Hackers Heat Supermarket Fridges to 50 Degrees in Large-Scale Attack Across France

Hackers forced the temperature of connected fridges and freezers at several hundred French supermarkets up to 50 degrees Celsius, causing fires and spoiling food. The Paris prosecutor's office described it as a "large-scale" attack affecting several major food retailers. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has instructed France's National Cybersecurity Agency (ANSSI) to investigate, and France is coordinating with European counterparts. A Sekoia threat analyst said Spain, Portugal, Poland, Germany and Belgium had also been affected.

The impact on retailers was significant. Carrefour said 80 of its supermarkets were hit, while Monoprix said five percent of its stores were affected. Les Mousquetaires, owner of Intermarche, said fridges at around 150 stores were heated for six hours overnight, and all affected food was discarded to eliminate health risks. Cooperative U's CEO called the targeting of equipment essential to food preservation "unprecedented". There was no immediate estimate of industry-wide losses.

The incident highlights how everyday equipment can become a cyber target. Supermarket cold aisles are typically run by control panels that manage a whole store's fridges and freezers and can be accessed over the internet, which lets maintenance companies adjust them from anywhere. The source article excerpt does not detail how the attackers gained access, so the full technical picture is not yet covered here.