Système U, Intermarché, E.Leclerc and Monoprix stores affected by a cyberattack against their refrigeration installations

An “unprecedented” and “extremely serious” phenomenon. Stores of several French major retail brands, such as Système U, Intermarché and E.Leclerc, were affected by a cyberattack targeting their refrigeration installations on Monday October 12. A source close to the matter assures France Inter that the total losses could amount to several million euros.

“A cyberattack has affected the cold production installations of several stores in our Cooperative U network since last night,” wrote the group’s CEO, Dominique Schelcher, on

Requested by Agence Radio France, the Les Mousquetaires group explains that the Danfoss company, which manages its refrigerated furniture, was the victim of a cyberattack during the night from Sunday to Monday. The temperature of freezers and refrigerators was set at 50°C. According to information from France Inter, the distributor Intermarché is the most affected, with between 200 and 300 stores affected in France.

Stores victims of this cyberattack must now follow a specific procedure: empty the refrigerated bins, make a bailiff's report, or even throw away the food. The Les Mousquetaires group believes that it has never been the victim of a computer attack on refrigeration systems, which, “of this magnitude, is in any case unprecedented”.

According to information from franceinfo, 5% of Monoprix stores are affected by this cyberattack. Speaking to franceinfo, E.Leclerc “confirms that a computer attack affected one of its refrigeration equipment suppliers”, which “had repercussions on the operation of refrigeration equipment in several stores”. “The teams are mobilized with the supplier to assess the situation and take all necessary measures to ensure proper respect of the cold chain,” adds the distributor.

The Danfoss company confirms to franceinfo “incidents occurring in France affecting a limited number of refrigeration management systems”. “The majority of affected devices are obsolete products, including the AK-SM800 and AK-SC355 systems, which have reached their end of life and no longer benefit from software updates or security updates,” specifies Danfoss, which assures “that it has long recommended to its customers to keep supported systems up to date with the latest firmware version and to migrate obsolete systems to latest generation solutions”.

The Danish company says it "takes these incidents very seriously" and "works with affected customers to implement appropriate mitigation measures, including firmware updates where available, strengthening network protections and removing direct internet exposure where appropriate."