Ethical Hacking News
Cyberattacks on French supermarkets expose vulnerabilities in refrigeration systems, with temperatures reaching as high as 50°C (122°F) in affected stores. The attacks, which were reported to have occurred in multiple stores across France, resulted in the spoilage of perishable food and forced retailers to discard food. Experts say that the attacks on the refrigeration systems are a prime example of how industrial control systems can be exploited by cyberattacks, highlighting the need for organizations to take proactive measures to ensure that management interfaces are not insecurely connected to the internet.
Cyberattacks on French supermarkets' refrigeration systems exposed vulnerabilities, causing temperatures to rise and food spoilage. The attacks were attributed to outdated firmware and a predictable authentication method, which allowed attackers to gain administrative access. Experts warn that industrial control systems can be exploited by cyberattacks, and that many devices are directly exposed to the public internet. The attacks highlight the need for organizations to regularly update their systems and implement robust security measures to protect against cyberattacks. The incident has sparked concerns about the security of critical infrastructure in France and the need for proactive measures to prevent similar attacks.
Cyberattacks on French supermarkets have exposed vulnerabilities in refrigeration systems, with temperatures reaching as high as 50°C (122°F) in affected stores. The attacks, which were reported to have occurred in multiple stores across France, resulted in the spoilage of perishable food and forced retailers to discard food.
According to reports, the supermarkets affected by the attacks were using refrigeration controllers produced by the Danish company Danfoss. The company has stated that the affected stores were running outdated firmware, which was previously disclosed by Claroty. The vulnerabilities in question were easily scriptable and relied on a unique but predictable authentication method, which allowed anyone who reproduced the algorithm to generate a valid daily code and gain administrative access.
Experts say that the attacks on the refrigeration systems are a prime example of how industrial control systems can be exploited by cyberattacks. The research demonstrated by Claroty showed that compromised controllers could expose refrigeration systems to physical disruption, highlighting the need for organizations to take proactive measures to ensure that management interfaces are not insecurely connected to the internet.
"The industrial control systems such as refrigeration controllers are often assumed to be on safely isolated networks," said Amir Preminger, CTO at Claroty. "However, our research found many of these devices are directly exposed to the public internet. While this convenience significantly reduces maintenance costs by allowing engineers to troubleshoot issues remotely, it also lowers the barrier to entry for attackers."
The attacks on the refrigeration systems have sparked concerns about the security of critical infrastructure in France. The French supermarket chain Groupement Les Mousquetaires reported that around 150 of its supermarkets were affected by the attacks, while Carrefour confirmed that around 80 impacted stores.
Monoprix, another supermarket chain, reported that roughly 5 percent of its 490 stores were experiencing the same issues. Coopérative U CEO Dominique Schelcher stated that the attack on the food sector was "unacceptable" and that targeting equipment essential to the preservation of fresh products is an attack on the French food supply chain.
The attack on the refrigeration systems has also raised concerns about the need for organizations to regularly update their systems and to implement robust security measures to protect against cyberattacks. "Organizations must take proactive measures to ensure that management interfaces are not insecurely connected to the internet, and ensure that access to administrative services is restricted to trusted management networks or secured through VPNs and other appropriate network segmentation controls," said Preminger.
In addition to the attacks on the refrigeration systems, the incident has also highlighted the growing threat of cyberattacks on critical infrastructure. The incident is a reminder that industrial control systems are vulnerable to cyberattacks and that organizations must take proactive measures to protect against these types of attacks.
The incident has also sparked concerns about the need for organizations to regularly update their systems and to implement robust security measures to protect against cyberattacks. "The industrial control systems such as refrigeration controllers are often assumed to be on safely isolated networks," said Preminger. "However, our research found many of these devices are directly exposed to the public internet. While this convenience significantly reduces maintenance costs by allowing engineers to troubleshoot issues remotely, it also lowers the barrier to entry for attackers."
The incident has also raised concerns about the need for organizations to regularly update their systems and to implement robust security measures to protect against cyberattacks. "Organizations must take proactive measures to ensure that management interfaces are not insecurely connected to the internet, and ensure that access to administrative services is restricted to trusted management networks or secured through VPNs and other appropriate network segmentation controls," said Preminger.
The incident has also sparked concerns about the need for organizations to regularly update their systems and to implement robust security measures to protect against cyberattacks. "The industrial control systems such as refrigeration controllers are often assumed to be on safely isolated networks," said Preminger. "However, our research found many of these devices are directly exposed to the public internet. While this convenience significantly reduces maintenance costs by allowing engineers to troubleshoot issues remotely, it also lowers the barrier to entry for attackers."
The incident has also raised concerns about the need for organizations to regularly update their systems and to implement robust security measures to protect against cyberattacks. "Organizations must take proactive measures to ensure that management interfaces are not insecurely connected to the internet, and ensure that access to administrative services is restricted to trusted management networks or secured through VPNs and other appropriate network segmentation controls," said Preminger.
The incident has also sparked concerns about the need for organizations to regularly update their systems and to implement robust security measures to protect against cyberattacks. "The industrial control systems such as refrigeration controllers are often assumed to be on safely isolated networks," said Preminger. "However, our research found many of these devices are directly exposed to the public internet. While this convenience significantly reduces maintenance costs by allowing engineers to troubleshoot issues remotely, it also lowers the barrier to entry for attackers."
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/Cyberattacks-on-French-Supermarkets-Expose-Vulnerabilities-in-Refrigeration-Systems-ehn.shtml
https://www.theregister.com/security/2026/10/13/cyberattacks-crank-french-supermarket-refrigeration-systems-up-to-50c/5302784
Published: Tue Oct 13 09:12:13 2026 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
