French supermarkets suffer refrigerator shutdown after 'unprecedented' cyberattack

Major French supermarket chains were hit by a cyberattack on Monday that targeted refrigeration and freezer units, according to France 24 and DW English (Top Stories). The attack, which reportedly exploited outdated control systems, caused temperatures in some refrigerators to rise as high as 50 degrees Celsius for more than six hours.

Channel News Asia reports that more than 400 outlets were affected, and retailers such as Intermarché stated they had to discard all fresh and frozen products. The Paris prosecutor's office confirmed the large-scale attack and noted that fires had been reported at some locations.

The disruption affected several major retailers, including Carrefour, Monoprix, Leclerc, Cooperative U, and Les Mousquetaires. DW English (Top Stories) reported that the attack involved defrosting thousands of units across these chains. While Leclerc stated the attack affected one of its refrigeration equipment suppliers, the office of Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu reportedly identified a software vulnerability from a Danish company and has contacted the vendor.

ABC News AU reports that the attack may extend beyond France, with senior cyber threat intelligence analyst Felix Aime stating that Spain, Portugal, Poland, Germany, and Belgium have also been affected. In response, the French National Cybersecurity Agency (ANSSI) has been instructed to investigate, and authorities are coordinating with European counterparts to assess risks to other companies.

Brief written by urgent.news from France 24, ABC News AU, Channel News Asia, DW English (Top Stories), DW News — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.