France blames Iran for supermarket fridge hack
Prosecutors say a Revolutionary Guard unit caused a cyberattack that spiked temperatures in 700 stores, prompting a demand for EU sanctions.
By Bianca Shevchenko ·
French authorities on Monday identified Iran as the source of a cyberattack that caused refrigerators in hundreds of supermarkets to overheat in late October.
Paris prosecutors announced that a formal judicial investigation is open into suspected organized cybercrime. They stated the attack was committed to serve the interests of a foreign power, specifically Iran. The investigation targets the leader of a specific cyber unit, his two deputies, and any other individuals linked to the incident.
The attack occurred in the early hours of October 12. Attackers remotely controlled refrigeration systems in approximately 700 of France's 10,000 supermarkets and independent stores. Temperatures inside the units reached 50 degrees Celsius for about six hours. Stores were forced to discard fresh and frozen goods. The Intermarche chain reported losing tens of millions of euros in a single day.
France's national cybersecurity agency, ANSSI, attributed the intrusion to the Shahid Kaveh group. The agency described the group as a cyber unit affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Investigators found that the attackers used Farsi and IP addresses linked to devices in Iran. The Paris prosecutor's office is currently seeking international arrest warrants.
Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot summoned the Iranian ambassador to protest the incident. He described the event as the first large-scale cyberattack aimed at sabotage on French soil. Barrot stated that France would impose sanctions at the European level against all those responsible. He also vowed to take other necessary measures to deter future attacks.
This incident follows a similar attempt last week on several French blood banks. Attackers tried to raise temperatures in those facilities but were stopped before blood products were damaged. ANSSI and Paris prosecutors are investigating that separate case.
Similar problems with freezers and fridges were reported in supermarkets across Sweden, Belgium, Luxembourg, Ireland, and Estonia last week. Those issues were apparently caused by cyberattacks, forcing some stores to dispose of ruined food. ANSSI also noted that another IRGC-affiliated group, Shahid Shoostari, was behind attacks on Charlie Hebdo in 2023 and the Paris Olympic Games in 2024.
