A cyberattack disrupted refrigeration systems at hundreds of supermarkets in France overnight into Monday, forcing stores to discard perishable and frozen food after units were defrosted or heated, according to multiple reports.
The affected chains included Intermarché, Coopérative U and some Leclerc stores. A Groupement Mousquetaires spokesperson told Bloomberg that about 150 Intermarché stores were affected. AFP, as cited by The Next Web, reported that fewer than 100 Coopérative U stores were hit, while Deutsche Welle said retailers put the overall total at more than 400 stores. Refrigerators and freezers reached 50 degrees Celsius, or 122 Fahrenheit, for about six hours in some cases, reports said. Paris prosecutors confirmed the attacks, Deutsche Welle reported. The Washington Examiner also reported fires and losses of food inventory.