A coordinated cyber attack has targeted hundreds of supermarkets across France, compromising refrigeration systems and ruining large quantities of fresh and frozen goods.
The security breach allowed unauthorized individuals to manipulate the software used for remote temperature regulation in retail cooling units. Instead of completing brief, routine defrosting cycles, the affected freezers and refrigerators were forced to heat up overnight.
Retail executives described the incident as severe and unprecedented. Several major supermarket brands reported widespread disruptions, with approximately five hundred individual stores affected out of roughly fifteen thousand locations nationwide.
Stores operated by Intermarché and its sister brand Netto accounted for at least three hundred impacted locations. Coopérative U, Carrefour, Monoprix, and E.Leclerc also confirmed that their branches had experienced similar breaches.
Upon arriving for work, morning staff at various locations encountered unusual heat radiating from display cases, with some units reaching temperatures as high as fifty degrees Celsius. Local media reported that a few stores even experienced minor fires as a result of the forced overheating.
Retailers immediately discarded all potentially compromised food items to eliminate any health hazards for consumers. Several chains stated that affected display units remained offline while cleaning and technical repairs were carried out.
The intrusion exploited software supplied by Danish engineering firm Danfoss, which supermarkets utilize for remote climate control of their cold inventory. Danfoss explained that the targeted units consisted of older hardware models that lacked the capacity for modern security updates to defend against known vulnerabilities.
Financial losses are projected to reach millions of euros, with just two locations in the Alsace region reporting damages totaling two hundred seventy thousand euros. The Paris prosecutor's office has launched a formal criminal investigation into the massive digital intrusion.
European Food Commissioner Christophe Hansen strongly condemned the incident on social media. He emphasized that the event demonstrates how the weaponization of food infrastructure has emerged as a serious concern requiring heightened security attention.
Industry leaders have urged a thorough inquiry into the breach, calling the disruption of vital food supply equipment completely unacceptable. Cleanup and recovery operations are ongoing as supermarkets work to repair equipment and restock empty shelves.
Reporting based on coverage first published by BBC News. Read the original report at BBC News.
