Cyberattack spoils hundreds of goods in French supermarkets

A widespread cyberattack targeted the refrigeration systems of hundreds of supermarkets across France overnight Monday, leading to the spoilage of a significant quantity of food. Temperatures in numerous refrigerators and freezers rose to 50 degrees Celsius, causing food spoilage and, according to Reuters, igniting fires in several outlets. The Paris prosecutor's office described the incident as a "large-scale" attack affecting "connected refrigerators at several major food retailers throughout France."

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has instructed the national cybersecurity agency, ANSSI, to investigate the incident. Approximately 150 Intermarché stores, part of the ITM Entreprises group, were reportedly affected. The attackers gained access to the control units of the refrigeration systems, switching them to a defrost mode. This caused temperatures to reach 50 degrees Celsius for approximately six hours. All thawed food, including meat and frozen goods, had to be disposed of to eliminate health risks.

Stores belonging to the Cooperative U group and Carrefour were also impacted by the cyberattacks. Dominique Schelcher, CEO of Cooperative U, called the attacks "extremely serious and unprecedented," emphasizing their severity against essential food storage and supply chains. Schelcher called for a thorough investigation.

Sources indicate that many of the affected systems are older technologies, including Danfoss AK-SM 800 and AK-SC 355 refrigeration controllers. These systems are no longer supported with software or security updates. Danfoss has previously advised customers to keep supported systems updated with the latest firmware and to transition older systems to current-generation solutions.