Hackers turn up supermarket fridges to 50°C, threatening millions in food losses
Retailers see profits melting away
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- Around 400 Intermarché, Netto, and Coopérative U stores were affected, according to BFMTV.
- Hackers reportedly made defrost systems run continuously, pushing some refrigeration units to 50°C.
- Two Alsace supermarkets reportedly lost €270,000 in stock, and nationwide losses could reach millions of euros.
- French prosecutors and ANSSI are investigating the attack and possible risks linked to Danfoss systems.
Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.
Hundreds of French supermarkets have been hit by a cyberattack targeting refrigeration systems supplied by Danish manufacturer Danfoss, with hackers reportedly turning up temperatures and destroying frozen food stocks.
Around 300 Intermarché and Netto stores and nearly 100 Coopérative U outlets were affected, according to French broadcaster BFMTV.
E.Leclerc, France’s largest supermarket chain, was also reportedly targeted, although it has not confirmed the disruption.
The attack began overnight on Sunday and affected refrigeration control software, reportedly running older versions of Danfoss systems.
According to BFMTV, hackers tricked the fridges' defrost feature – normally used to clear frost – into running non-stop, instead of letting the fridges stay at a safe cold temperature.
Some systems were reportedly set to 50°C, leaving food exposed to heat for several hours.
Two supermarkets in Alsace reportedly suffered combined losses of €270,000 ($302,000) while nationwide damage could reach several million euros.
French prosecutors investigate refrigeration cyberattack
The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed it had opened an investigation into the large-scale attack, including reported food losses and outbreak of fire.
Dominique Schelcher, president of Coopérative U, confirmed the incident on X, calling the targeting of equipment essential to food preservation and supply “unacceptable.”
He said teams were working with refrigeration specialists to restore affected systems.
Les Mousquetaires, which operates Intermarché and Netto, told BFMTV that some refrigeration equipment was out of service and affected products were being removed as a precaution.
An internal communication reportedly warned stores about the loss of frozen products, while crisis teams coordinated emergency supplies and technical assistance.
ANSSI launches probe
France’s national cybersecurity agency, ANSSI, has reportedly identified a software as part of its response to the attack on Danfoss. According to the BFMTV report , the agency has contacted the software supplier and is coordinating with European counterparts over the potential risk in other countries.
In August security researcher Amir Zaltzman at Claroty identified several flaws in Danfoss’s refrigeration controllers warning that an attacker could modify how requests are handled by the web server and potentially manipulate clients interacting with the device.
A patch for three Danfoss controllers has been available since September 18th.
It follows a cybersecurity incident at Dutch retailer Albert Heijn, which took its website, app, and online delivery services offline on Monday after parent company Ahold Delhaize confirmed a security issue within its network.
It is not known whether the two incidents are related.
