French Supermarket Chains Targeted in ‘Unprecedented’ Cyberattack That Sparks Fires and Spoils Stock

Remote manipulation of cooling infrastructure across hundreds of outlets led to equipment fires and the loss of perishable inventory in what officials call a “large-scale” cyber incident.

A coordinated cyberattack targeting refrigeration systems at hundreds of supermarkets across France elevated internal temperatures to as much as 50 degrees Celsius (122F). The manipulation spoiled perishable goods and ignited fires at multiple locations.

Major retailers, including Intermarche, Cooperative U, and E Leclerc, acknowledged the incident on Monday, describing the intrusion as unprecedented.

According to figures shared with the AFP news agency, at least 300 Intermarche and Netto stores were compromised, alongside more than 100 Cooperative U outlets. Carrefour reported 80 affected supermarkets, while Monoprix indicated that approximately 5 percent of its 490 locations were impacted. E Leclerc confirmed that several of its branches were targeted.

The Paris prosecutor’s office stated the “large-scale” attack struck connected refrigeration units across several major food retailers nationwide. Authorities confirmed the breach resulted in significant food waste and multiple fires.

The incident prompted Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu to direct France’s National Cybersecurity Agency (ANSSI) to launch an investigation, according to a source in his office.

The source noted that France is coordinating with European partners, as other nations may also be at risk. Authorities are currently assessing whether other French companies face similar threats.

“Unprecedented” Attack

While there was no immediate total estimate of industry-wide losses, Intermarche CEO Thierry Cotillard told BFM TV the incident would result in losses amounting to “tens of millions of euros nationwide in a single day”.

Reportedly, attackers successfully triggered forced defrosting sequences on refrigeration systems in numerous stores remotely. This action led to the destruction of fresh and frozen stock, BFM TV reported.

Intermarche instructed affected locations to dispose of all fresh and frozen products that had been compromised.

Dominique Schelcher, chief executive of Cooperative U, stated that the attack had disrupted refrigeration systems since Sunday night.

“Targeting equipment essential to the preservation of fresh products and to the food supply of the French people is extremely serious and is unprecedented. It is unacceptable,” he wrote on X.

He added that teams were working to restore normal operations immediately and that an investigation was required to “shed full light on this attack”.

Store cold aisles are typically managed by control panels that oversee a facility’s entire refrigeration network. These systems are often accessible over the internet, allowing maintenance providers to adjust settings remotely.

A source close to the Prime Minister stated that ANSSI identified a vulnerability in software provided by Danish firm Danfoss.

Danfoss confirmed it was “aware of incidents in France affecting a limited number of refrigeration management systems”.

The company noted that the affected units were running outdated firmware, adding that it had “long advised customers” to maintain system updates and replace aging equipment.

The breach follows research published by cybersecurity firm Claroty on August 9, which detailed vulnerabilities in Danfoss systems that could permit attackers to bypass authentication.

France’s retail federation, the FCD, has called on Danfoss to offer “full transparency” regarding the issue.

It also confirmed that some affected stores had already resumed operations.

Felix Aime, a senior cyberthreat intelligence analyst at Sekoia Threat Detection and Research, told Reuters that Spain, Portugal, Poland, Germany, and Belgium have also been impacted.

The incident mirrors disruptions in late August at approximately a dozen US military commissaries, where refrigeration system failures similarly caused food losses.

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