Cyberattack overheats French supermarket refrigerators, spoiling food and sparking fires
A major Sunday-night cyberattack remotely hijacked refrigeration systems across hundreds of French supermarkets, pushing temperatures up to 50°C and forcing stores to throw away massive amounts of spoiled food.
A widespread cyberattack struck hundreds of supermarkets across France on Sunday night, remotely hijacking temperature controls and locking refrigeration units into continuous defrost cycles. Major retail chains—including Intermarché, Carrefour, Coopérative U, Leclerc, and Monoprix—reported that cooling systems were disabled or overheated to 50°C (122°F) for roughly six hours. In some stores, temperatures climbed as high as 80°C, melting refrigeration equipment and sparking localized fires.[3][4][5][8][10][11]
The collapse of cold-chain controls forced locations to tape off aisles, shutter frozen food sections, and discard entire stocks of spoiled groceries. Store notices taped to Intermarché display cases attributed the disruption to a cyberattack targeting an external contractor that remotely manages cooler temperatures, while reports noted that targeted units included Danfoss-managed systems. Coopérative U Chief Executive Dominique Schelcher described the sabotage as unprecedented and of extreme gravity, stressing that attacking equipment vital to the country's food supply is unacceptable.[1][4][5][9][12]
Investigators have traced a potential security vulnerability to outdated refrigeration software, though no group has claimed responsibility. Attackers made no ransomware demands and did not compromise customer data. With total financial losses expected to reach millions of euros, French prosecutors have opened inquiries into the fires as the incident stirs broader alarms over national food security.[2][13][14][15]
Key facts
- A Sunday-night cyberattack remotely hijacked refrigeration systems across hundreds of French supermarkets, including Intermarché, Coopérative U, Leclerc, Carrefour, and Monoprix.
- The attack forced fridges and freezers into a nonstop defrost cycle, sending temperatures up to 50°C (122°F) for roughly six hours, with some stores reporting spikes up to 80°C.
- Overheated refrigeration equipment melted hardware and sparked fires, prompting investigations by French prosecutors.
- Widespread cold-chain failures forced stores to dump large amounts of spoiled fresh and frozen food, with financial losses estimated in the millions of euros.
- Targeted units included Danfoss-managed systems, with an in-store notice at Intermarché attributing the disruption to an attack on a third-party temperature management provider.
- Investigators traced a potential vulnerability to outdated refrigeration software; no group has claimed responsibility, and no ransomware demands or data theft were reported.
Sources · 9 sources
- RE
Reuters@ReutersPost on X ·
🔊 Hackers remotely cranked up refrigerators to 122°F at hundreds of French supermarkets — spoiling fresh and frozen food. Find out more on the Reuters World News podcast https://t.co/6rMOxDMWIJ https://t.co/twe1Olmv0P
Open source - TS
The Straits Times@straits_timesPost on X ·
Investigators hunt French supermarket fridge hackers, no claim of responsibility https://t.co/NFtJ306VcG
Open source - QU
Quartz@qzPost on X ·
A cyberattack turned freezers into ovens at hundreds of French supermarkets: Hackers hijacked refrigeration systems at Intermarché, Coopérative U, and Leclerc stores across France, forcing a nonstop defrost cycle that sent temperatures… dlvr.it/TVtQ2h #cyberattaque #supermarché https://t.co/YCgtKGeLjt
Open source - FT
Financial Times@FTPost on X ·
Some stores reported fridge temperatures as high as 80°C, melting equipment and destroying food https://t.co/PHYf8Qei7Z https://t.co/x7ZBZHyw7b
Open source - TE
Techmeme@TechmemePost on X ·
Cyberattacks on Sunday night targeted Danfoss-managed refrigeration systems across hundreds of French supermarkets, heating them to 50°C for roughly six hours (@jsyche / Bloomberg) (Visit Techmeme dot com for the link and full context!)
Open source - TS
The Straits Times@straits_timesPost on X ·
Hackers heat French supermarket fridges, sparking fires and food losses https://t.co/q9CVRFWZYM
Open source - QU
Quartz@qzPost on X ·
A cyberattack turned freezers into ovens at hundreds of French supermarkets Hackers hijacked refrigeration systems at Intermarché, Coopérative U, and Leclerc stores across France, forcing a nonstop defrost cycle that sent temperatures s #Cyberattack #FrenchSupermarkets #Danfoss https://t.co/Brr9VjO8f9
Open source - RE
Reuters@ReutersPost on X ·
Hackers heat French supermarket fridges, sparking fires and spoiling food https://t.co/HmCi8kMESD https://t.co/HmCi8kMESD
Open source - DE
Dexerto@DexertoPost on X ·
Hundreds of French supermarkets were hit by a cyberattack that caused fridges and freezers to heat up to 122°F Stores had to dump spoiled food due to health risks https://t.co/PjF17REmnt
Open source - BL
Bloomberg@businessPost on X ·
Hundreds of supermarkets in France were targeted by cyberattacks on Sunday night, disabling refrigeration systems and forcing stores to throw out damaged food https://t.co/CwpW4u7eBY
Open source - CN
CNBC@CNBCPost on X ·
Hackers targeted hundreds of French supermarkets in a cyberattack that reportedly caused refrigerators and freezers to overheat, spoiling food and sparking fires. Fridges at French supermarket chains Carrefour, Monoprix, the Les Mousquetaires-owned Intermarché, and Coopérative U, among others, all saw fridges heat up to as much as 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) overnight, Reuters reported on Monday. Read more here: https://t.co/lUouoSBJAR
Open source - MN
Mario Nawfal@MarioNawfalPost on X ·
🚨🇫🇷 Hackers have done some pretty nefarious shit in France... and it could make food costs rise! Get this… they hacked into at least 150 grocery stores and managed to raise the temps in fridges up to 50˚C (122˚F). Grocery chain Cooperative U CEO Dominique Schelcher: "Targeting equipment essential to the preservation of fresh products and to the food supply of the French people is of extreme gravity and is unprecedented. It is unacceptable." Millions of dollars ' worth of food had to be thrown out. I’m not sure why everything has to be connected to the internet now. Remember when you could just plug the fridge into the wall and call it a day? Writer: Jamie https://t.co/NPENVgDriW
Open source - MN
Mario Nawfal@MarioNawfalPost on X ·
🇫🇷 Hackers just turned supermarket freezers into heaters across France. Nearly 300 stores were reportedly affected after attackers gained control of their refrigeration systems, pushing temperatures as high as 50°C overnight... Entire stocks of food had to be thrown away. Losses could run into millions of euros, and prosecutors are investigating reports of fires. There was no ransomware demand. No stolen customer data required. A change of temperature setting remotely, and suddenly an entire supermarket's food supply is ruined. Source: BBC / Writer: Oliver
Open source - MN
Mario Nawfal@MarioNawfalPost on X ·
🇫🇷 Hackers just turned supermarket FREEZERS into OVENS across France, and the damage is absolutely INSANE. Hundreds of stores were hit after attackers remotely forced refrigeration systems to heat up to 122°F (50°C), in some cases for SIX HOURS. Entire stocks of fresh and frozen food had to be THROWN AWAY, and authorities even reported FIRES linked to the attack. Intermarché, Carrefour, and Coopérative U were among the chains affected, while investigators traced a potential vulnerability to outdated refrigeration software. It's so over ☠️ Writer: Sol https://t.co/4hAlLbhRIa
Open source - FT
Financial Times@FTPost on X ·
Cyber attack on French supermarket fridges raises alarm over food security https://t.co/rNQ19v2Ew9
Open source