French supermarkets suffer large-scale cyberattack that defrosted refrigeration units

Hundreds of French supermarkets were forced to discard fresh and frozen products after a coordinated cyberattack targeted refrigeration equipment across the country. The intrusion affected stores belonging to Cooperative U, Leclerc, Les Mousquetaires and Intermarche, with more than 400 locations reporting damage. In several cases, freezer units were heated to around 50 °C for over six hours, spoiling thousands of kilograms of food.

Leclerc said the attack stemmed from a problem with one of its refrigeration equipment suppliers, while Intermarche confirmed that impacted stores had no choice but to throw away all perishable goods. French prosecutors verified the incidents and noted that fires were reported at some sites.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu's office identified a vulnerability in software supplied by Danish firm Danfoss, which manufactures the targeted refrigeration systems. Danfoss acknowledged that the affected units were running outdated firmware and had previously advised customers to update to supported versions or replace legacy equipment.

The French cybersecurity agency ANSSI has been tasked with investigating the breach and is coordinating with European counterparts, as similar security concerns have emerged in Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Dutch retailer Ahold Delhaize temporarily shut down its refrigeration systems but said it saw no direct link to the French incidents.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which comes amid heightened scrutiny of industrial ransomware and concerns about hybrid threats to critical infrastructure. EU Food and Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen warned that the exploitation of food supply chains is becoming a tangible risk, while Cooperative U CEO Dominique Schelcher described the targeting of essential food-preservation equipment as "extremely serious and unprecedented".