Cyberattack on Supermarkets in France Causes Refrigeration Failures and Food Spoilage

<p>On October 14, 2026, a cyberattack targeted refrigeration systems at approximately 700 supermarkets across France, leading to significant malfunctions. This resulted in the spoilage of large quantities of perishable goods and, in some instances, fires.</p><p>French authorities reported that the attack compromised Internet-connected controllers used for remote management of refrigeration systems. The attackers activated defrosters, allowing temperatures to rise to 50° Celsius (122° Fahrenheit). The breach was discovered after food spoilage had occurred and electrical systems had caught fire in some cases.</p><h2>Security Vulnerabilities Identified</h2><p>According to security advisories and research reports, the controller models involved in the incident, produced by Danfoss of Denmark and Dixell, a subsidiary of Copeland in the United States, had critical vulnerabilities. These flaws enabled attackers to gain remote access with administrative rights. For instance, Danfoss controllers previously utilized a daily-changing credential system, where passwords were generated based on the date. A hacker could exploit this by analyzing the firmware code, allowing access to devices that had not received recent updates. The daily passwords were consistent across multiple models used in numerous stores.</p>