France has formally accused hackers linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of carrying out a cyberattack that crippled refrigeration systems at 700 grocery stores last month, spoiling food and sparking fires in what officials call the first large-scale digital sabotage operation on French soil.
Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau announced Monday that an investigation had uncovered evidence tying the October 11 attack to Shahid Kaveh, an IRGC-aligned cybercrime group. Authorities are seeking international arrest warrants for its leader and two deputies, citing acts “committed to serve the interests of a foreign power — in this case, Iran.”
How the Hack Unfolded
The attackers targeted legacy refrigeration units made by Danish manufacturer Danfoss, exploiting systems that no longer received security updates. By hijacking software used to remotely manage temperatures, they triggered endless defrost cycles while disabling alarms. Interior temperatures soared to 122°F in some cases, melting frozen goods and causing an estimated 20 fires nationwide.
At Intermarché stores alone, 180 locations saw refrigerators stuck at maximum heat for six hours overnight. Parent company Les Mousquetaires pegged nationwide losses at “tens of millions of euros” from spoiled inventory and equipment damage. Two supermarkets in eastern France reported $302,000 in combined damages.
Iranian Fingerprints
France’s cybersecurity agency traced the attack to Iranian IP addresses and noted hackers communicated in Farsi. Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot summoned Iran’s ambassador to protest what he called an “extremely grave act,” vowing European sanctions against those responsible. Tehran has not yet responded.
U.S. Warns of Similar Threats
Last week, the FBI and four other federal agencies warned that American grocery chains and cold storage facilities face identical risks. A joint advisory urged operators to isolate vulnerable systems from public internet access, noting poor security could enable both food spoilage and fire hazards.
Danfoss reiterated that affected French units were outdated models it had previously flagged for replacement. The incident has intensified scrutiny on supply chain vulnerabilities as cyber warfare increasingly targets civilian infrastructure.
Source: www.dailywire.com — https://www.dailywire.com/news/france-blames-iran-for-grocery-store-hack-that-spoiled-food-and-sparked-fires