Hackers forced refrigerator systems in hundreds of French supermarkets to 122 degrees Fahrenheit (50 degrees Celsius), ruining large amounts of chilled food and even triggering fires at some stores.
Here's what to know
Authorities said the incident had already caused fires and food losses. On Oct. 12, the Paris prosecutor's office described it as a "large-scale" cyberattack affecting internet-connected refrigerators at several major food retailers across France, Reuters reported.
Among the retailers that said they were hit, Carrefour said 80 supermarkets were affected but added that the vast majority of its 6,000 stores were not. Les Mousquetaires, which owns Intermarche, said about 150 of its stores were affected, and Cooperative U CEO Dominique Schelcher said his supermarket had been targeted as well.
Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu ordered an investigation by France's National Cybersecurity Agency, ANSSI. The prime minister's office also said France was working with counterparts elsewhere in Europe because other countries could be affected.
The attack disrupted refrigeration equipment, creating immediate food-safety and food-waste problems for fresh groceries.
More background
At Intermarche, the affected fridges stayed at 122 degrees Fahrenheit for six hours. The company said it threw away all the food to avoid sanitary risks because the products were no longer safe to keep or donate.
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Signs of trouble also emerged outside France. Reuters reported that Dutch supermarket operator Ahold Delhaize said it was dealing with a "security issue" in its network and had taken several systems offline as a precaution. In the Netherlands, its smartphone app told customers it could not deliver groceries because of a "cybersecurity incident."
Online orders account for around 10% of Albert Heijn sales. Dutch news agency ANP reported that competing grocers saw a surge in delivery orders as customers looked elsewhere.
In the United States, the websites for Ahold Delhaize chains Stop & Shop, Giant, Hannaford, and Food Lion all displayed notices saying "site temporarily down." It was not clear whether those issues were linked to the French supermarket attack.
What's being done?
French prosecutors are examining the large-scale attack, and Lecornu has separately directed ANSSI to investigate.
According to a person in the prime minister's office, France was also coordinating with counterparts elsewhere in Europe while checking whether other French companies could be at risk.
Ahold Delhaize said it shut down several systems for protection, and Albert Heijn kept its physical stores open even as its grocery-delivery service was disrupted.
As Schelcher wrote on X, "Targeting equipment essential to the preservation of fresh products and to the food supply of the French people is of extreme gravity and is unprecedented."
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