(Image not related to article) [123RF]
(Image not related to article) [123RF]

A cyberattack that drove refrigerator temperatures as high as 50 degrees Celsius at supermarket chains across France has damaged hundreds of stores, with the French government tallying roughly 700 affected locations.

Economy Minister Roland Lescure told parliament Tuesday that about 700 of France's roughly 10,000 supermarkets had been hit, according to AP and Reuters.

Lescure said the attack had "struck at the heart of our food security" and called it "a wake-up call for everyone."

However, he said there was no risk to France's food supply as a result of the incident.

The Paris prosecutor's office said its cybercrime unit had taken charge of the investigation. It added that the scale of damage — including spoiled food and store fires — was still being assessed.

Hacking groups typically claim responsibility after an attack or demand a ransom in exchange for stolen data, but no group has come forward to claim this one, leaving investigators puzzled, a source told Reuters.

Other countries may also be affected

Les Mousquetaires, which operates the Intermarché chain, said hackers remotely raised refrigerator temperatures to as high as 50 degrees Celsius, forcing the disposal of all affected food products due to health risks.

Coopérative U also said more than 100 of its stores were affected. Its CEO, Dominique Schelcher, wrote on X that targeting "equipment essential to preserving fresh food and supplying the French people" was "an extremely serious and unprecedented act."

Les Mousquetaires identified Danish refrigeration company Danfoss as the firm managing its systems.

Danfoss said it was "aware of what happened in France" and was working with customers on mitigation measures.

The French prime minister's office told Reuters that other European countries may also have been affected and that France was cooperating with its European partners.

Felix Aimé, a senior cyber threat intelligence analyst at Sekoia Threat Detection Lab, said Spain, Portugal, Poland, Germany and Belgium also appeared to have suffered damage.


yul@heraldcorp.com