Managers arriving at French supermarkets on Monday morning found freezers and fridges turned into ovens. Temperatures inside some refrigeration units soared to 50C (120F), spoiling fresh and frozen food across hundreds of stores. The cause was a cyberattack that gave hackers control over the software regulating the cold units.
Coopérative U said more than 100 of its supermarkets had been hit by what its chief executive, Dominique Schelcher, called an “extremely serious and unprecedented” attack. Intermarché and its Netto brand reported 180 stores affected, with another 100 urgently disconnected from the internet to prevent further damage. Carrefour, Monoprix, and E.Leclerc also suffered breaches.
The hackers exploited software from Danish engineering firm Danfoss, which allows remote management of refrigeration units. Danfoss said the affected cold units were older models with security software that could not be updated to block the vulnerability. The firm said it had “long advised” businesses to maintain updated systems. Danfoss added it remained committed to supporting customers in maintaining secure refrigeration.
Typically, supermarket freezers undergo a brief overnight defrosting, during which temperatures rise slightly. This attack forced the units to heat continuously overnight. Danfoss did not confirm how warm the fridges could get, but Intermarché reported its freezers reached 50C for six hours, forcing the disposal of all affected food to avoid health risks.
French broadcaster BFMTV showed an image of a freezer in an ice cream aisle reading 26.5C. Some stores even experienced small fires from the overheating units. Two supermarkets in the Alsace region reported losses totalling €270,000 (£228,000), suggesting the nationwide cost could run into millions. The full scale of the attack remains unclear, but individual chain reports indicate roughly 400 stores were impacted out of about 15,000 across France.
Carrefour said fridges in 80 of its 6,000 stores were hacked. Monoprix reported 5% of more than 400 stores affected, with food removed from sale when its condition could not be guaranteed. Mousquetaires Group, owner of Intermarché and Netto, said some fresh and frozen food display units remained out of service on Monday afternoon, with staff working to restock shelves.
French prosecutors opened a cybercrime investigation into the incident. The Paris prosecutor’s office called it a “large-scale cyber-attack affecting the refrigerators of several major food retail chains across France.” Christophe Hansen, European Food Commissioner, condemned the hack on X, stating: “Food security requires more attention at all levels. Because the weaponisation of food has become a reality.”
Dominique Schelcher said Coopérative staff were “fully mobilised, in co-ordination with refrigeration specialists, to restore the situation as quickly as possible.” He called for an investigation and described targeting equipment essential to the French food supply as “unacceptable.”
The attack exposed vulnerabilities in refrigeration systems relied on by major retailers. It also raised alarm over the weaponisation of food supply infrastructure in cyber conflict. The months ahead will show how vulnerable such critical systems remain to digital intrusion.
According to Joy Online.
