Cyberattack Hits French Supermarket Refrigeration And Forces Food Disposal

Hundreds of French supermarkets have been affected by a cyberattack targeting refrigeration systems, forcing some stores to discard food and prompting an investigation into spoilage and reported fires.

French finance minister Roland Lescure told Parliament on 13 October that around 700 of the country’s 10,000 supermarkets were affected. He said France’s food supplies were not at risk, but described the incident as “a wake-up call for everyone”.

Reuters reported that hackers raised temperatures in refrigerators and freezers at some stores to as high as 50°C. Retailers disposed of affected food to prevent health risks, while some refrigerated and frozen food aisles were taken out of service.

Groupement Mousquetaires said 300 of its Intermarché and Netto stores were impacted. Some chilled and frozen food display cases remained out of service on 13 October.

Coopérative U chief executive Dominique Schelcher said 80 of the group’s stores were affected. Most prevented disruption to refrigeration, although some had to throw away food. Carrefour and Monoprix stores were also impacted.

The Paris prosecutor’s office said its cybercrime unit was investigating the attack, including the extent of food losses and reports of fires.

France’s official cybersecurity response body, CERT-FR, confirmed numerous compromises involving remote refrigeration controllers from the Danfoss AK-SM and AK-SC ranges, alongside Copeland and Dixell XWEB equipment.

In an alert updated on 13 October, it advised operators to remove direct internet access to affected controllers, check their configurations, including defrost settings, and restore remote access only through a secure VPN or protected network. It also urged operators to apply manufacturers’ security guidance and firmware updates.

CERT-FR warned that restoring factory settings alone would leave equipment vulnerable if the underlying security weaknesses remained unresolved.

As of Reuters’ 13 October report, no group had publicly claimed responsibility, and the precise method used to compromise the systems had not been disclosed.