Major European supermarket chains experienced a cyberattack targeting Danfoss cooling control systems. The breach forced refrigeration units into a continuous defrost cycle, raising temperatures to 50 degrees Celsius.
The incident affected French retailers Intermarché, Leclerc, and Coopérative U on the night of October 12. Dominique Schelcher, president of Coopérative U, confirmed the damage to equipment responsible for food storage.
Initial damage estimates for the French stores are set at €300,000, with total national losses potentially reaching several million euros. The full scale of the affected store count remains currently unknown.
Separately, Dutch chains Albert Heijn, Etos, and Gall & Gall, along with Belgian retailer Delhaize, faced system failures on Sunday. These incidents disrupted websites, supply chains, and electronic price tags.
While the connection between the French and Dutch attacks is unconfirmed, the method of weaponizing cooling infrastructure to cause spoilage is unprecedented in the retail sector.
