Pentagon Probes Freezer Malfunctions at Bases as Possible Cyberattack
The Pentagon is currently investigating a series of freezer malfunctions that occurred at U.S. military base commissaries in late August, treating these incidents as a suspected cyberattack. According to four officials familiar with the matter, the investigation is being conducted in collaboration with French authorities, where a similar cyberattack recently caused widespread disruptions to supermarket refrigeration systems.
Reports indicate that at least six military base commissaries across the United States experienced issues, as revealed by a review of social media posts and updates from the bases. In one notable case at Fort Huachuca in Arizona, the base's Facebook account reported that a freezer had malfunctioned, causing food to spoil overnight due to elevated temperatures. The post humorously noted that the food was "spoiled" after the freezer went into defrost mode.
The U.S. military's investigation is particularly focused on the parallels with a recent cyberattack in France that targeted commercial freezers, affecting over 350 establishments and resulting in significant financial losses. This attack reportedly caused refrigeration units to overheat, leading to food spoilage and even fires in some cases. French supermarket owners have estimated that the total damages could reach tens of millions of euros.
Dominique Schelcher, president of Coopérative U, confirmed the seriousness of the situation, stating that a cyberattack had impacted refrigeration facilities across several stores in their network. He indicated that teams were mobilized to address the issue and that a thorough investigation would follow.
Investigation Expands to International Partners
The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division's Cyber Field Office is involved in the investigation, working alongside French law enforcement to address the refrigeration outages. A unit of U.S. Cyber Command is also coordinating efforts with various agencies. The Pentagon has stated that it is collaborating closely with interagency and law enforcement partners to resolve the situation.
Final Brief
As the investigation unfolds, it remains unclear how far along officials are in determining the source of the suspected cyberattacks or the motivations behind them. Notably, many of the refrigeration units affected in France utilized controllers made by the Danish manufacturer Danfoss, some of which were reported to be outdated or obsolete. It is currently unknown whether similar equipment was used at the U.S. military bases.
This incident is not the first time that hackers have targeted refrigeration systems. In December 2025, federal prosecutors accused a Ukrainian woman of being part of a hacker group that disabled refrigeration at a meatpacking facility, resulting in the loss of over 2,000 pounds of meat. The ongoing investigations into these incidents highlight the growing concern over cyber threats to critical infrastructure.
