A large-scale cyberattack targeted hundreds of supermarkets in France, causing refrigerators and freezers to heat up. As a result, fresh and frozen products worth millions of euros spoiled.
Hackers gained control of software developed by Danish engineering company Danfoss, which allows supermarkets to manage their refrigeration systems remotely. Freezers automatically defrost for short periods overnight, but in this case, the attackers sent commands instructing the units to heat up. According to the Intermarché supermarket chain, its refrigerators reached temperatures of up to 50°C (122°F) over a six-hour period during the night. Danfoss explained that the attack targeted older models of refrigeration systems for which security software could no longer be updated.
The cyberattack affected approximately 400 of France’s 15,000 stores. Major retail chains impacted included Coopérative U (more than 100 stores), Intermarché and Netto (180 stores), Carrefour (80 stores), Monoprix, and E.Leclerc. As a precaution, around 100 additional supermarkets were urgently disconnected from the internet to prevent intrusions into their systems.
Due to food safety risks, stores discarded all spoiled products. In just two supermarkets in the Alsace region, losses amounted to €270,000, suggesting that the total financial damage nationwide could reach several million euros.
The Paris prosecutor’s office has launched a large-scale cybercrime investigation into the incident. European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Christophe Hansen condemned the attack, stating that “the weaponization of food has become a reality.” Dominique Schelcher, CEO of Coopérative U, described the incident as “unprecedented and extremely serious.”
