Cyberattack Manipulates Supermarket Refrigeration Controls, Spoiling Food Across France

Attackers reportedly manipulated supermarket refrigeration controllers in France, forcing stocked units into defrost cycles and destroying fresh food. Reports put the impact at approximately 700 stores, with additional European locations potentially affected. At Intermarché La Haye-du-Puits in Normandy, store director Julien Fréret reported temperatures reaching 122°F in refrigerated areas and 176°F in the fish section. The store discarded roughly 30 cubic meters of food worth $112,000, excluding equipment damage, and closed its fresh-food sections while keeping other operations open. Staff disconnected refrigeration monitoring software from the internet while retaining local monitoring.

Reportedly affected equipment included Danfoss AK-SM and AK-SC controllers and Copeland and Dixell xweb systems, including unsupported devices and current models running outdated firmware. The intrusion method remains unconfirmed: internet-exposed management interfaces, previously patched authentication weaknesses, and stolen credentials have been discussed, but no public evidence establishes the entry point. French authorities are investigating, and no group has claimed responsibility. The incident has also raised questions about manufacturer reporting obligations under the EU Cyber Resilience Act. Security guidance published by Waterfall recommends removing direct internet exposure, restricting remote access through VPNs and multifactor authentication, maintaining firewalls with default-deny policies, and backing up configurations. Longer-term priorities include IT/OT segmentation and tested recovery procedures that preserve refrigeration operations when connected IT systems are compromised.