Cyberattack Disrupts Refrigeration Systems in French Supermarkets
A cyberattack on refrigeration systems at hundreds of supermarkets in France has caused temperatures in fridges and freezers to rise to as high as 50 degrees Celsius (122F), leading to food spoilage and fires in several stores. Major retailers such as Intermarche, Cooperative U, and E Leclerc confirmed the unprecedented attack on Monday. At least 300 Intermarche or Netto brand shops were targeted, along with over 100 Cooperative U outlets. Carrefour reported that 80 supermarkets were affected, while Monoprix indicated that about 5 percent of its roughly 490 stores were impacted. The Paris prosecutor’s office stated that the large-scale attack had affected connected refrigerators in several major food retailers across France, resulting in food losses and fires.
In response to the incident, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has ordered France’s National Cybersecurity Agency (ANSSI) to investigate. A source in his office noted that France is coordinating with European counterparts due to the potential for other countries to be affected, and authorities are assessing whether additional French companies are at risk. While there is no immediate estimate of industry-wide losses, Intermarche CEO Thierry Cotillard indicated that the unprecedented attack could result in losses amounting to tens of millions of euros nationwide in a single day.
Reports suggest that the hackers managed to remotely trigger the forced defrosting of refrigeration systems in numerous stores, leading to the destruction of stocks of fresh and frozen products. Intermarche stated that affected stores would need to discard all fresh or frozen products. Dominique Schelcher, CEO of Cooperative U, described the attack as extremely serious and unprecedented, emphasizing the importance of refrigeration systems for preserving fresh products and ensuring the food supply for the French population. He mentioned that the company’s teams are working to restore normal operations as quickly as possible and that a thorough investigation will be necessary to fully understand the attack.
Case Closed
Supermarket refrigeration systems are typically managed by control panels that can be accessed over the internet, allowing maintenance companies to adjust them remotely. A source close to Lecornu revealed that ANSSI had identified a vulnerability in software supplied by Danish company Danfoss. Danfoss acknowledged awareness of incidents in France affecting a limited number of refrigeration management systems, stating that the affected units were running outdated firmware and that they had long advised customers to keep their systems updated and replace older equipment.
This cyberattack follows research published by cybersecurity firm Claroty on August 9, which highlighted vulnerabilities in Danfoss systems that could allow attackers to bypass authentication. France’s retail federation, known as the FCD, has called on Danfoss to provide full transparency regarding the incident. Some affected stores have reportedly resumed operations. Felix Aime, a senior cyberthreat intelligence analyst at Sekoia Threat Detection and Research, noted that countries including Spain, Portugal, Poland, Germany, and Belgium have also been affected by the attack. This incident bears similarities to disruptions experienced in late August at several US military commissaries, where refrigeration system issues resulted in food losses.
