In brief
A sophisticated cyber assault targeted the software that sets refrigeration temperatures in French food retailers, forcing dozens of freezers and fridges to reach as high as 50C overnight. The operation affected over 400 stores of chains including Intermarché, Netto, Carrefour, Monoprix and E. Leclerc, with fresh and frozen products rendered unsafe and eventually discarded. Danish engineering firm Danfoss supplied the remoted software and warned that legacy models lacked up‑to‑date security patches, a risk they had previously highlighted. French prosecutors have opened a dedicated cyber‑crime inquiry and the European Food Commissioner condemned the attack, calling it a new threat to food security. Retailers are scrambling to restock shelves and investigate the breach while consumers report spoiled produce.
Hundreds of French supermarkets were hit by a cyber attack that caused their refrigeration units to heat to dangerous levels, spoiling millions of euros worth of food.
Hackers took control of the temperature‑regulation software, forcing some fridges and freezers to warm to 50C (120F) during the night as reported by one food chain.
The chief executive of Coopérative U said the incident was extremely serious and unprecedented, with over 100 of its stores affected and 180 stores from Intermarché and Netto also impacted. A further 100 shops were disconnected from the internet to prevent a repeat offence.
Other major retailers such as Carrefour, Monoprix and E. Leclerc were also struck; the attackers targeted software supplied by Danish engineering firm Danfoss, which manages remote temperature controls for supermarkets.
Normally freezers undergo a brief defrost cycle that slightly raises temperatures overnight, but the hackers directed the units to stay hot, resulting in over‑temperature spreads that exceeded the factory limits. Danfoss confirmed that the affected models could not receive required security updates, a risk the firm had warned about for years.
The true scale of loss remains unclear but individual chains estimate that close to 400 stores were impacted out of the roughly 15,000 in France. Carrefour reported 80 hacked stores and Monoprix said 5% of its 400‑plus outlets suffered the same fate, removing any compromised food from sale.
Intermarché’s statement mentioned fridges that heated to 50C, resulting in the discarding of all affected goods. Managers found hot air spilling from freezers upon entering several branches, with small fires reported in some locations.
BFMTV illustrated the phenomenon with an image showing a freezer temperature of 26.5C under normal operating conditions, while two Alsace supermarkets reported combined losses of 270,000 euros.
French prosecutors have opened a dedicated cyber‑crime investigation, describing the assault as a large‑scale attack on the refrigeration of several major food retailers across the nation.
European Food Commissioner Christophe Hansen condemned the hack in a post on X, warning that weaponisation of food had become a reality. The chief executive of Coopérative U called for a thorough investigation and denounced the targeting of essential food supply infrastructure.
