Major French supermarket chains on Monday said they were hit by a cyberattack that caused their refrigerators to shoot up in temperature in hundreds of stores, forcing spoiled food to be thrown away and raising concerns about food security.
Top retailers E. Leclerc, Intermarche and Cooperative U confirmed they suffered a cyberattack that Cooperative U’s chief executive described as “unprecedented.”
EU food and agriculture commissioner Christophe Hansen condemned the attack on X, saying exploitation of food was now a “reality.”
At least 300 shops of Intermarche or its Netto brand were targeted, along with over 100 Cooperative U outlets, and several E. Leclerc stores. Paris prosecutors confirmed the attack, which reportedly also sparked fires.
BFM TV said hackers “managed to remotely trigger the forced defrosting of the refrigeration systems in numerous stores.”
E. Leclerc confirmed “that a cyberattack affected one of its refrigeration equipment suppliers,” with repercussions on refrigeration systems in several stores.
A source close to the issue said refrigeration control systems from Danish manufacturer Danfoss were targeted. Danfoss said most affected equipment was legacy products which “no longer receive software or security updates,” notably AK-SM800 and AK-SC355 fridge regulator systems.
France’s cyber security agency identified “a vulnerability in software supplied by a Danish company” and is liaising with European counterparts.
Cooperative U CEO Dominique Schelcher: “Targeting equipment essential to the preservation of fresh products and to the food supply of the French people is extremely serious and is unprecedented.”
The incident comes amid growing concern over hybrid attacks; President Emmanuel Macron last month ordered measures to protect critical infrastructure from Russian “hybrid attacks.”
Cybersecurity consultant Antoine Hautin of Almond said industrial refrigeration units are now internet-connected and the simultaneous scale demonstrated “a certain level of sophistication.”