France investigates Iranian IRGC unit over cyberattacks on supermarket fridges

The Paris prosecutor has opened an investigation into an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps cyber unit following a wave of hacks that disabled nearly 700 supermarket refrigerators across France.

France’s foreign minister described the October cyberattacks as having an "unprecedented scope and aggressiveness," according to World. The hack targeted refrigeration systems at approximately 700 sites, causing some units to reach temperatures so high they caught fire. The Guardian reported that supermarket staff were forced to discard large quantities of spoiled meat and melted ice cream following the malfunctions.

The Paris prosecutor identified the IRGC's Shahid Kaveh unit as the focus of the probe. While little is known about the shadowy group, France 24 noted that analysts have tracked the IRGC’s expansion into cyber warfare for several years. The French foreign minister has summoned the Iranian ambassador in response to the findings, though the New York Times reported that Iran did not offer an immediate response.

The technical nature of the breach was described as "not particularly complex" by Rafe Pilling of the cybersecurity firm Sophos. According to The Guardian, the hackers gained access to the fridge controls simply by using default passwords. Experts suggest the move was likely intended to project international power and signal political displeasure rather than conduct sophisticated espionage.

While France is the first to officially attribute this specific type of hack to the Iranian state, The Guardian noted similar incidents elsewhere. Suspected hacks recently affected industrial freezers at an Israeli food plant in May and caused food spoilage at U.S. military bases in August. Investigators are now looking into potential links between the French attacks and other rogue defrosting incidents reported across Europe last week.

Background

In 2023, Iranian-affiliated hackers displayed anti-Israel slogans on water-control equipment and used deepfake reports to interrupt streaming services in the United Arab Emirates. The IRGC, which serves as Iran's ideological military branch, has increasingly used cyber operations to target international adversaries.