Danfoss controversies
Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.
2026
French PM orders ANSSI to investigate supermarket refrigeration cyberattack
Investigation
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu ordered France's National Cybersecurity Agency (ANSSI) to investigate the large-scale cyberattack that affected connected refrigerators at several major food retailers across France, according to a person in his office. ANSSI identified a vulnerability in software supplied by Danish company Danfoss, whose affected units were running outdated firmware according to the company. France was coordinating with European counterparts because other countries could also be affected, and authorities were assessing whether other French companies were at risk.
Source excerpt
The affected units “were running outdated firmware”, the company said, adding that it had “long advised customers” to keep their systems updated and replace older equipment.
said ANSSI had identified a vulnerability in software supplied by Danish company Danfoss.
The source said France was coordinating with European counterparts because other countries could also be affected, adding that authorities were assessing whether other French companies were at risk.
2026
Danfoss controversy: Unprecedented cyberattack disrupts refrigeration at hundreds of French supermarkets, causing food losses and fires
An 'unprecedented' cyberattack remotely triggered forced defrosting of connected supermarket refrigeration systems across France, raising fridge and freezer temperatures to as high as 50 degrees Celsius, destroying stocks of fresh and frozen products and causing fires at several stores. At least 300 Intermarche or Netto shops, more than 100 Cooperative U outlets, 80 Carrefour supermarkets, about 5 percent of Monoprix's roughly 490 stores and several E Leclerc stores were targeted or affected. Intermarche said affected stores would have to throw away all fresh or frozen products, and its CEO estimated losses of 'tens of millions of euros nationwide in a single day'. A threat-intelligence analyst said Spain, Portugal, Poland, Germany and Belgium were also affected.
Company response
Remediation — Cooperative U
He said the company’s teams were working to restore normal operations as quickly as possible
Investigation — Cooperative U
an investigation would be needed to “shed full light on this attack”
Clarification — Danfoss
The affected units “were running outdated firmware”, the company said, adding that it had “long advised customers” to keep their systems updated and replace older equipment.
Source excerpt
At least 300 shops of Intermarche or its Netto brand were targeted, along with more than 100 Cooperative U outlets, the retailers told the AFP news agency.
Intermarche told AFP that affected stores would have to “throw away all of the products” that were fresh or frozen.
Carrefour said 80 supermarkets were affected, while Monoprix said about 5 percent of its roughly 490 stores were hit. E Leclerc said several of its stores were targeted.
2026
Cyberattack disrupts refrigeration at French supermarkets, causing food losses and fires
A large-scale cyberattack remotely triggered forced defrosting of connected refrigeration systems at hundreds of supermarkets in France, disrupting refrigeration from Sunday night, raising fridge and freezer temperatures to as high as 50 degrees Celsius, destroying stocks of fresh and frozen products, and causing fires at several stores. At least 300 Intermarche or Netto shops, more than 100 Cooperative U outlets, 80 Carrefour supermarkets, about 5 percent of Monoprix's roughly 490 stores and several E Leclerc stores were affected; Intermarche CEO Thierry Cotillard estimated losses of tens of millions of euros nationwide in a single day. ANSSI identified a vulnerability in software supplied by Danish company Danfoss, which said the affected units were running outdated firmware, and an analyst said Spain, Portugal, Poland, Germany and Belgium were also affected.
A large-scale cyberattack remotely triggered the forced defrosting of connected refrigeration systems at hundreds of supermarkets in France, disrupting refrigeration from Sunday night, raising fridge and freezer temperatures to as high as 50 degrees Celsius, destroying stocks of fresh and frozen products, and causing fires at several stores. At least 300 Intermarche or Netto shops, more than 100 Cooperative U outlets, 80 Carrefour supermarkets, about 5 percent of Monoprix's roughly 490 stores and several E Leclerc stores were affected; Intermarche CEO Thierry Cotillard estimated losses of tens of millions of euros nationwide in a single day. ANSSI identified a vulnerability in software supplied by Danish company Danfoss, which said the affected units were running outdated firmware, and an analyst said Spain, Portugal, Poland, Germany and Belgium were also affected.
Company response
Remediation — Cooperative U
He said the company’s teams were working to restore normal operations as quickly as possible, and that an investigation would be needed to “shed full light on this attack”.
Investigation — Cooperative U
He said the company’s teams were working to restore normal operations as quickly as possible, and that an investigation would be needed to “shed full light on this attack”.
Remediation — Intermarche
Intermarche told AFP that affected stores would have to “throw away all of the products” that were fresh or frozen.
Clarification — Danfoss
The affected units “were running outdated firmware”, the company said, adding that it had “long advised customers” to keep their systems updated and replace older equipment.
Source excerpt
Carrefour said 80 supermarkets were affected, while Monoprix said about 5 percent of its roughly 490 stores were hit. E Leclerc said several of its stores were targeted.
At least 300 shops of Intermarche or its Netto brand were targeted, along with more than 100 Cooperative U outlets, the retailers told the AFP news agency.
the hackers had “managed to remotely trigger the forced defrosting of the refrigeration systems in numerous stores”. The action resulted in the “destruction of stocks of fresh and frozen products”, it said.
2026
Cyberattack disrupts refrigeration at French supermarkets, heating fridges to 50°C
A large-scale cyberattack on connected refrigeration systems disrupted hundreds of French supermarkets, raising temperatures to as high as 50 degrees Celsius for about six hours overnight, spoiling food and causing fires. Intermarche reported approximately 150 affected stores, Carrefour 80 affected supermarkets, Cooperative U 80 of roughly 2,000 stores, and Monoprix about 25 locations (5 percent of its approximately 490 French stores). Retailers discarded affected food to eliminate health risks; potential losses were put at up to €200,000 at a larger hypermarket, with Intermarche's CEO estimating tens of millions of euros in nationwide losses in a single day. ANSSI identified a vulnerability in software supplied by Danfoss, which said the affected units were running outdated firmware, and a threat-intelligence analyst said Spain, Portugal, Poland, Germany and Belgium had also been affected.
Company response
Ongoing disclosure — Les Mousquetaires
Les Mousquetaires, which owns Intermarche, said refrigeration systems at approximately 150 stores were heated to 50°C, equivalent to 122°F, for six hours overnight.
Ongoing disclosure — Cooperative U
Cooperative U head Dominique Schelcher said on October 13 that 80 stores out of approximately 2,000 were affected.
Remediation — Intermarche
The retailer discarded affected food to eliminate health risks.
Clarification — Danfoss
Danfoss acknowledged incidents affecting a limited number of refrigeration management systems in France and said the affected units were running outdated firmware.
Source excerpt
Carrefour separately reported 80 affected supermarkets.
Retailers are assessing financial damage that could reach €200,000 at individual hypermarkets, while authorities investigate the attack and its potential impact across Europe, Reuters news report said.
Cooperative U head Dominique Schelcher said on October 13 that 80 stores out of approximately 2,000 were affected.
2026
French prosecutors open cyber-crime investigation into supermarket fridge hack
Investigation
French prosecutors opened a specific cyber-crime investigation into an attack that disrupted supermarket refrigeration. The Paris prosecutor's office described the incident as a large-scale cyber-attack affecting the refrigerators of several major food retail chains across France. The investigation focuses on the cyber-crime aspects of the disruption to refrigeration systems used by supermarkets.
Source excerpt
The chief executive of Coopérative U said several of its supermarkets had been hit by the "extremely serious and unprecedented" attack.
French prosecutors have opened a specific cyber-crime investigation into the incident, which the Paris prosecutor's office called a "large-scale cyber-attack affecting the refrigerators of several major food retail chains across France".
2026
French prosecutors open investigation into supermarket refrigeration cyberattack
Investigation
French prosecutors opened an investigation into the cyberattack that compromised Danfoss AK-SM and AK-SC refrigeration-management systems across hundreds of French supermarkets on 11–12 October; CERT-FR confirmed numerous compromises, while the perpetrators and the intrusion route remain publicly unestablished.
Source excerpt
CERT-FR confirmed numerous compromises involving Danfoss AK-SM and AK-SC refrigeration-management systems.
Prosecutors opened an investigation.
2026
Cyberattack manipulates Danfoss refrigeration controllers across hundreds of French supermarkets, spoiling stock and triggering fires
A cyberattack overnight on 11–12 October manipulated Danfoss AK-SM and AK-SC refrigeration-management systems across hundreds of French supermarkets; defrost and temperature settings were reportedly altered to as high as 50 degrees Celsius, spoiling fresh and frozen stock and triggering fires at some premises. CERT-FR confirmed numerous compromises, while the perpetrators, the intrusion route, and any AI involvement remain publicly unestablished.
Company response
Clarification — Danfoss
told the refrigeration trade publication Cooling Post that many affected installations relied on older products no longer receiving security updates, while some supported controllers ran outdated firmware
Source excerpt
CERT-FR confirmed numerous compromises involving Danfoss AK-SM and AK-SC refrigeration-management systems.
Reuters reported disruptions across major chains, spoiled fresh and frozen products, and fires at some premises.
A cyberattack on 11–12 October manipulated Danfoss refrigeration controllers across hundreds of French supermarkets, spoiling fresh and frozen stock and triggering fires
2026
Cyberattack disrupts refrigeration systems at approximately 700 French supermarkets
A cyberattack disrupted refrigeration systems at approximately 700 of France's 10,000 supermarkets. French broadcaster BFM-TV reported that hackers forced refrigeration systems into continuous defrost cycles and raised temperatures as high as 122 degrees Fahrenheit, with damage including spoiled food and reported fires. France's national cybersecurity agency reported numerous compromises involving remote refrigeration control modules manufactured by Danfoss and Copeland in connection with the attacks. Store staff encountered hot freezers on the morning of Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, and French Finance Minister Roland Lescure told Parliament on Oct. 13 that about 700 supermarkets were affected and that the attack posed no risk to France's overall food supply. The Paris prosecutor's office said its cybercrime unit was investigating the attack. Danfoss said most affected systems in France were older products that no longer received software or security updates and that it was working with affected customers.
Company response
Clarification — Danfoss
Remediation — Danfoss
The company said it was working with affected customers and had long recommended keeping supported equipment updated and operating it behind a firewall.
Source excerpt
A cyberattack that disrupted refrigeration systems at hundreds of French supermarkets this week has raised concerns about the vulnerability of U.S. grocery operations to similar attacks.
Store managers and employees arriving for work Monday morning (Oct. 12) encountered hot air coming from compromised freezers and refrigerated display cases, according to Utzke.
2011
Refrigeration-compressor cartel
Danfoss was fined in European and United States proceedings connected with unlawful coordination among refrigeration-compressor manufacturers between approximately 2004 and 2007. The conduct was treated as a competition violation that harmed customers through reduced competition and coordinated pricing.
2010
Debate over wartime commercial activity
Danish press reports revisited claims that Danfoss products had been sold to German occupying forces during the Second World War. Danfoss disputed the characterization of direct trading, while historical accounts commissioned or published about the occupation were discussed in relation to their independence.