Brief
UAE retailers urged to tighten refrigeration cyber defenses after France hack
A cyber‑attack on about 150 French supermarkets that forced food waste has highlighted similar vulnerabilities in UAE cold‑chain equipment.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Hackers raised refrigeration temperatures to 50 °C at roughly 150 Intermarché supermarkets in France, causing large‑scale food loss, Gulf News reported. The incident has prompted UAE retailers to reassess the cyber security of their own refrigeration and building‑management systems.
What happened
The attack occurred overnight on a weekend when stores were empty, allowing perpetrators to manipulate temperature controls without immediate detection. Danfoss, the supplier of the refrigeration controllers, said the compromised units were running outdated firmware, and some were too old to receive updates.
What the reports add
Gulf News noted that France’s cyber agency had previously warned against exposing management interfaces directly to the internet. The outlet also cited cybersecurity experts who said the same class of equipment is used in UAE hypermarkets, cold stores and hospitals. Mortada Ayad, vice‑president of sales for the Middle East, Turkey and Africa at Delinea, described the strike as “unconventional” and suggested that refrigeration has been treated as a low‑priority target.
What was said
"Nobody can predict a zero‑day vulnerability, but regular updates close known weaknesses," Ayad told Gulf News.
"You can’t patch your way out of that," said Ashok Chandrasekharan, chief operating officer at ParamountAssure, referring to equipment that runs 15‑20 years beyond vendor support.
Subhajeet Singha, senior TRU researcher at Acronis, warned that “old software, direct internet exposure and loosely controlled remote maintenance” create the highest risk for connected refrigeration controllers.
How it came about
According to Gulf News, the French incident underscores a broader pattern of cyber risk in the UAE, which was highlighted in a September 18 Felo News article on rising cyber threats across sectors. That piece linked the need for inventory and replacement plans to recent Microsoft rankings that placed the UAE sixth globally for cyber impact in early 2026.
Key facts
- Hackers raised fridge temperatures to 50 °C at about 150 French Intermarché stores (gulfnews.com)
- The compromised refrigeration controllers were running outdated firmware, some unable to receive updates (gulfnews.com)
- UAE experts say similar equipment is used in local hypermarkets, cold stores and hospitals (gulfnews.com)
- Experts recommend inventorying controllers, removing direct internet access and planning replacement of unsupported equipment (gulfnews.com)
Sources
- [1] gulfnews.com — originally reported as “How UAE Retailers Can Prevent Cyber Risks Exposed by France's Fridge Hack”
