Unprecedented Cyberattack Cripples Refrigeration Systems Across Hundreds of French Stores

Unknown attackers infiltrated refrigeration systems in hundreds of major French stores, driving temperatures inside fridges and freezers up to 50 degrees Celsius, spoiling food and sparking fires in a number of outlets.

Major retail chains confirmed the attack. The strike hit at least 300 stores belonging to Intermarché and Netto, more than 100 branches of Coopérative U, 80 Carrefour outlets, around 5 percent of Monoprix's roughly 490 branches, and a number of E.Leclerc stores.

The Paris public prosecutor's office described the attack as "large-scale," noting that it targeted "network-connected refrigeration units across several major food retail chains throughout France."

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu ordered the Agence Nationale de la Sécurité des Systèmes d'Information (ANSSI) to investigate the incident. France is coordinating with its European counterparts, as the possibility that the effects extend to other countries cannot be ruled out, while authorities continue to assess the damage.