A major cyberattack in France reportedly pushed the temperature of connected supermarket refrigerators to 50°C overnight, causing food to spoil and fires to be reported across several hundred stores. The incident has prompted a national investigation and raised concerns about the vulnerability of retail equipment linked to digital networks.
The Paris prosecutor's office said the attack was affecting connected refrigerators operated by several major food retailers in France. It said the reported damage included spoiled food and fires.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu ordered France's national cybersecurity agency, ANSSI, to investigate the incident. His office said France was coordinating with European counterparts because other countries could also be affected.
Retailers report widespread disruption
Le Mousquetaires, the owner of Intermarché, said about 150 of its stores were hit. The company said refrigerator temperatures reached 50°C for 6 hours. It discarded all affected food to avoid any health risk.
Cooperative U also confirmed that its supermarket network was affected. Chief Executive Officer Dominique Schelcher described the targeting of equipment important to France's food supply as serious and unprecedented.
The retailer said 80 of its supermarkets were affected. It also said most of its 6,000 stores were not impacted.
The reported incidents involved equipment used to store food, making the disruption directly relevant to retailers and shoppers. Discarding the affected products was described as a measure intended to prevent health risks, while the reported fires added a physical safety concern to the digital incident.
Netherlands security problem
Ahold Delhaize, which operates the Netherlands' largest supermarket chain, Albert Heijn, and has extensive operations in the United States, said its network had also experienced a security problem.
The company said it had shut down several systems as a security measure. Albert Heijn's smartphone app told customers that a cybersecurity incident had made grocery delivery unavailable.
Online orders account for about 10% of Albert Heijn's sales, according to the supplied report. The disruption therefore affected a part of the retailer's sales operation, although no wider impact was specified.
The French investigation and coordination with European counterparts are the next verified steps described in the report. The available information does not establish who carried out the attack or explain how the connected refrigeration systems were accessed.
Conclusion
The reported attack disrupted supermarket refrigeration in France, spoiled food and was linked to fires, while retailers in the Netherlands reported related security problems. French authorities have ordered an investigation and are coordinating with European counterparts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What happened in France?
A cyberattack reportedly raised the temperature of connected supermarket refrigerators to 50°C overnight. Food spoiled and fires were reported at several hundred stores.
Q. Who ordered the investigation?
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu ordered ANSSI to investigate the incident.
Q. How many Intermarché stores were affected?
Le Mousquetaires, Intermarché's owner, said about 150 stores were affected.
Q. How long did temperatures remain high at those stores?
The company said temperatures reached 50°C for 6 hours.
Q. How many Cooperative U stores were affected?
Cooperative U said 80 of its supermarkets were affected, while most of its 6,000 stores were not.
Q. Was the Netherlands affected?
Ahold Delhaize said its network experienced a security problem, and Albert Heijn temporarily could not provide grocery delivery through its app.
Q. Is the attacker known?
The supplied information does not identify who carried out the attack or explain how the refrigeration systems were accessed.
