Cyberattack Disrupts Refrigeration Systems At Hundreds Of French Supermarkets

A cyberattack targeting supermarket refrigeration equipment has caused widespread disruption across France, leaving hundreds of stores facing spoiled inventory, financial losses and potentially costly equipment damage, according to France 24.

Roughly 150 to 200 Intermarché locations and nearly 100 Coopérative U stores were caught up in the incident, which allowed attackers to interfere with temperature controls remotely. E. Leclerc, France's largest supermarket operator, was also reportedly affected, while Carrefour Market and Monoprix have been identified as possible additional targets, according to AFP and BFM TV.

Rather than stealing customer information or demanding ransom, the attackers apparently focused on destroying physical inventory. Refrigeration systems were reportedly forced into abnormal operating conditions, rendering substantial quantities of perishable merchandise unsellable. Some equipment was allegedly pushed into continuous defrost cycles, with temperatures reaching 122°F. Two stores in Alsace alone reportedly sustained approximately €270,000 in losses, according to La Dépêche du Midi.

Coopérative U chief Dominique Schelcher described the incident as unlike anything the industry had previously experienced. Beyond the immediate destruction of food, retailers now face questions about insurance coverage, operational recovery and the security of increasingly interconnected store equipment.

The report says that French authorities have launched a criminal investigation, with prosecutors examining the scale of the losses and reports that some refrigeration units caught fire.

The episode illustrates how cyberattacks are increasingly capable of inflicting damage well beyond computer networks. By exploiting connected industrial equipment, attackers can disrupt everyday commerce, destroy valuable goods and potentially threaten critical infrastructure without ever physically entering a facility.

The incident comes as France intensifies efforts to defend essential infrastructure against foreign interference, including potential Russian hybrid operations. However, no public evidence has established who was responsible for this particular attack, according to AFP.