Cyberattack disrupts refrigeration across French supermarket chains

On 12 October, hackers of unknown origin disrupted refrigeration systems at hundreds of supermarkets across France by taking control of software supplied by the Danish engineering firm Danfoss. The software allows retailers to manage their cooling units remotely. By gaining access to this system, the attackers caused some refrigerators and freezers to heat up to as much as 50°C overnight, resulting in the loss of millions of euros worth of fresh and frozen food.

The attack affected multiple major retail chains. Coopérative U reported that more than 100 of its stores had been targeted, with the chief executive describing the incident as "extremely serious and unprecedented." Intermarché and its Netto brand reported 180 affected stores, while a spokesperson confirmed that a further 100 shops had been urgently disconnected from the internet as a precautionary measure. Other significant retailers including Carrefour, Monoprix and E.Leclerc were also impacted.

At the time of reporting, no individual or group had claimed responsibility for the attack, and the total financial impact across all affected chains remained unconfirmed.