A recent cyberattack in France forced multiple grocery stores to waste large quantities of perishable food items. Hackers manipulated the temperature controls of refrigerators across several popular chain brands, including Carrefour, Monoprix, Les Mousquetaires, E. Leclerc, and Coopérative U.
The CEO of Coopérative U confirmed this breach in a statement on X, highlighting its impact on cold production facilities within the network. This event marks a serious and unprecedented threat to the preservation of fresh products, an issue deemed unacceptable by many.
The Paris prosecutor’s office labeled the attack as “large-scale,” affecting connected refrigeration systems in several major retail brands in France. Carrefour reported around 80 affected stores, while Monoprix indicated that 5% of its 490 stores faced similar issues.
Reports revealed that Les Mousquetaires’ refrigeration units reached temperatures of 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) for up to six hours, leading to the disposal of all compromised food items. Though the financial implications are yet to be fully assessed, estimates suggest losses could exceed 10 million euros, amounting to approximately $11.2 million. Investigations are underway to determine the hackers’ motives and prevent future breaches.
Danish manufacturer Danfoss, responsible for many of the targeted systems, acknowledged that the affected equipment largely consisted of legacy products lacking software or security updates. Their recommendation for upgrading outdated firmware had gone unheeded by some purchasers.
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu directed the National Cyber Security Agency (ANSSI) to investigate, identifying a software vulnerability in products supplied by a Danish company. Steps to enhance food security are urged at every operational level in response to what Christophe Hansen, the European Union’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Food, regards as a weaponization of food safety.
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