French supermarket fridges heated to 50C in cyber attack - causing fires and food losses

A cyber attack has affected hundreds of French supermarkets, causing their refrigeration units to overheat and spoil millions of euros worth of fresh and frozen food, according to wire reports. Hackers reportedly gained control of the software regulating the temperatures, leading some fridges and freezers to heat up to 50C (120F) overnight.

The Coopérative U's chief executive, Dominique Schelcher, confirmed that several of its supermarkets were targeted, with over 100 of Coopérative U's stores affected. At least 300 stores from Intermarché and its Netto brand were also impacted, as reported by AFP.

Intermarché reported that its fridges had heated up to 50C for six hours overnight into Monday, forcing the retailer to discard all affected products to prevent health risks, per Reuters. Some supermarket staff described waves of hot air when opening freezer units on Monday morning. A visual from BFMTV showed a freezer in an ice cream aisle displaying a temperature of 26.5C. Two supermarkets in Alsace reported losses of €270,000 (£228,000) between them, with the nationwide total potentially reaching millions.

French authorities have launched an investigation into the incident, described as a "large-scale cyber-attack" affecting major food retail chains across the country. European Food Commissioner Christophe Hansen condemned the hack on X, emphasizing the need for increased attention to food security. Coopérative U's CEO called for an investigation into the hack, emphasizing the unacceptable targeting of essential equipment for the French food supply.

The full scale of the attack remains unclear, with reports suggesting other food giants, including Carrefour, E.Leclerc, and Monoprix, were also affected.