Hackers raised fridge temperatures in French supermarkets

In Short:
– Hackers compromised French supermarket refrigeration, spoiling food and causing significant losses.
– The attack mainly targeted major chains like Carrefour, Intermarche, and Monoprix.

Hackers have compromised refrigeration systems at French supermarkets, raising temperatures and spoiling food. The attacks affected stores across several major retailers, resulting in fires and significant food losses.The Paris prosecutor’s office described the incident as a “large-scale” attack impacting connected refrigerators.

Cyberattack details

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has tasked France’s National Cybersecurity Agency to investigate the situation.

The incident has drawn attention from other European nations concerned about potential impacts on their supermarkets.

The attack predominantly targeted chains such as Carrefour, Intermarche, and Monoprix, leading to food disposal and operational disruptions.

Intermarche reported fridges reaching 50 degrees Celsius, prompting the disposal of defrosted items.

Due to the extensive damage, industry losses could reach tens of millions of euros nationwide in just one day.

European retail association Eurocommerce highlighted the incident’s need for enhanced supply chain resilience.

System vulnerabilities

The hack exploited vulnerabilities in a system developed by Danish company Danfoss.

Danfoss stated that affected refrigeration systems were running outdated firmware.

Cybersecurity experts noted similar incidents affecting military commissaries in the U.S., raising alarm about international vulnerabilities.

French retail association Fédération du Commerce et de la Distribution has urged Danfoss for transparency regarding these incidents.

Meanwhile, Dutch retailer Ahold Delhaize is facing its own security issue, though it denies any link to the incidents in France.

Online grocery orders for Ahold’s Albert Heijn were disrupted, while physical locations remained open for business.