France blames Iran for supermarket fridge hacks
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The French government has blamed an Iranian military hacking unit for cyberattacks that disrupted refrigeration systems at roughly 700 grocery stores and other retail locations last month, causing food losses and at least 15 fires.
Why it matters: The attacks underscore how Iranian government hackers are moving beyond stealing data and disrupting websites to manipulating the physical equipment that keeps essential services running.
Driving the news: France's Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs attributed the Oct. 11–12 attacks to Iran on Monday, calling them the country's first cyberattack campaign conducted purely for sabotage on French territory.
- The government's Cyber Crisis Coordination Center specifically attributed the attacks to Shahid Kaveh, a hacking unit within Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
- Hackers manipulated refrigeration equipment to raise temperatures, causing tens of millions of euros in food losses and at least 15 fires, according to French officials.
- The same operation also targeted equipment at small hydroelectric facilities in France, with limited effects, according to an intelligence report.
Yes, but: The French government has not publicly attributed a separate wave of refrigeration attacks that occurred last week to the same hackers.
Zoom in: French intelligence linked Shahid Kaveh to several online hacktivist personas, including CyberAveng3rs and Soldiers of Solomon, that publicly claim responsibility for the unit's operations.
- Investigators found that infrastructure used in the refrigeration attacks was also used to scan industrial equipment using techniques previously associated with Shahid Kaveh.
- They also found traces of Farsi in the attack infrastructure and identified a propaganda outlet linked to the unit that publicized the attack.
The big picture: Iran has a history of targeting industrial equipment in cyber operations, including American water systems and Israeli refrigeration equipment.
- French intelligence linked Shahid Kaveh to attacks on Israeli refrigeration equipment earlier this year and a 2023 campaign targeting industrial controllers manufactured by Unitronics.
What to watch: France plans to summon Iran's ambassador and propose new European Union sanctions against Iranian individuals and entities involved in the attacks.
