A fridge hack spoiled food in hundreds of French supermarkets.
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hack → spoil → supermarkets
Cybersecurity experts say it's a wake-up call
Hackers may have targeted out-of-date firmware that remotely controls fridge temperatures
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that → say → temperatures
The cyberattack on French supermarkets earlier this week that ultimately spoiled hundreds of fridges worth of food should be a wake-up call about the vulnerabilities of digitized systems and devices that are connected to the internet, cybersecurity experts say.
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experts → spoil → internet
"The more we rely on connected technology, the more we need to keep in mind the crucial aspect that is their security and privacy," said Montreal-based cybersecurity expert Steven Lachance.
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Lachance → rely → aspect
The attack appeared to target centralized control systems that allow the temperature of fridges to be changed remotely.
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temperature → appear → fridges
Hackers were able to access those controls and jack up fridge temperatures at hundreds of grocery stores — in some cases as high as 50 C — causing their contents to spoil, and potentially causing fires.
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contents → access → fires
The Paris prosecutor's office said Tuesday that its cybercrime unit was investigating the large-scale attack to determine the extent of the damage and pin down the hackers behind it.
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unit → say → it
No group has claimed responsibility so far, nor was there a ransom demand, according to Reuters.
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group → claim → Reuters
Here's what you need to know about the supermarket cyberattack and what it shows about the vulnerability of our tech — from commercial systems to household devices.
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it → need → devices
What happened in France?
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What → happen → France
Toronto-based tech and cybersecurity analyst Ritesh Kotak says the fridges in stores are usually connected to the internet through a centralized panel that allows metrics like temperature to be monitored and adjusted remotely.
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metrics → base → temperature
Dominique Schelcher, CEO of Coopérative U, one of the affected French grocery store chains, said on social media that its fridges are connected to the internet in this way in order to monitor temperatures around the clock "in the event of an anomaly."
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fridges → say → anomaly
On Monday, France's national cybersecurity agency, ANSSI, said it was aware of numerous refrigerator control panels being compromised.
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it → say → panels
ANSSI said the remote monitoring systems targeted were made by a Dutch company called Danfoss.
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systems → say → company
The cybersecurity agency later said similar systems made by Copeland and Dixell were also targeted.
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systems → say → Copeland
The placard reads: "Important information.
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placard → read → information
Our store has been hacked, and our refrigeration system has been affected."
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system → hack → ?
Danfoss told news agencies on Monday that the affected units were running "outdated firmware," or had "reached end of life and no longer receive software or security updates."
Cybersecurity firm Claroty published a report in August detailing a vulnerability with Danfoss's firmware that could allow hackers to bypass the standard login process and gain access in order to make changes remotely.
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hackers → tell → changes
Danfoss released a patch to fix the vulnerability shortly afterwards and urged users to install it.
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Danfoss → release → it
"These vulnerabilities should be considered serious," the company said in its security advisory at the time.
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company → consider → time
The exact mechanism used to hack the fridge controllers in France is still unknown, but experts say it appears as though a failure to implement Danfoss's updates, as well as interfaces being left open to the internet, enabled it.
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failure → use → it
Kotak says out-of-date firmware in particular would have made the hack easy to pull off.
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hack → say → date
Firmware updates are sent out once a vulnerability has been detected — so when customers are made aware they need to implement an update, hackers become aware of the problem, too.
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hackers → send → problem
"As a hacker, you will be able to know exactly what those vulnerabilities are and write code to exploit those exact vulnerabilities," Kotak said.
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Kotak → know → vulnerabilities
For that reason, Kotak says, implementing security updates quickly is really important.
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implementing → say → updates
French Finance Minister Roland Lescure told the country's parliament on Tuesday that about 700 of the country's 10,000 supermarkets were affected.
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700 → tell → supermarkets
He said there was no risk to France's food supplies but acknowledged the attack "touches the heart of our food security.
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attack → say → security
"
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FBI → take → case
But Kotak points out this is not the first such attack on the food distribution system.
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this → point → system
In 2021, for example, JBS — a major global supplier of meats — was hit by a cyberattack that temporarily shut down operations in Canada, the U.S. and Australia.
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that → hit → Canada
In 2025, United Natural Foods, Inc. — one of the biggest distributors of organic food — experienced an attack that led to significant shortages at Whole Foods.
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that → experience → Foods
Also Tuesday, Dutch supermarket giant Ahold Delhaize said it was working to restore systems it had shut down following a security incident that began on Sunday night — one the Dutch cybersecurity watchdog NCSC said it did not believe was linked to the French supermarket hack.
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it → say → hack
"This is something that unfortunately we're going to see more of," Kotak said.
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Kotak → go → more
"What's happened in France needs to be a wake-up call that we need to take this seriously.
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we → happen → this
"
The food system's importance makes it a big potential target for an attack, he adds — and with processing, packaging and logistics becoming increasingly digitized, more possible avenues open up for hackers to try to gain access.
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hackers → make → access
Kotak says helping food businesses become more digitally literate — so they employ safety-related updates and respond quickly when cyber incidents arise — is part of the solution.
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incidents → say → solution
It needs to be something that's continuously being invested [in]" Kotak said.
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Kotak → need → ?
Lachance, the Montreal-based expert, says the situation in France should serve as a reminder that any devices connected to the internet could in theory be hacked.
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devices → base → theory
As internet connectivity becomes baked into more kinds of devices — both at a commercial level and a residential level with "smart" appliances, including thermostats, fridges, dishwashers and even lightbulbs — they can become vulnerable, he says.
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he → bake → thermostats
"There is the convenience of this centralized control," Lachance said.
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Lachance → be → control
…and 7 more, not listed.
The Aporia
