Hundreds of supermarkets across France have been hit by a cyber attack that caused refrigeration and freezing equipment temperatures to rise as high as 50 degrees Celsius. Some stores disposed of food items due to safety concerns.
On October 12, the Paris prosecutor's office announced it has launched an investigation into the large-scale cyber attack affecting several major food retailers in France.
Hackers remotely manipulated the supermarkets' refrigeration and freezing systems, raising temperatures to abnormal levels.
The Mousquetaires Group, which operates the Intermarché chain, reported that hackers raised the temperature of its refrigerators to as high as 50 degrees overnight. The group stated that it discarded all products deemed unsafe for consumption.
Approximately 300 stores, including Intermarché and its discount chain Netto, were reportedly targeted in the attack.
Other major retailers also reported damage. Carrefour stated that 80 of its stores were affected. Monoprix indicated that around 25 of its 490 stores, or about 5%, were impacted. Coopérative U reported damage to over 100 of its stores.
Dominique Schelcher, CEO of Coopérative U, criticized the attack on essential equipment for preserving fresh food and ensuring food supply for the French public, calling it a serious and unprecedented act.
The affected equipment's management system was supplied by the Danish company Danfoss. The Mousquetaires Group confirmed that Danfoss manages its refrigeration systems. Danfoss acknowledged awareness of the incident in France and stated it is working with clients to mitigate damage.
A Danfoss spokesperson told Bloomberg that the affected products were older models with discontinued software and security updates.
The French government has also responded, with Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu directing the National Cybersecurity Agency (ANSSI) to investigate the incident. The identity of the attackers has not yet been determined.
Concerns have been raised that the impact may extend beyond France to other European countries.
A French government official told Reuters that similar incidents may have occurred in other European nations, and they are collaborating with authorities in those countries.
Felix Eme, a senior analyst at French cybersecurity firm Secuoya, indicated that there appear to be incidents in Spain, Portugal, Poland, Germany, and Belgium.
Christophe Hansen, the European Union's Commissioner for Agriculture and Food, condemned the attack on social media, stating, "The weaponization of food has now become a reality. Food security requires greater attention at all levels."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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