions of euros nationwide in a single day.” Reports indicate that hackers were able to remotely activate the forced defrosting of refrigeration systems in numerous stores, which has led to the destruction of fresh and frozen products.
Affected retailers are taking measures to mitigate the impact. Intermarché announced that stores would need to discard all fresh and frozen items. Dominique Schelcher, the CEO of Cooperative U, noted that the disruption to refrigeration systems began Sunday night, emphasizing the severity of targeting essential equipment for food preservation.
“Targeting equipment essential to the preservation of fresh products and to the food supply of the French people is extremely serious and unprecedented,” he stated through X. Schelcher emphasized the need for an investigation to explore the full extent of the attack.
According to a source close to Lecornu, ANSSI has identified a vulnerability in software provided by Danish company Danfoss. Danfoss acknowledged awareness of incidents affecting a limited number of its refrigeration management systems, citing that affected units were operating on outdated firmware. The company stressed the importance of keeping systems updated and replacing older equipment.
This attack follows a report published by cybersecurity firm Claroty on August 9, which highlighted vulnerabilities in Danfoss systems that could allow unauthorized access. France’s retail federation, FCD, has called for full transparency from Danfoss regarding the incident.
Some affected supermarkets have since resumed operations, while a senior cyberthreat intelligence analyst from Sekoia Threat Detection and Research reported that countries including Spain, Portugal, Poland, Germany, and Belgium may have also experienced disruptions.
This incident echoes similar issues faced in late August at various U.S. military commissaries, where malfunctions in refrigeration systems led to substantial food losses.
