French supermarket freezers sabotaged in major cyber attack

A coordinated cyber attack has disrupted operations at numerous supermarket chains across France, with attackers compromising freezer units and raising internal temperatures to approximately 50 degrees Celsius. The incident resulted in fires at several locations and the loss of significant quantities of frozen food inventory.

The breach exposed critical vulnerabilities in refrigeration management systems, forcing retailers to shut down affected units and assess the extent of inventory damage. Emergency services responded to fire incidents sparked by the temperature surges, though authorities have not yet reported casualties.

Investigators tracing the attack have pinpointed a security flaw in software supplied by Danfoss, a major Danish industrial technology company specializing in climate control and refrigeration systems. The vulnerability appears to have allowed attackers to gain unauthorized access to networked freezer controls across multiple retail locations simultaneously.

Danfoss has not yet issued a public statement regarding the incident. Cybersecurity experts have warned that vulnerabilities in industrial control systems used by retailers and food distributors pose significant risks to supply chains and food safety infrastructure.

The attack underscores growing concerns about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure to organized cyber threats, particularly in sectors managing perishable goods dependent on precise temperature control.