A large-scale cyberattack has affected refrigeration systems at several major French supermarkets, causing food losses and fires. The Paris prosecutor's office confirmed that the attack impacted connected refrigerators in multiple food retailers across France. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has instructed France's National Cybersecurity Agency (ANSSI) to investigate the incident. The attack has led to significant disruptions, with large quantities of frozen food and fresh produce expected to be destroyed.
The cyberattack, which occurred overnight, raised the temperature of refrigerators and freezers to as high as 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit). This has resulted in the destruction of food products, with affected supermarkets discarding all impacted items to eliminate health risks. An Intermarche supermarket in Asnieres, near Paris, was among those affected, with staff throwing away cartfuls of defrosted frozen foods. The incident has sparked concerns about the resilience of the supply chain and the importance of cybersecurity measures.
Several major French retailers have been impacted, including Carrefour, Monoprix, and Les Mousquetaires, which owns Intermarche. Carrefour reported that 80 of its supermarkets were hit, while Monoprix said 5% of its stores were affected. Les Mousquetaires confirmed that fridges at around 150 of its stores were heated up to 50 C for six hours overnight. The company has discarded all affected food products to ensure public safety.
The French government is coordinating with European counterparts to assess the situation and determine whether other countries have been affected. Authorities are also evaluating whether other French companies are at risk. Felix Aime, a senior cyber threat intelligence analyst, noted that Spain, Portugal, Poland, Germany, and Belgium may also have been impacted. The incident has raised concerns about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure and the need for enhanced cybersecurity measures.
The attack has resulted in significant financial losses, with Intermarche CEO Thierry Cotillard estimating that the incident would represent losses amounting to "tens of millions of euros nationwide in a single day." The European retail association Eurocommerce has emphasized the importance of resilience across the entire supply chain. Christel Delberghe, director general at Eurocommerce, noted that the incident underlines the need for robust cybersecurity measures to prevent such disruptions.
The vulnerability in the refrigeration management systems has been linked to software supplied by Danish company Danfoss. According to Danfoss, the affected units "were running outdated firmware," and the company had "long advised customers to keep supported systems updated with the latest firmware and to migrate legacy systems to current-generation solutions." Cybersecurity firm Claroty's Team82 had previously published research detailing vulnerabilities in the Danfoss AK-SM 800A controller.
The incident has also affected other retailers, including Dutch retailer Ahold Delhaize, which operates the Netherlands' largest supermarket chain Albert Heijn. The company reported a "security issue" on its network and took several systems offline as a precaution. While there is no indication of a link between the incidents in France and Ahold Delhaize's issues, the incident highlights the need for vigilance and robust cybersecurity measures across the retail sector.
Key points
- Hackers targeted refrigeration systems at French supermarkets, causing food losses and fires.
- The incident has resulted in significant financial losses, estimated to be in the tens of millions of euros.
- The vulnerability in the refrigeration management systems has been linked to software supplied by Danish company Danfoss.
