Overview
- Operators at the Intermarché in Ensuès‑la‑Redonne reported 5.76 tonnes of fresh and frozen food discarded and about €60,000 in merchandise losses after six refrigeration controllers were taken over.
- Store staff said the hacked controllers triggered continuous defrosting and raised temperatures to extremes, with a negative cold room measured at 51.9°C, frozen cabinets near 30°C, and fresh sections around 16°C.
- French authorities and CERT‑FR have identified affected equipment from manufacturers including Danfoss, Copeland and Dixell, and cybersecurity agencies warned that exposed management interfaces and unpatched devices increase risk.
- Broad reporting says hundreds of stores were touched by the incident and major retail groups warn of large national losses and potential insurance gaps for food spoiled by such attacks.
- Investigations and fixes are expected to focus on disconnecting or tightly filtering remote access, updating obsolete firmware, and auditing contracts that allow vendors remote control of refrigeration systems.