Attackers took over refrigeration equipment in hundreds of French supermarkets through the units’ direct internet connections and manually changed temperature settings. About 350 stores were affected. Reports say the hackers raised refrigerator temperatures remotely, in some cases to 50°C (122°F), and that some units sparked fires. No ransom or other demand has been made, and no group has publicly claimed responsibility.
The units ran software from the Danish company Danfoss. Many of the compromised machines were past end of life, so they no longer received software or security updates, or they were running outdated firmware. Danfoss has said most of the affected units were legacy models and that it had long advised customers to update or replace them.
French chain E.Leclerc has attributed the disruption to an attack on one of its refrigeration equipment suppliers, while Danfoss has pointed to outdated equipment at customer sites. It is not yet clear whether this was a coordinated attack on controllers in individual stores or a breach of a manufacturer’s central software systems.
The failure spoiled refrigerated stock. Supermarkets may have stayed open while some departments were temporarily closed or operating at reduced capacity. Replacing stock and returning those sections to normal trading can take time, and temporary refrigeration and faster deliveries can add cost. Some officials have described the event as an attack on France’s food supply.
A similar attack hit a retailer in the Netherlands. Insurers are still sorting out whether the French losses fall under cyber cover, property cover, both or neither, including fire damage, spoilage and lost trade. The grocers’ policies are likely governed by French law.