Cyberattack on French supermarkets causes millions in losses

caution signage — Andreas Schantl / Unsplash

A cyberattack targeted the refrigeration systems of major French supermarket chains, including Carrefour, Monoprix, and Intermarche. The incident resulted in spoiled products and fires, causing significant financial damage.

Carrefour reported that 80 of its units were affected. Monoprix stated that 5 percent of its stores in the country were impacted. Intermarche identified that refrigerators in 150 locations were heated for six hours during the early morning. The company's chief executive officer estimated the nationwide loss at tens of thousands of euros.

Cybercriminals increased the temperature of the refrigerators to as high as 50 degrees Celsius. Products were discarded due to health concerns. The French National Cybersecurity Agency is investigating the case.

The primary hypothesis is that the offensive targeted the management systems of the refrigerators. Supermarkets typically use internet-connected solutions to allow remote access for temperature adjustments and maintenance. The investigation identified a vulnerability in the software of the Danish company Danfoss, which develops solutions in this segment. A report by the security firm Team82 published in August identified a breach that allowed remote code execution on some Danfoss controllers. The company published an update to fix the problem at that time.

In a statement, Danfoss acknowledged an incident involving refrigeration management systems in units with outdated firmware. The company advised clients to keep their systems updated with the latest version.