A mass cyberattack against supermarket refrigeration systems in France has forced Intermarché, Leclerc and Système U stores to throw away large quantities of fresh and frozen food after hackers remotely drove fridge temperatures up to around 50°C overnight between 11 and 12 October 2026[1][3][4].
Dominique Schelcher, CEO of Coopérative U, confirmed that “since this night” a cyberattack has been disrupting cold-production installations in multiple Super U and Hyper U stores, describing the incident as being of “extreme gravity” and warning that products had to be discarded for safety reasons[2][6][10]. Media reports indicate that at least 150 Intermarché locations and additional Leclerc and U-branded supermarkets are affected, suggesting a nationwide campaign rather than a localized outage[3][6][13].
The attack appears to target the Danfoss control systems that regulate supermarket fridges and freezers, which are widely deployed in French retail chains[1][7][9]. According to several accounts, the intruders hijacked a protective defrost function, forcing a continuous defrost cycle with a temperature setpoint of roughly 50°C, effectively turning refrigerated display units into heaters for hours and making stored food unsafe to consume[1][3][12]. Technical sources say the attackers were able to modify temperature setpoints remotely, underlining that the compromise involved access to operational technology rather than just back-office IT systems[9][11].
The immediate consequence has been the destruction of stocks of meat, dairy and frozen goods at scale, with some stores reportedly losing all chilled inventory[3][8][11]. In one Super U location cited in the French press, the financial hit from throwing away surgelés and fresh products is estimated at around €220,000, highlighting the economic impact of a purely operational disruption[7]. Local coverage from the Manche department describes at least six supermarkets there being forced to dump food after fridge temperatures spiked, mirroring reports from other regions as chains race to restore normal cooling[11][12].
While the precise intrusion vector, vulnerability details and threat actor behind the campaign have not yet been publicly attributed, retailers say they are working with refrigeration specialists and their technology providers to re-secure affected installations and restore safe operating temperatures[6][10]. For now, the attack underscores how internet-connected industrial control systems in the retail sector can be abused to create physical damage and public-safety risks, even when customer data is not the apparent target.
Security teams in supermarkets and other facilities using networked refrigeration controls will be watching this incident closely as they reassess segmentation between IT and OT environments, tighten remote-access configurations and increase monitoring for abnormal changes to temperature and defrost setpoints. Until more detail emerges on how attackers gained access to the Danfoss-regulated systems, prevention will hinge on basic but critical hygiene: strictly limiting who can reach these controllers, enforcing strong authentication, and ensuring rapid local overrides when equipment begins behaving outside expected parameters.
References
- Frigos réglés à 50 degrés : une immense cyberattaque frappe Intermarché, Leclerc et Super U
- Une cyberattaque touche les systèmes frigorifiques de magasins Super U, Intermarché et Leclerc
- Intermarché, Leclerc, U… Plus de 150 supermarchés touchés par une cyberattaque sur les frigos
- La température est remontée de 50 degrés: une cyberattaque contre les systèmes frigorifiques provoque la destruction de produits frais dans des centaines d’Intermarché et de Super U
- « D’une extrême gravité » : une cyberattaque frappe les installations frigorifiques de centaines de supermarchés
- Des frigos à 50 °C : une cyberattaque hors norme dans plus de 150 supermarchés français
- Une cyberattaque frappe les frigos d’Intermarché, Leclerc et Super U, les températures auraient été modifiées à distance, des pertes importantes
- 50°C dans les frigos d’Intermarché, Leclerc et Super U : une cyberattaque oblige des centaines de supermarchés à jeter leurs produits frais
- Une cyberattaque “d’une extrême gravité” cible les frigos d’Intermarché et du groupe U
- Cyberattaque sur la chaîne de froid : au moins six supermarchés touchés dans la Manche
- « D’une extrême gravité » : des réfrigérateurs et congélateurs de supermarchés piratés, de la nourriture jetée en masse
- Cyberattaque de systèmes réfrigérés : au moins 150 magasins touchés | TF1 Info
