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[SITUATION] · [ACTIVE] · [TECHNOLOGY]

3 clusters · 100 sources · 14 days · First seen 14 days ago · Last updated about 17 hours ago

Cyberattack on French supermarket refrigeration systems

Overview

A massive cyberattack targeted the internet-connected refrigeration controllers of hundreds of supermarkets across France, causing widespread food spoilage and potential fire hazards. Hackers remotely accessed temperature controllers from manufacturers including Danfoss, Copeland, and Dixell, triggering defrost modes that raised temperatures as high as 50°C.

Approximately 700 of the country’s 10,000 supermarkets were affected, with major retailers such as Intermarché, Carrefour, Coopérative U, Monoprix, and Leclerc reporting impacts. Intermarché’s CEO, Thierry Cotillard, described the attack as “unprecedented,” noting that financial losses nationwide, including inventory loss and infrastructure damage, could reach tens of millions of euros. Intermarché specifically reported that roughly 150 of its stores were affected.

The French national cybersecurity agency (ANSSI) and the Paris prosecutor’s office have launched investigations into the incident. Security experts noted that many compromised devices were running outdated firmware or were end-of-life models that no longer received security updates, highlighting significant vulnerabilities in digitized food supply chains and industrial control systems.

Investigations have identified specific compromised product families, including Danfoss AK-SC and AK-SM models, as well as Copeland XWEB and Dixell brands. Experts noted the attack exploited basic vulnerabilities, such as exposed management interfaces and predictable credentials, rather than highly sophisticated methods. The incident has also raised international concerns; in the Netherlands, supermarket operator Ahold Delhaize reported a related security issue and took several systems offline as a precaution.

Following the French incidents, research from Forescout’s Vedere Labs identified 12,976 internet-exposed refrigeration service observations across 6,017 public IP addresses in 99 countries. Experts, including Vincent Strubel of ANSSI, emphasized that the breaches resulted from elementary security failures like direct internet exposure and weak passwords. This widespread exposure poses critical risks to other temperature-dependent sectors, including hospitals, pharmacies, and pharmaceutical supply chains.

Entities

France · ANSSI · Intermarché · Carrefour · Danfoss

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

Coverage disagrees

Sources make claims that cannot both be true. CLSTR reports the disagreement; it does not decide who is right.

"Approximately 300 Intermarché or Netto stores experienced freezers heating to 50°C for six hours overnight."

vs

"About 150 Intermarché stores experienced refrigeration units being heated for six hours overnight."

The claims provide different numbers of affected Intermarché/Netto stores (approximately 300 versus about 150).

[DISPUTED] Approximately 300 Intermarché or Netto stores experienced freezers heating to 50°C for six hours overnight.
[● 12 SOURCES] 80 Carrefour supermarkets were affected by the attack.
[● 11 SOURCES] The attack was large-scale and affected connected refrigerators in several major food retailers across France.
[● 10 SOURCES] The vulnerability affected a 'limited number' of systems running on outdated firmware.
[● 10 SOURCES] Hackers manipulated refrigeration controllers to raise temperatures to as high as 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit).
[● 9 SOURCES] More than 100 Coopérative U outlets were targeted by the cyberattack.
[● 9 SOURCES] Approximately 5 percent of Monoprix's 490 stores were hit.
[● 8 SOURCES] Approximately 700 out of 10,000 supermarkets in France were affected by the cyberattack.
[● 7 SOURCES] The cyberattack targeted Danfoss remote refrigeration management software.
[● 7 SOURCES] Many affected systems were outdated models that no longer received security updates.

Timeline

about 17 hours ago

[TECHNOLOGY] 4 sources
Cyberattacks on refrigeration systems expose global food supply risks
Cyberattacks on French supermarkets have highlighted global vulnerabilities in IoT refrigeration systems, exposing thousands of devices across 99 countries to potential manipulation and food supply disruption.
12 days ago

[TECHNOLOGY] 22 sources
French supermarkets hit by cyberattack targeting refrigeration systems
A major cyberattack on French supermarkets manipulated refrigeration controllers, raising temperatures to 50°C and causing massive food spoilage and millions of euros in losses.
14 days ago

[TECHNOLOGY] 77 sources
French supermarkets hit by massive refrigeration cyberattack
A major cyberattack on French supermarket refrigeration systems caused massive food spoilage and millions in losses by remotely raising temperatures to 50°C via vulnerable Danfoss and Copeland controllers.

Sources

24-ore.com · abc17news.com · afrikmag.com · ameve.eu · ap-verlag.de · athina984.gr · b2b-cyber-security.de · beta.rs · breitbart.com · bursahakimiyet.com.tr · capital.fr · celebitchy.com · chacoprensa.com · cnbcindonesia.com · cnn.co.jp · codigoespagueti.com · columnadigital.com · complexdiscovery.com · coolingpost.com · cryptonomist.ch · cybernoz.com · cybersecuritynews.es · datafloq.com · derwesten.de · descopera.ro · diningandcooking.com · enriquedans.com · epochtimes.com · epochtimes.de · es.euronews.com · freshplaza.es · futurezone.at · fyh.es · gamingtechlaw.com · ieidiseis.gr · infokuryr.cz · insideretail.co.nz · insideretail.com.au · insurancejournal.com · irafina.gr · iris-france.org · itiko.de · journaldunet.com · jugem.jp · larepubliquedespyrenees.fr · latercera.com · leconomistemaghrebin.com · legalinsurrection.com

This summary has been updated 5 times: see revision history