CERT-FR expands alert as investigators hunt French supermarket fridge hackers
France’s cyber agency added controller systems to its alert after refrigeration attacks disrupted supermarkets. Investigators have not publicly identified the attackers.
France’s CERT-FR expanded its alert on 13 October to cover more refrigeration controllers as investigators searched for the hackers behind attacks on French supermarkets. Reuters reported that no group had publicly claimed responsibility.
The update adds Copeland xweb and Dixell xweb systems alongside Danfoss AK-SC and AK-SM controllers. CERT-FR says it knows of numerous compromises of these systems and warns that attack campaigns may still be underway; its alert does not say how many compromised devices are connected to the supermarket attacks.
How the attacks affected supermarkets
Reuters reported that attackers manually overrode refrigeration temperatures at multiple supermarket groups. The method used to compromise the systems has not been publicly disclosed.
Since NewsJaws’ earlier report on the supermarket refrigeration attacks, CERT-FR has named additional affected controller systems in its alert. The agency advises operators to remove internet-exposed refrigeration controllers from public access, use protected access and apply manufacturer security updates where available.
Sources and context
- Incident de sécurité ciblant les contrôleurs à distance des installations de réfrigérationCERT-FR (ANSSI)
- Investigators hunt French supermarket fridge hackers, no claim of responsibilityChannel NewsAsia / Reuters
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.
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