France blames Iran for cyberattacks on fridges

France accuses Iran of cyberattacks

France is accusing Iran of launching destructive cyberattacks against its critical infrastructure in October. The French National Cybersecurity Agency, ANSSI, says Iranian military hackers took over refrigeration controllers.

Seven hundred retail sites targeted

Iranian military hackers took over refrigeration controllers at around seven hundred different retail sites in France, from supermarkets to butcher shops, turning up the temperature in the middle of the night.

Millions of dollars of food spoiled

The attacks spoiled millions of dollars' worth of food at Intermarché and Cooperative U supermarket chains. The hackers also targeted several small hydroelectric power plants, resulting in moderate effects.

France calls it unprecedented

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said the hacking campaign was unprecedented in both its scale and its level of aggression. He called it the first large-scale cyberattack aimed at sabotage on French national territory.

“unprecedented in both its scale and its level of aggression”

Paris opens investigation

The Paris Prosecutor's Office has opened an investigation into the Iranian cyber unit Shahid Kaveh, which the French government links to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The office is requesting international arrest warrants.

Part of a global pattern

The attacks on French industrial controllers are part of a larger trend. In twenty twenty-six alone, hackers have targeted refrigeration controllers from Europe to Israel and the United States.

Similar attacks across Europe

Grocery stores in European countries including Sweden and Ireland were hit in similar attacks last week.

Israel and U.S. military bases hit

In Israel in the spring, suspected Iranian hackers claiming the name Cyber Isnaad Front sabotaged an industrial food processing plant.Over the summer, commissaries on U.S.military bases saw food spoil after refrigerator temperatures shot up overnight.

How France identified the hackers

France was able to identify the hackers through digital clues including digital infrastructure used by the hackers, connection to a propaganda outlet, and traces of Farsi language use in the attack, according to ANSSI.

Fits Iranian hackers' strategy

Cybersecurity experts say the attacks fit what they know about Iranian hackers' strategy and goals.

Outdated systems hard to protect

Cybersecurity experts say the attacks have highlighted a yearslong difficulty with securing operational technology. These machines are often outdated, riddled with vulnerabilities, and very difficult to patch because operators cannot afford to shut them down…