Key facts
- French officials suspect Iranian state-backed hackers, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters.
- The October 11 attack overrode temperature controls on commercial fridges in hundreds of French establishments.
- The firm behind many affected units said several were obsolete or running outdated firmware.
- The French foreign ministry and Paris prosecutor's office did not immediately respond to comment requests.
- Iran's mission to the United Nations did not return messages seeking comment.
French officials suspect that hackers backed by the Iranian state carried out the cyberattacks that disabled commercial refrigerators and freezers across France in October, two people familiar with the matter said on November 9, 2026.
The October 11 cyberattack overrode the temperature controls on commercial fridges in hundreds of establishments, Reuters reported. Cybersecurity experts previously told Reuters the attack appeared easy to carry out. The firm behind many of the affected units said several were obsolete or running outdated firmware, which could have made it easier for hackers to break in.
If confirmed, the hacks would rank among the most disruptive cyberattacks of the war with Iran that began in February, a conflict marked by scattered incidents of alleged cyber disruption. Those have included disruptions to the Los Angeles transit system in March, to US water treatment plants in July and to ships bound for the United States in August.
The French foreign ministry and the Paris prosecutor's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Iran's mission to the United Nations did not return messages seeking comment. Iran routinely denies carrying out malicious cyber operations.