PARIS – French authorities have accused Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of orchestrating cyberattacks that disrupted refrigeration systems at about 700 supermarkets across France, leading to widespread food spoilage, equipment damage and fires.French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced the findings on Monday, November 9, describing the October attacks as unprecedented in scale and severity. France has summoned Iran’s ambassador to Paris and plans to pursue sanctions at the European level against those responsible.The attacks, which began overnight on October 11, targeted software used to remotely monitor and control commercial refrigerators and freezers. According to the Paris prosecutor’s office, hackers manipulated temperature settings, activated continuous defrost cycles, and disabled safety alerts.The disruptions affected major French grocery chains, including Intermarché, Netto, Coopérative U, Carrefour, Monoprix, and E.Leclerc. More than 100 Coopérative U supermarkets and about 180 Intermarché and Netto locations were among those affected.In some stores, refrigeration temperatures reportedly reached 122 degrees Fahrenheit, making fresh and frozen products unsellable. French authorities said the attacks caused significant food losses and about 20 fires. Financial damage is estimated in the millions of euros, with one supermarket operator suggesting nationwide losses could reach tens of millions.Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said investigators had identified an Iranian cyber unit, Shahid Kaveh, affiliated with the IRGC’s Electronic and Cyber Center. Authorities have opened a judicial investigation targeting the group’s leader, two deputies, and potentially other individuals.Investigators cited Farsi-language commands and internet protocol addresses linked to devices in Iran as evidence supporting their findings. French prosecutors have also requested international arrest warrants for the suspects.The attacks exposed vulnerabilities in internet-connected refrigeration controls, particularly older systems running outdated software. Some affected equipment used technology supplied by the Danish engineering company Danfoss, which previously indicated that obsolete or unpatched systems may be vulnerable to intrusion.The incidents have raised concerns about the cybersecurity of grocery retailers’ cold-chain infrastructure, where remote monitoring and automated temperature controls are essential for maintaining food safety and minimizing inventory losses.A second wave of similar attacks in early November affected more than 100 establishments across Europe, including supermarkets in Belgium, Luxembourg, and Sweden, with additional incidents reported in several other countries. French blood banks also experienced refrigeration-related cyber incidents, though officials said blood products and samples were not damaged.Authorities have not determined whether the additional European incidents were connected to the October attacks in France.The disruptions also follow suspected cyberattacks on refrigeration equipment at several U.S. military commissaries in August. Pentagon investigators are examining those incidents, but no confirmed link to the European attacks has been established.The FBI has warned businesses that internet-accessible refrigeration controllers and outdated software can allow hackers to manipulate equipment settings, potentially causing inventory losses and physical damage. The agency has urged organizations to restrict public internet access to refrigeration controls, use firewalls, and maintain up-to-date security protections.For food retailers, the incidents underscore the growing operational risks posed by cyberattacks on connected store equipment, which extend the potential consequences beyond data breaches to include food safety, inventory losses and business continuity.
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