Researchers warned for months before hackers disabled cooling in French grocery stores

Security firm Claroty flagged vulnerabilities in the cooling equipment in August. Thousands of devices stayed reachable from the internet even though security updates existed.

Cyberattacks in mid-October hit close to 700 French grocery stores and knocked out refrigerators and freezers. Food was destroyed and fires broke out.

France's cybersecurity agency ANSSI said the affected systems were internet-connected cooling equipment from Danfoss and Copeland. Many of the devices run outdated software, and some no longer receive security updates at all. According to The Register, Claroty warned in August of many vulnerabilities that could be used to thaw frozen food. The US agency CISA had flagged flaws in the same equipment, some of them during 2025. Insurer Coalition found more than 2,600 exposed cooling systems in September and October, many of them in France.

The case shows that known flaws in everyday equipment can have physical consequences. Warnings and fixes existed for months, but they only protect a device once someone installs them.

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