Hackers took over refrigeration controllers at more than 250 French supermarkets this week and locked display cases into defrost mode, spoiling fresh and frozen stock, reported Reuters. France’s national cybersecurity agency warned that many controllers made by Danfoss, Copeland and Dixell, a Copeland brand, had been compromised.
Les Mousquetaires, which owns Intermarché and Netto, said refrigeration cases at its stores ran as hot as 122°F for about six hours overnight. The incident also affected supermarkets in Spain, Portugal, Poland, Germany and Belgium, Reuters reported, citing a cybersecurity analyst.
Les Mousquetaires expects losses of “several million euros”. Intermarché told AFP its insurance does not cover this type of incident. A single large hypermarket could lose up to about $223,000, according to Coopérative U CEO Dominique Schelcher.
Danfoss said most affected units were its AK-SM800 and AK-SC355 system managers, legacy products that no longer receive software or security updates. Danfoss ended support for the AK-SM800 in 2021 and phased out the AK-SC355 in 2016. Some newer AK-SM800A units were running outdated firmware, the company said.
Danfoss runs its North American operations from Baltimore, but no US grocery stores have been reported hit by the attack. The incident puts US grocers on notice as retailers rely on connected refrigeration systems to protect perishable stock.
The vulnerabilities have drawn attention before. US cybersecurity officials warned last year of an authentication bypass in the AK-SM800A. Researchers at Claroty later detailed a hidden login that accepts a password generated from the date. They found 2,765 controllers exposed to the public internet. Danfoss has since released firmware to fix the flaw.
No one has claimed responsibility. PM Sébastien Lecornu asked France’s cybersecurity agency, ANSSI, to investigate. Paris prosecutors have also opened an investigation.
