Between the evening of October 11 and the early hours of October 12, a sophisticated cyberattack targeted the connected refrigeration systems of hundreds of supermarkets across France. The hackers capitalized on software vulnerabilities at Denmark's Danfoss, exploiting them to remotely take control of temperature regulation mechanisms. By forcing the systems into a perpetual defrost mode and setting temperatures to a scorching 50°C, the attackers caused widespread havoc. The extreme temperatures resulted in the spoilage and subsequent disposal of vast quantities of fresh and frozen goods, and even triggered fires in some freezer units.

The supermarkets affected include 80 Carrefour stores, 30 Monoprix outlets, approximately 300 Intermarché and its Netto brand locations, over 100 Coopérative U stores, and several E.Leclerc branches. In response to the incident, French Prime Minister Lecornu has directed the National Cybersecurity Agency to initiate a thorough investigation. The agency will also evaluate whether other French companies are similarly vulnerable to such cyber threats. The economic toll of this attack is estimated to potentially run into tens of millions of euros, marking a significant blow to the affected retailers and the broader French economy.