Cyberattack spoils millions in food at hundreds of French supermarkets

Hundreds of supermarkets across France were hit by a cyberattack that remotely altered the temperatures of fridges and freezers, causing large quantities of fresh and frozen food to spoil. The incident began on Tuesday, when the first alarms rang in stores in Paris and Lyon. French authorities say the hackers targeted the refrigeration control systems in a coordinated assault.

The attack exploited outdated software that no longer received security updates. Many of the stores use legacy systems that were installed over a decade ago, and the vendors have stopped providing patches. Cyber‑security experts say that the lack of updates made the systems vulnerable to remote manipulation, allowing attackers to raise or lower temperatures and force food to go bad.

Major retailers such as Carrefour, Monoprix, E.Leclerc, and the Coopérative U were affected. Les Mousquetaires, the parent company of the Auchan and Intermarché chains, reported around 300 impacted stores. Early estimates put the losses at several million euros, with some outlets reporting fires caused by overheating. French police and the cyber‑crime unit have launched an investigation to identify the perpetrators and assess the full extent of the damage.

The incident highlights the growing risk of cyber‑attacks on critical infrastructure and the food supply chain. It raises questions about how quickly retailers can upgrade legacy systems and the cost of protecting everyday goods. Regulators are already considering new guidelines for software maintenance in commercial refrigeration, and the incident is likely to spark a broader debate about data security in the retail sector.