Hundreds of supermarkets across France were hit by a cyberattack overnight on Sunday, October 11, that disrupted refrigeration systems and caused food losses.

Hackers remotely triggered defrosting systems, raising temperatures in some refrigerators and freezers to 50°C (122°F) for several hours.

The incident also resulted in fires at some locations, according to the Paris prosecutor’s office. The attack affected major retailers, including Intermarché, Netto, Coopérative U, Carrefour, Monoprix and E.Leclerc.

French authorities have launched an investigation, while retailers have discarded affected food to prevent health risks.

Les Mousquetaires, the owner of Intermarché and Netto, reported that around 150 of its stores were affected. Carrefour said 80 supermarkets had been hit, while Monoprix reported disruptions at around 5% of its approximately 490 stores in France. More than 100 Coopérative U outlets were also reportedly targeted, alongside several E.Leclerc stores.

Intermarché chief executive Thierry Cotillard told French broadcaster BFM TV that the attack could result in losses worth “tens of millions of euros nationwide in a single day”. The total financial impact across the industry has not been confirmed.

The attackers targeted connected refrigeration management systems that allow supermarkets to monitor and control temperatures remotely. The affected equipment reportedly included controllers manufactured by Danish engineering company Danfoss.

Danfoss said some affected systems were running outdated firmware and belonged to older product generations that no longer received software or security updates. The company said it had advised customers to update supported systems and replace older equipment.

Cybersecurity firm Claroty’s Team82 published research in August detailing vulnerabilities in a Danfoss controller that could allow attackers to bypass authentication controls and execute code on compromised devices.

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