Paris Prosecutors Launch Investigation: French Supermarket Refrigeration Units Hit by Cyberattack, Temperatures Soared to 80 Degrees

Paris Prosecutors announced they have launched an investigation into a cyberattack affecting the linked refrigeration systems of major food retailers across France. The attack took place during the night of October 11-12.

According to Milliyet and AFP, the attackers gained remote access to the supermarkets' cooling systems and extended the automatic defrost cycle from one hour to eight hours. While alarm systems activated late, temperatures in some stores' cold storage rooms rose to 50 degrees. In an Intermarché store located in La Haye in the Manche region, temperatures reached 80 degrees, resulting in equipment melting.

The attack followed an unusual profile in that it aimed to collapse the food chain directly rather than target customer data or bank accounts. Distribution operations at Les Mousquetaires group, Intermarché's parent company, were also disrupted.

French retailers' refrigeration infrastructure had previously been flagged in reports as a cybersecurity vulnerability; however, a coordinated attack of this scale was documented for the first time. Total damages are estimated to reach millions of euros, and the investigation is ongoing.