Cyber attack hits hundreds of French supermarkets, heating fridges to 122°F and sparking fires

Hackers targeted hundreds of French supermarkets in a cyberattack that reportedly caused refrigerators and freezers to overheat, spoiling food and sparking fires.

Fridges at French supermarket chains Carrefour, Monoprix, the Les Mousquetaires-owned Intermarché, and Coopérative U, among others, all saw fridges heat up to as much as 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) overnight, Reuters reported on Monday.

Coopérative U's CEO Dominique Schelcher confirmed that cyberattacks had affected "refrigeration production facilities of several stores."

"Attacking equipment that is essential to the preservation of fresh products and the food supply of the French people is extremely serious and unprecedented. It is unacceptable," Schelcher said in a LinkedIn post.

CNBC has reached out to Carrefour, Monoprix, Intermarché, Coopérative U, and E Leclerc for comment but did not immediately hear back.

Felix Aime, a senior cyber threat intelligence analyst ​at Sekoia Threat Detection and Research, said the attack affected several European countries including Spain, Portugal, Poland, Germany and Belgium, per the Reuters article.

"I strongly condemn the cyberattack targeting food products at @intermarche @CooperativeU @Leclerc," European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Christophe Hansen said in a post on X on Monday.

"Food security requires more attention at all levels. Because the weaponization of food has become a reality."