Imagine showing up for your morning shift at a supermarket, expecting the usual chilly air from the frozen food section, and getting hit by a wave of hot air instead. That is exactly what happened to grocery store workers across France on Monday morning.
A massive, coordinated cyberattack targeted the digital systems controlling refrigeration units in hundreds of French supermarkets. Instead of keeping food cold, the hacked software did the exact opposite. Over the course of Sunday night, the systems were manipulated to pump heat into refrigerators and freezers, spoiling vast amounts of fresh and frozen food. The total damage is expected to reach millions of euros.
A Meltdown in the Aisles
The hackers behind the breach managed to take remote control of the specialized software that regulates temperatures. They did not just turn the cooling off; they turned the heat way up. In some locations, temperatures inside the commercial freezers soared to 50°C (120°F) and stayed there for up to six hours.
The aftermath was a disaster for store managers. Melted ice cream, spoiled meats, and warm dairy products had to be thrown out immediately to prevent any health risks. On French social media and local news, images circulated of thermometers inside supermarket freezers displaying a balmy 26.5°C. It was a total loss for many local branches.
Just two supermarkets in the Alsace region reported losing a combined €270,000 (£228,000) in ruined inventory. With hundreds of stores hit nationwide, the overall financial blow to the French retail sector will easily run into the millions.
Retail Giants Hit Hard
The scale of the attack is unprecedented. Coopérative U, one of France’s major retail groups, confirmed that more than 100 of its supermarkets were affected. Dominique Schelcher, the company’s chief executive, described the cyberattack as “extremely serious and unprecedented.” He confirmed that refrigeration specialists were working alongside store staff to get the systems back online and secure.
Another major chain, Intermarché, along with its discount brand Netto, bore the brunt of the disruption. At least 300 of their stores were targeted. Local media reports suggest other household names in French retail, including Carrefour, E.Leclerc, and Monoprix, were also hit in the digital wave.
For supermarket employees, Monday was spent clearing out shelves and filling trash bins with ruined food rather than serving customers. Intermarché confirmed it threw away every piece of affected food to guarantee customer safety.
The Weaponisation of Food
This incident has raised major alarms about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure. While many cyberattacks target financial data or hold networks for ransom, this attack directly struck the physical food supply. Dominique Schelcher expressed deep anger over the incident, calling the targeting of essential food infrastructure “unacceptable.”
The European Union’s Food Commissioner, Christophe Hansen, also chimed in, warning that food security is becoming a target. In a statement posted on social media, Hansen said that “the weaponisation of food has become a reality” and called for stronger security measures at all levels.
Inquiry Underway
The Paris prosecutor’s office is treating the incident with high priority. They have launched a formal, large-scale investigation into what they described as a coordinated cyberattack targeting major food retail chains across the country.
For now, investigators have not named any suspects or revealed a potential motive behind the hack. No group has publicly claimed responsibility for the disruption. Meanwhile, supermarket chains are working to upgrade their digital defenses, hoping to ensure that their cooling systems are never turned into ovens again.