Hundreds of supermarkets across France have been struck by a cyber attack that made fridges and freezers heat up, spoiling fresh and frozen produce estimated to be worth millions of euros.
Hackers reportedly seized control of the software that manages temperatures in refrigeration units, and in some stores the equipment climbed to 50C (120F) overnight. The full extent of the damage is still unclear.
Coopérative U and Intermarché among chains affected
The chief executive of Coopérative U said several of the group’s supermarkets had been hit, describing the incident as severe and without precedent. According to the AFP news agency, more than 100 of its stores were targeted, while at least 300 outlets belonging to Intermarché and its Netto brand were affected.
Intermarché said its refrigerated units reached 50C for six hours overnight into Monday. The retailer has thrown away all the affected food to limit possible health risks, according to Reuters.
Staff describe blasts of heat and Alsace losses
Some employees reportedly felt waves of hot air when they opened freezer units on Monday morning. BFMTV also shared an image of a freezer in an ice cream aisle showing a reading of 26.5C.
The broadcaster added that two supermarkets in the Alsace region reported combined losses of €270,000 (£228,000), suggesting the nationwide total could run into the millions.
Prosecutors open probe as other chains are named
The Paris prosecutor’s office told AFP it has opened an investigation, describing the incident as a large-scale cyber attack on refrigerators at several major food retail chains across France. European food commissioner Christophe Hansen condemned the hack in a post on X, warning that food security needs more attention at every level and that food is now being weaponised.
Specialist retail and local media reports also named Carrefour, E.Leclerc and Monoprix as targets, although the overall scale remains unclear. Coopérative chief executive Dominique Schelcher said on X that staff were working with refrigeration specialists to restore normal conditions as quickly as possible. He called for an inquiry and described the targeting of equipment essential to the French food supply as unacceptable.
