Cyberattack Spoils Food at Supermarkets Across Europe by Changing Refrigeration Settings
Summary
A cyberattack reportedly changed refrigeration controller settings, spoiling food at hundreds of European supermarkets. The attack’s connection to previously disclosed Danfoss vulnerabilities has not been confirmed.
Key points
- Refrigerators and freezers at supermarket locations were reportedly set to defrost overnight, with some equipment reaching 50°C.
- More than 300 locations in France were reportedly affected; retailers in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, and Spain were also hit.
- Affected chains included Auchan, Carrefour, E.Leclerc, Intermarché, Monoprix, and Cooperative U brands.
- Some equipment reportedly remained at elevated temperatures for about six hours before staff discovered the issue.
- Reported losses could reach millions of euros. Groupe Casino said affected products whose storage conditions were uncertain were withdrawn from sale.
- Attackers reportedly compromised Danfoss refrigeration controllers, but it is unclear whether they used vulnerabilities disclosed in the AK-SM 800A platform.
- Claroty recommended upgrading AK-SM 800A systems to firmware R4.3.1, which includes patches for the disclosed flaws.
Article Details
- Victim Organization
- Auchan, Carrefour, E.Leclerc, Intermarché, Monoprix, and Cooperative U supermarkets
- Incident Type
- Cyberattack involving remote compromise of refrigeration controllers and changes to refrigerator and freezer settings, reportedly causing equipment to defrost.
- Operational Impact
- Refrigerators and freezers reportedly warmed to 50°C, with some equipment affected for six hours before staff discovered the issue. Food products were spoiled or withdrawn from sale. More than 300 supermarket locations across France were reportedly affected; losses were estimated to reach millions of euros.
- Ransom Or Extortion
- None reported.
- Claim Status
- confirmed
People
Vendors
Products
Countries
BelgiumMost of the damage was done in France, but food retailers in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, and Spain were also affected.FranceMost of the damage was done in France, but food retailers in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, and Spain were also affected.GermanyMost of the damage was done in France, but food retailers in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, and Spain were also affected.NetherlandsMost of the damage was done in France, but food retailers in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, and Spain were also affected.PolandMost of the damage was done in France, but food retailers in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, and Spain were also affected.PortugalMost of the damage was done in France, but food retailers in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, and Spain were also affected.SpainMost of the damage was done in France, but food retailers in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, and Spain were also affected.