Cyberattack hits refrigeration systems at about 700 French supermarkets

In the night of 11–12 October 2026, hackers remotely took control of refrigeration regulation systems at roughly 700 supermarket sites across France, out of about 10,000 in the country. The affected controllers were made by Danfoss, a Danish firm, and by Copeland, a US company that owns the Dixell brand.

According to French media reports, the intruders disrupted temperature settings, including forcing defrost cycles and raising temperatures well above normal levels. Stores lost large quantities of fresh and frozen food, and some fires were reported. Several major retail groups, including Carrefour, Coopérative U and the Mousquetaires group (Intermarché, Netto), said some of their shops were affected.

The French cybersecurity agency said it was aware of numerous compromises of remote-control modules for refrigeration units. The manufacturers said that many of the affected devices were older, end-of-life models that no longer received security updates. The Paris prosecutor's office opened an investigation.

The attack mattered because it showed how weaknesses in industrial control equipment connected to the internet could cause physical damage and disrupt everyday food supply. At the time, the precise method of intrusion and the identity of those responsible had not been publicly established.