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How hackers took down supermarket fridges across France in major cyberattack

Independent • October 12, 2026

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A major cyberattack targeting commercial refrigeration systems across France has left over 150 supermarkets facing millions of euros in food losses.

Hackers compromised Danfoss cooling control software across Intermarch e, E.Leclerc, and Coop erative U stores, raising temperatures up to 50C to spoil fresh produce.

Two affected stores in eastern France estimated combined stock losses of €270,000 (£225,000) after workers discovered the damaged inventory on Monday morning.

French cybersecurity agency ANSSI has launched an investigation into the breach, while software provider Danfoss noted that affected units were running outdated firmware.

Dutch retailer Ahold Delhaize also reported a separate cybersecurity incident that disrupted online grocery deliveries and store websites across the Netherlands and the US .

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This article is one source in a clustered incident — the cluster page carries the summary, timeline and every other outlet covering it.

Cyberattack on French Supermarkets Spoils Food by Heating Refrigerators A significant cyberattack occurred on October 11-12, 2026, targeting refrigeration systems at over 300 French supermarkets, including Intermarché, Coopérative U, and E. Leclerc. Hackers manipulated the systems to raise temperatures to 50°C (122°F), leading to extensive food spoilage and fires. The attack exploited vulnerabilities in outdated Danfoss refrigeration controllers, specifically the AK-SM800 and AK-SC355 models, which had not received security updates. Paris prosecutors have opened an investigation into the incident, which has been described as unprecedented and extremely serious by industry leaders. Initial estimates suggest losses could reach tens of millions of euros across the affected chains. The attack has raised concerns about the security of operational technology in the food supply chain. 77 sources 70

How hackers took down supermarket fridges across France in major cyberattack

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