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A week ago, a supermarket cyberattack heated fridges in hundreds of French stores to 50°C. Brokers and insurers say cyber insurance policies rarely pay for spoiled stock. The refrigeration maker says many of the systems hit no longer received security updates.
Overnight on 11 October, attackers took remote control of refrigeration systems in French supermarkets. They forced fridges and freezers into defrost and held them at about 50°C. Food spoiled. Some stores reported fires.
The attack hit about 350 stores, Reuters reported. France’s finance minister, Roland Lescure, told parliament the figure was about 700 of the country’s 10,000 supermarkets, AP reported. Intermarché, Netto, Coopérative U, Carrefour, Monoprix and E.Leclerc stores were among those affected.
France’s computer emergency response team, CERT-FR, named Danfoss AK-SC and AK-SM controllers and Dixell and Copeland XWEB systems as affected. No group has claimed the attack. The Paris prosecutor’s cybercrime unit is investigating.
Thierry Cotillard, president of Intermarché owner Les Mousquetaires, put the cost at tens of millions of euros nationally, Reuters reported. He said a legal fight over who is responsible had already begun.
Supermarket Cyberattack Losses Fall Between Policies
Intermarché told AFP its insurance did not cover this type of incident. Four brokers told Reuters that cyber policies typically do not cover physical losses.
Broker Lockton described the gap in a 13 October note. Nearly all property policies exclude cyber-related losses, it said, and cyber policies often exclude physical damage. Lockton sells specialist cover for that gap, with limits up to £650 million.
Since 2020, Lloyd’s has required first-party property policies to state whether they cover cyber losses. Cyber Insurance News asked the same question about hacked robots. Upstream CEO Yoav Levy said the answer starts with proving what went wrong.
Aon’s David Molony told Reuters he recommends specific perishable goods cover for retail and pharmaceuticals. “This is an area that businesses should review carefully,” he said.
An underwriter who requested anonymity told Reuters that a state-actor finding could complicate claims. Cyber policies typically exclude acts of war.
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The Equipment Behind The Supermarket Cyberattack
Danfoss told Reuters that many of the appliances ran out-of-date software. Others had “reached end of life and no longer receive software or security updates,” it said.
The warning signs were public. On 9 August, Claroty’s Team82 research unit disclosed three flaws in Danfoss AK-SM 800A store controllers. One let an attacker log in as an administrator with a password derived from the date. Team82 counted 2,765 exposed devices online. Danfoss fixed the flaws in firmware R4.3.1.
Investigators have not said how the attackers got in. SecurityWeek reported that it is unclear whether they used the flaws Claroty disclosed.
Cyber insurer Coalition also scanned for exposed systems. Between 7 September and 6 October, it found 1,506 internet addresses showing a Danfoss StoreView admin panel. It shared the figures with Insurance Business. Of those, 820 were on French networks. Coalition did not confirm the addresses belonged to stores hit in the attack.
“Before the fridges heated up, warning signs were visible,” Coalition chief underwriting officer Tiago Henriques told Insurance Business.
What Underwriters Ask About Old Systems
Companies typically declare their software update practices when they buy cyber cover, WTW’s Emma Pleut told Reuters.
Outdated software is not usually, by itself, grounds to reject a claim, Tokio Marine Kiln’s Paul Gooch told Reuters. He called the attack “a wake-up call to those who underestimate the potential physical consequences” of cyber incidents.
Some carriers have written patch timing into policy wording. Chubb’s Neglected Software Exploit endorsement gives policyholders 45 days before risk shifts to them, as Cyber Insurance News reported. Censys found that the oldest versions of widely used software barely change over years.
Retailers may pay more for cyber cover after this attack. Asked whether premiums could rise, Beazley’s Sydonie Williams told Reuters: “I absolutely think that could happen.”
FAQ – Supermarket Cyberattack
What happened in the French supermarket cyberattack?
Overnight on 11 October 2026, attackers took control of refrigeration controllers and held fridges and freezers at about 50°C. Food spoiled and some stores reported fires.
How many supermarkets were affected?
Reuters reported about 350. France’s finance minister put the figure at about 700 of the country’s 10,000 supermarkets.
Does cyber insurance cover spoiled stock?
Usually not. Brokers told Reuters cyber policies typically exclude physical losses, and Intermarché said its insurance did not cover this type of incident.
Does property insurance cover cyber-caused spoilage?
Often not. Lockton says nearly all property policies exclude cyber-related losses. Specialist cyber property damage and spoilage cover is available.
Which systems were affected?
France’s CERT-FR named Danfoss AK-SC and AK-SM controllers and Dixell and Copeland xweb systems. Danfoss says many ran out-of-date software or had reached end of life.
Does outdated software void a cyber claim?
Not usually by itself, Tokio Marine Kiln’s Paul Gooch told Reuters. Policy wording and the applicant’s declared patching practices matter.
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