French supermarket fridges targeted in cyber attack

The BBC reported that hackers gained control of the software used to regulate fridge and freezer temperatures, forcing some to warm up to 50°C overnight, according to one supermarket chain affected.

The chief executive of Coopérative U said several of its supermarkets had been hit by the “extremely serious and unprecedented” attack.

More than 100 of the chain’s supermarkets were affected, while 180 stores from Intermarché and its Netto brand were also attacked.

Reuters reported that Intermarché said affected fridges had heated up to 50°C for six hours overnight into Monday and the retailer had been forced to throw away all affected food to avoid health risks.

Other major French food retailers targeted include Carrefour, Monoprix and E.Leclerc.

The hackers reportedly hit software in the fridges the retailers use to manage their cold units remotely. They ordered the units to heat up and stay hot, tampering with a piece of software that allows supermarket freezers to go through a short period of defrosting overnight.

Danfoss, the Danish company that provided the software, said the affected cold units were older models, adding it had “long advised” businesses to keep supported refrigeration units up to date.

“Reliable refrigeration is critical to our customers’ operations, and we remain committed to supporting our customers and helping them maintain secure and reliable systems they are used to,” it said.

European Food Commissioner Christophe Hansen condemned the hack in a post on X and added: “Food security requires more attention at all levels. Because the weaponisation of food has become a reality.”

In another post on X, Coopérative chief executive Dominique Schelcher said staff were “fully mobilised, in co-ordination with refrigeration specialists, to restore the situation as quickly as possible”.

He called for an investigation into the hack and said targeting equipment essential to the French food supply was “unacceptable”.