Box TV: French multi-brand refrigerators turned into heating cabinets

On Tuesday, October 13, 2026, Frank Landymore reported in Futurism: Late Sunday night, a group of malicious hackers hijacked refrigerator systems across hundreds of supermarkets in France, raising their thermostats to 122°F (approximately 50°C), destroying vast quantities of food inventory—and even triggering fires. According to Reuters, the Paris Prosecutor’s Office described the incident as a 'large-scale' cyberattack affecting 'several major French food retailers.' The numbers are staggering. Carrefour reported that 80 of its stores were affected. The owner of Intermarché stated that refrigerators in 150 stores were heated to 50°C for six hours overnight. Monoprix—operating 490 stores—reported that roughly 5% of its outlets were impacted. Citing comments made by Intermarché CEO Thierry Cotillard during an interview with BFM TV, Reuters estimated the nationwide daily losses from the attack at 'tens of millions of euros,' calling it an 'unprecedented' event. Dominique Schelcher, CEO of Cooperative U, confirmed that 80 of its stores were similarly affected and echoed Cotillard’s assessment. 'Attacking equipment indispensable for preserving fresh products—and, by extension, France’s food supply system—is extremely serious and unprecedented,' he declared on X (formerly Twitter). Some supermarket refrigerators and freezers were designed to be internet-accessible, enabling remote temperature monitoring and adjustment by authorized personnel.

Freezers turned into ovens! Hackers’ audacious stunt paralyzes 400 French supermarkets, causing millions in losses

To avoid losing touch, you can also find me on 'Shi Er Jun Sees the World.' Follow now—so we never 'lose contact' again! Early Monday morning, October 12, employees arriving at numerous French supermarkets were met with a shocking sight: Temperatures inside refrigerators and freezers had surged dramatically. Instead of remaining below freezing, many units registered temperatures well above zero—some ice cream freezers reached 26.5°C, while others soared as high as 50°C, effectively turning refrigerators into warming cabinets. Even more unfortunate: several store managers, upon arriving at work and opening freezer doors, were hit directly by waves of hot air; a few supermarkets even experienced minor fires. (An ice cream freezer at 26.5°C) Overnight, vegetables, meats, and frozen foods stored in these units thawed and spoiled. To ensure food safety, all affected items had to be discarded—resulting in total economic losses amounting to several million euros. One Parisian resident recounted witnessing employees at an Intermarché supermarket loading cartloads of thawed frozen goods into a massive dumpster; melted ice cream oozed from torn packaging onto the street. (A frozen-food section forced to close) Investigations quickly revealed the cause. It turned out that the supermarkets’ refrigerators and freezers used software enabling remote temperature adjustment—and late Sunday evening, hackers breached this software. Normally, supermarket freezers undergo defrost cycles overnight, during which temperatures rise slightly. But the hackers issued commands forcing freezers to heat up—and remain at elevated temperatures—causing catastrophic spoilage. (Relevant news coverage) All affected outlets belonged to well-known supermarket chains. While the exact number remains unclear, preliminary estimates indicate roughly 400 of France’s approximately 15,000 supermarkets were impacted. For instance, Carrefour—operating over 6,000 stores in France—confirmed that 80 locations were affected. The CEO of U Group confirmed that dozens of its stores suffered an 'extremely severe and unprecedented' attack, condemning such assaults on critical infrastructure for France’s food supply as unacceptable. He added that company staff had mobilized fully, collaborating with refrigeration experts to restore systems as soon as possible. (A frozen-food section forced to close) Approximately 150 Intermarché stores were also victimized—their refrigerator temperatures spiked to 50°C and remained there for six hours, necessitating disposal of all spoiled food. A spokesperson noted that around 100 additional stores had been urgently disconnected from the internet to prevent further incidents. Monoprix reported about 20 affected stores, and E.Leclerc reportedly suffered impacts at some locations as well. Several supermarket operators stated that, as of Monday afternoon, certain fresh- and frozen-food display units remained non-operational. They are taking all necessary measures to remove spoiled goods from shelves, and staff are working urgently to restock fresh items. Reports also emerged indicating security issues on the network of Ahold Delhaize—the Netherlands’ largest supermarket chain.

European Retailers Hit by Supermarket Fridge Hack

3 days ago

A cyberattack disrupted cooling systems at over 100 European supermarkets, causing food spoilage and operational issues for major retailers including Ahold Delhaize and Carrefour.

reuters

European Retailers Hit by Supermarket Fridge Hack

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