In a brazen and unprecedented cyber attack that has sent shockwaves through France’s food retail sector, hundreds of supermarket locations across the country have fallen victim to hackers who deliberately compromised temperature control systems for cold storage units, leading to massive food spoilage and potential multi-million euro losses.
The attack targeted outdated remote temperature management software developed by Danish engineering firm Danfoss, which is widely used by major French grocery chains to regulate refrigerators and freezers across their store networks. Hackers were able to seize full control of the systems, forcing cold units to rise to dangerous, warm temperatures over an extended period rather than the brief, controlled temperature increase that happens during standard overnight defrost cycles.
According to official statements from affected retailers, Intermarché and its discount brand Netto reported disruptions at 180 stores, with an additional 100 locations hastily disconnected from the internet as a preemptive protective measure. Coopérative U CEO Dominique Schelcher described the incident as “extremely serious and unprecedented,” confirming that more than 100 of the chain’s outlets were targeted. Other major national retailers including Carrefour, Monoprix, and E.Leclerc also confirmed breaches: Carrefour reported 80 of its 6,000 French stores were affected, while roughly 5% of Monoprix’s 400-plus locations suffered attacks.
Across affected locations, temperatures inside freezers and refrigerated display cases climbed as high as 50°C (120°F) and held at that level for up to six hours overnight into Monday, according to Intermarché representatives. When store managers arrived for opening on Monday morning, they were greeted by blasts of hot air pouring from malfunctioning cold units, with some locations even reporting small electrical fires sparked by the overheating systems. Two stores in the Alsace region alone have already reported combined losses of €270,000, leading industry observers to project that total nationwide losses could reach millions of euros. All spoiled fresh and frozen products have been discarded to avoid public health risks, and some display units remained out of service as of Monday afternoon, with stores working to restock shelves quickly.
Danfoss later confirmed that the compromised systems were older model refrigeration units whose security software could not be updated to patch a previously identified vulnerability. The company noted that it had “long advised” businesses operating outdated, unsupported infrastructure to upgrade their systems to maintain security, adding that it is committed to supporting affected customers as they work to restore operations.
To date, around 400 stores out of the roughly 15,000 total supermarkets operating across France have been confirmed affected, though authorities note the full scale of the breach is still being assessed. French national prosecutors have launched a formal cyber-crime investigation into the incident, which the Paris prosecutor’s office has labeled a “large-scale cyber-attack affecting the refrigerators of several major food retail chains across France.”
The attack has already drawn international attention, with European Food Commissioner Christophe Hansen condemning the hack on social media platform X, warning that “Food security requires more attention at all levels. Because the weaponisation of food has become a reality.” Coopérative U CEO Schelcher echoed that condemnation, saying that targeting critical infrastructure tied to the nation’s food supply is “unacceptable” and calling for a full, thorough investigation into the breach. Store teams across the country remain fully mobilized alongside refrigeration and cybersecurity specialists to restore normal operations as quickly as possible.