French supermarkets are facing significant losses after a cyberattack compromised refrigeration systems, leading to the disposal of large quantities of perishable food across multiple chains.
A recent cyberattack in France has severely impacted several grocery store chains, forcing them to discard vast amounts of temperature-sensitive food products. The attack targeted Danfoss refrigerator controls, affecting major retailers including Carrefour, Monoprix, Les Mousquetaires, E. Leclerc, and Coopérative U.
The CEO of Coopérative U confirmed the incident in a post on X, stating, “I confirm that a cyberattack has been affecting, since last night, the cold production facilities of several stores in our network Coopérative U.” He emphasized that the attack was unprecedented and of extreme gravity, highlighting the critical nature of the equipment involved in preserving fresh products and ensuring food supply in France.
The Paris prosecutor’s office characterized the cyberattack as “large-scale,” noting that it impacted connected refrigerators in several major food retailers across the country. Carrefour reported that approximately 80 of its stores were affected, while Monoprix, which operates 490 locations in France, stated that around 5% of its stores experienced disruptions.
Les Mousquetaires revealed that refrigerators at about 150 of its stores were heated to 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) for a period of six hours, resulting in the disposal of all affected food items. While the exact financial toll of the incident has yet to be determined, experts estimate losses could exceed 10 million euros, or roughly $11.2 million.
Thierry Cotillard, CEO of Intermarche, indicated that the attack could lead to losses in the “tens of millions of euros nationwide in a single day.” Sources familiar with the situation reported that the hackers specifically targeted refrigerator control systems manufactured by Danfoss, a Danish company.
Danfoss acknowledged that many of the affected systems were “legacy” products that no longer received software or security updates. The company also noted that some of the impacted systems were operating on outdated firmware, which it had previously advised customers to update.
In response to the attack, French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has directed the National Cybersecurity Agency (ANSSI) to conduct a thorough investigation. ANSSI has reportedly identified a vulnerability in the software supplied by Danfoss and has reached out to the vendor for further action.
Christophe Hansen, the European Union’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Food, condemned the cyberattack, calling it an affront to European food safety. In a post on X, he stated, “Food security requires more attention at all levels. Because the weaponization of food has become a reality.”
The incident raises serious concerns about the security of food supply chains and the potential for cyberattacks to disrupt essential services. As investigations continue, the affected retailers are working to restore normal operations and mitigate the impact of this unprecedented attack.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Paris Prosecutor’s Office, Carrefour, Monoprix, E. Leclerc, Les Mousquetaires, and Coopérative U for confirmation and additional comments regarding the incident, with contributions from Reuters.