Hackers heat French supermarket fridges, sparking fires and spoiling food

Hackers manipulated the temperature of refrigerators and freezers in hundreds of French supermarkets, causing temperatures to rise as high as 50 degrees Celsius overnight. This led to fires and spoiled food. The Paris prosecutor's office reported that the attack affected several major food retailers across France, leading to significant food losses and fires.

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu ordered the National Cybersecurity Agency (ANSSI) to investigate the incident. France is coordinating with European counterparts, as other countries may also be impacted. Several retailers, including Carrefour, Monoprix, and Les Mousquetaires, reported that their stores were affected. Intermarche, owned by Les Mousquetaires, had fridges heated up to 50 C for six hours, and all affected food was discarded.

Some supermarkets have already resumed operations, but many are still dealing with the aftermath of the attack. Cybersecurity experts believe the vulnerability lies in outdated firmware supplied by Danish company Danfoss. The retail association Eurocommerce called for full transparency from Danfoss about the incident, emphasizing the importance of supply chain resilience.