France Accuses Iranian Islamic Corps Of H∆cking Supermarket Fridges, Freezers
France Accuses Iranian Islamic Corps Of Hacking Supermarket Fridges, Freezers
The attack, carried out last month, affected fridges and freezers in hundreds of French supermarkets, spoiling fresh and frozen food estimated to be worth millions of euros.
France has accused Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of being behind cyber-attacks that raised the temperatures of fridges and freezers in supermarkets across the country.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot described the attack as “unprecedented in both its scale and its level of aggression,” adding that those reponsible would face sanctions “at the European level.”
Iran has not responded to the allegations.
The attack, carried out last month, affected fridges and freezers in hundreds of French supermarkets, spoiling fresh and frozen food estimated to be worth millions of euros.
Barrot said it marked “the first large-scale cyberattack aimed at sabotage on our national territory,” and a major attack on the nation’s interests and the security of the French people.
He said the government had summoned the Iranian ambassador to Paris to “lodge a very strong protest against this extremely grave act.”
Barrot added that France would take “any other necessary and proportionate measures” to respond and deter anyone seeking to repeat the act.
Separately on Monday, the Paris prosecutor, Laure Beccuau, said an investigation had been opened into the head of an offensive cyber unit linked to the IRGC, along with his two deputies.
Beccuau named the unit as Shahid Kaveh, which she said was affiliated with the electronic and cyber centre of the IRGC. Shahid Kaveh is the name given to a cluster of hackers believed to be directly employed by the Iranian government.
On October 11, hackers gained control of the software that regulates the temperatures of refrigeration units used in many French supermarkets.
More than 100 Coopérative U supermarkets were hit, along with 180 stores from Intermarché and its Netto brand. In some stores, temperatures in the fridges reportedly rose to 50°C (120°F) overnight.
Other major retailers, including Carrefour, Monoprix and E.Leclerc, were also affected. The attack targeted software supplied by Danish engineering firm Danfoss, which allows retailers to manage their cold units remotely.
Earlier this month, a second wave of hacks hit more than 100 stores across Europe. Supermarkets in Belgium and Luxembourg were affected, while a smaller number of shops were hit in Sweden, Ireland, the Netherlands, Estonia and Finland.
It is not known if the incidents are linked.
In August, a small number of US military bases also reported fridge malfunctions that spoiled food. Reuters, citing sources familiar with the matter, reported that the incidents are also being investigated as deliberate cyber-attacks.
Experts have since speculated on which hacking groups could be responsible, with Iran among the list of suspects.
On Wednesday, two Russian-aligned hacktivist groups claimed responsibility, but few believed them.
The French government has not said how it concluded that Iran was responsible. Attribution of cyber-attacks is extremely difficult because hackers are able to hide their locations.
