Coopérative U

Summary

Hundreds of French supermarkets from the Intermarché and Coopérative U chains were hit by a cyberattack that targeted their refrigeration systems, with about 150 to 200 Intermarché stores and nearly 100 outlets of the cooperative affected. The attack triggered defrost cycles, forcing stores to discard all fresh and frozen products and leading the Paris prosecutor's office to open an investigation to identify victims and link the damage to reported losses and fire alarm activations. The chain's chief executive described the incident as unprecedented and said the company is fully mobilised to resolve the situation while a full investigation proceeds.

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TTPs

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Description

On Sunday evening, a cyberattack began targeting the refrigeration systems of supermarkets operated by the Intermarché and Coopérative U chains in France. The attack affected approximately 150 to 200 Intermarché outlets and nearly 100 Coopérative U stores, according to statements from the companies. The malicious activity triggered the defrost cycle in the cold rooms, causing temperatures to rise and compromising the storage of fresh and frozen goods. As a result, the affected stores were instructed to discard all perishable products, leading to immediate food waste. The Paris prosecutor's office confirmed that the incident constituted a large‑scale cyberattack on the cold rooms of several major food retail chains. Dominique Schelcher, the chief executive of Coopérative U, described the attack as unprecedented and emphasized that targeting equipment essential for preserving the food supply was extremely serious and unacceptable.

In response, both Intermarché and Coopérative U stated they were fully mobilised to resolve the situation as quickly as possible and indicated that a full investigation would be needed to shed complete light on the attack. The Paris prosecutor's office opened an investigation aimed at identifying the victims and establishing a link between the cyberattack and the reported damages, including losses of foodstuffs and the triggering of fire alarms. Intermarché condemned the food waste and financial losses resulting from the incident, although it did not provide specific figures, and warned that existing insurance policies might not cover this type of event in retail stores. Specialist retail news outlets reported that other chains such as E. Leclerc, Carrefour Market and Monoprix may also have been affected, though only E. Leclerc was mentioned by BFM TV as having experienced a triggered defrost cycle, with the company not yet confirming the report. The incident occurs amid growing concern across Europe about the potential devastation that cyberattacks by malicious actors could inflict on various sectors. President Emmanuel Macron, who has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invasion, had previously ordered measures to protect France's critical infrastructure against Russian hybrid attacks.

Sources

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