Cyberattack on Connected Refrigeration Systems Disrupts Hundreds of French Supermarkets

A cyberattack targeting connected refrigeration equipment has disrupted operations at hundreds of supermarkets across France, raising concerns over food safety, financial losses and the vulnerability of increasingly digitized retail infrastructure.

The incident, which occurred overnight from Sunday into Monday, affected several major grocery retailers, including Intermarché, Netto, Coopérative U, E.Leclerc and Monoprix. Carrefour Market stores were also reportedly impacted, according to a specialist industry website.

The Paris prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into the attack, which authorities described as affecting connected refrigeration systems across the country. Investigators are working to identify the affected businesses and assess the extent of the damage, particularly the loss of perishable food products.

Major Retail Chains Report Equipment Failures

The scale of the incident has prompted concern across France’s supermarket sector. Intermarché and Netto reported that at least 300 outlets had been affected, while Coopérative U identified fewer than 100 impacted stores. E.Leclerc confirmed that several of its locations experienced problems, and Monoprix reported disruptions at around 30 stores.

The consequences extend beyond equipment malfunctions. Supermarkets depend on uninterrupted refrigeration to preserve fresh food, dairy products, meat, seafood and frozen goods. When temperature controls fail, retailers may be required to discard affected stock to comply with food safety requirements.

Intermarché said it had been forced to dispose of products exposed to compromised refrigeration conditions, describing the incident as both a source of food waste and a financial burden. The retailer did not disclose the value of the losses and raised concerns about whether insurance policies would cover this type of incident.

The final volume of discarded food and the overall economic impact have yet to be established.

Danish Technology Supplier at the Centre of Investigations

Initial information points to refrigeration control systems supplied by Danish manufacturer Danfoss as the apparent target of the attack.

According to reports by French broadcaster BFMTV, the attackers may have remotely activated forced defrost cycles across refrigerators, freezers and cold-storage facilities. If confirmed, such interference could disrupt temperature regulation and compromise the preservation of perishable goods.

E.Leclerc also told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that a cyberattack had affected one of its refrigeration equipment suppliers, with consequences for the operation of cooling systems in several stores.

The precise method used by the attackers and the full extent of the compromise remain under investigation. Authorities have not publicly identified those responsible.

French Government Mobilizes Cybersecurity Agencies

The French government has treated the incident as a matter of national concern because of its potential implications for food distribution and essential commercial infrastructure.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu reportedly instructed the National Agency for the Security of Information Systems (ANSSI) to address the situation immediately and has been personally monitoring developments.

ANSSI identified a vulnerability in software supplied by a Danish company and contacted the manufacturer, according to information from the prime minister’s entourage. The agency is also coordinating with European counterparts to determine whether businesses in other countries have been affected and to identify additional French companies that may be at risk.

The investigation has been assigned to France’s Office for the Fight Against Cybercrime (OFAC), under the supervision of the Paris prosecutor’s cybercrime division.

The Ministry of Commerce has also established contact with retailers as authorities work to assess the consequences and limit further disruption.

At the European level, Commissioner for Agriculture Christophe Hansen condemned the attack and called for greater vigilance in protecting food security, warning of the risks associated with the deliberate disruption of food-related systems.

Previously Reported Software Vulnerabilities Under Scrutiny

The incident has renewed attention to security weaknesses in industrial equipment connected to digital networks.

Danfoss had disclosed serious vulnerabilities affecting certain software products in recent months. On September 18, the company reported a flaw that could potentially allow attackers to access and modify internal values, as well as download and execute unauthorized programs.

Investigators will need to determine whether the vulnerability identified in earlier disclosures is connected to the latest incident. No definitive technical link has yet been established in the information released publicly.

The case highlights the risks associated with systems that were originally designed primarily to ensure operational reliability and control costs, rather than withstand remote cyber intrusions.

Connected Industrial Equipment Presents New Risks

Refrigeration installations were traditionally operated through relatively isolated industrial control systems. Increasingly, however, sensors, remote monitoring tools and digital supervision platforms connect these installations to broader information networks, enabling operators to manage equipment more efficiently.

That connectivity can also create new points of entry for cybercriminals.

Antoine Hautin, secretary-general of cybersecurity consultancy Almond, told AFP that industrial systems historically prioritized reliability and cost management because remote access by attackers was not considered a major threat. The apparent ability to affect numerous refrigeration units simultaneously suggests a significant level of technical coordination, he said.

For supermarket operators, the incident illustrates how a digital intrusion can quickly become a physical and economic problem. Unlike attacks limited to the theft of data or the disruption of online services, interference with refrigeration equipment can jeopardize merchandise, increase operating costs and create food safety challenges.

Food Waste and Supply Chain Resilience in Focus

The immediate priority for affected retailers is to restore refrigeration systems, assess temperature exposure and ensure that products offered to consumers meet food safety standards.

Coopérative U chief executive Dominique Schelcher said teams were working with refrigeration specialists to restore normal operations as quickly as possible. He also called for a thorough investigation into the incident.

As inquiries continue, the attack is likely to intensify scrutiny of cybersecurity safeguards across the food distribution sector. Protecting supermarket infrastructure increasingly requires securing not only payment systems and customer data but also the connected equipment that keeps essential goods safe.

The investigation will determine how the attack was carried out, whether similar vulnerabilities exist elsewhere and what measures are needed to prevent comparable disruptions in France and beyond.