Hackers heat French supermarket fridges, sparking fires and spoiling food

Live updates

1. 53m ago

   Cyberattack heats French supermarket fridges to 50C, causing fires and food loss

   Hackers compromised refrigeration systems at hundreds of French supermarkets, raising temperatures to 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) overnight. The attack triggered fires and mass food spoilage across several hundred stores. Les Mousquetaires, owner of Intermarché, reported that approximately 150 of its stores were targeted, with fridges heated for six hours. The incident is described as unprecedented and has prompted the French government to order a cybersecurity probe while coordinating with European Union partners to assess broader corporate risks.

   Why it matters

   This attack represents a physical security breach achieved through digital means, moving beyond data theft to cause tangible infrastructure damage. The method involved overriding controls to activate automatic defrosting. Similar disruptions occurred at about a dozen U.S. military commissaries in late August.

   What is confirmed

   • Hackers raised temperatures in hundreds of French supermarket refrigerators and freezers to 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) overnight.
   • The cyberattack caused fires and significant food losses.
   • Les Mousquetaires, the owner of Intermarché, stated that fridges at around 150 stores were heated for six hours.
   • The French government has ordered a cybersecurity probe and is coordinating with EU partners.

   Still unconfirmed

   • Store and delivery prices were impacted by the incident.

   What to watch next

   • Results of the French government cybersecurity probe
   • Confirmation of attacks in other European countries
   • Identification of the hacking group responsible for the breach
   Sources used for this update (23)

   1. www.cnn.com — Breaking News, Latest News and Videos | CNN
   2. Reuters — Hackers heat French supermarket fridges, sparking fires and spoiling food
   3. BBC — Fridges in French supermarkets hit by cyber attack
   4. CBS News — Hackers turn up the heat in refrigerators at hundreds of supermarkets in France, sparking fires and food losses
   5. KSL News — French supermarket chain Intermarche hit by cyberattack, 150 stores targeted
   6. The Guardian — Hackers force French supermarket fridges to heat up to 50C in ‘unprecedented’ cyber-attack
   7. Tom's Hardware — 'Unprecedented' Cyberattack cripples supermarket fridges across Europe as hackers activate automatic defrosting — delivery and store prices also impacted by incident
   8. CNET — Cyberattack Targets French Supermarket Refrigerators, Forcing Mass Food Disposal
   9. Bloomberg.com — French Supermarket Refrigeration Sites Hit by Cyberattacks
   10. Tech Xplore — French supermarkets suffer refrigerator shutdown after 'unprecedented' cyberattack
   11. CBC — Cyberattack defrosts French supermarket freezers, spoiling food at 100s of stores
   12. Al Jazeera — ‘Unprecedented’ cyberattack hits French supermarkets, causing food losses
   confidence 90%