Cyberattack Targets French Supermarket Refrigerators
A woman walks past empty fresh-food refrigerators at an Intermarché supermarket in Névez, western France, on October 12, 2026, following a cyberattack affecting the French supermarket chains Intermarché and Cooperative U that caused their refrigerators to defrost. Some 150 to 200 Intermarché stores were targeted in the attack on October 12, 2026, along with nearly 100 Coopérative U outlets, the retailers said. BFM TV reported that rival giant E. Leclerc was also affected, with hackers "managing to remotely trigger the forced defrosting of refrigeration systems in numerous stores." (Photo by Fred TANNEAU / AFP via Getty Images)
Hundreds of supermarkets across France, including E. Leclerc, Intermarche, and Cooperative U, experienced a coordinated cyberattack early Monday morning. Hackers exploited outdated firmware in Danfoss AK-SM800 and AK-SC355 system controllers to force refrigeration units into defrost mode, raising temperatures to 50 degrees Celsius.
The incident caused mass food spoilage and triggered fires in some locations. Authorities are currently investigating the breach of these internet-connected operational technology systems.