Cyber Attack Heats French Supermarket Refrigerators Nationwide

A cyber attack targeted refrigeration systems at hundreds of supermarkets across France, causing fridges and freezers to heat up and spoil fresh and frozen food worth potentially millions of euros. The incident affected major retailers after hackers accessed software used to manage cold units remotely.

Coopérative U chief executive Dominique Schelcher described the incident as an unprecedented attack, while Intermarché, Netto, Carrefour, Monoprix and E.Leclerc were among the retailers reporting disruptions. According to AFP, more than 100 Coopérative U stores and at least 300 Intermarché and Netto locations were affected.

Danish engineering firm Danfoss said the impacted refrigeration units were older models whose security software could not be updated against a previously identified risk. The software normally allows retailers to control temperatures remotely and manage routine overnight defrosting.

Intermarché reported that some fridges reached 50C for six hours overnight into Monday, according to Reuters. Carrefour said 80 of its 6,000 stores were affected, while Monoprix said 5% of its more than 400 stores were hit and removed products when their condition could not be guaranteed.

Coopérative U chief executive Dominique Schelcher said the company was coordinating recovery efforts after the disruption.

"Fully mobilised, in co-ordination with refrigeration specialists, to restore the situation as quickly as possible," said Dominique Schelcher, chief executive of Coopérative U.

He also called for an investigation and said targeting equipment essential to France's food supply was unacceptable. The affected retailers worked to remove compromised products and restore operations.

"Extremely serious and unprecedented," said Dominique Schelcher, chief executive of Coopérative U, describing the attack.

Mousquetaires Group, which owns Intermarché and Netto, said some fresh and frozen food display units remained out of service on Monday afternoon.

"Taken all necessary precautions to remove the products from these units," said Mousquetaires Group.

The group said employees were working to return products to shelves after the refrigeration failures.

"As soon as possible," said Mousquetaires Group.

French prosecutors opened a cybercrime investigation after the Paris prosecutor's office described the incident as affecting refrigerators at several major food retailers across France.

"Large-scale cyber-attack affecting the refrigerators of several major food retail chains across France," said the Paris prosecutor's office.

European Food Commissioner Christophe Hansen condemned the attack and linked the incident to broader concerns about food security.

"Food security requires more attention at all levels. Because the weaponisation of food has become a reality," said Christophe Hansen, European Food Commissioner.

The nationwide impact remains unclear, but figures from individual chains indicated about 500 stores were affected out of roughly 15,000 supermarkets in France.