The Pentagon is investigating a series of unexplained malfunctions that affected food-storage freezers at U.S. military bases in August, resulting in the spoilage of large quantities of food amid suspicions that the incidents may have been caused by a cyberattack, according to four officials familiar with the matter.
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According to Reuters, one of the officials said U.S. military investigators are communicating with their French counterparts about a similar cyberattack that targeted commercial refrigeration units in France and caused disruptions at supermarkets there earlier this month.
Reuters was unable to determine how far the Pentagon investigation had progressed or whether authorities had reached any conclusions regarding the nature of the incidents or the parties potentially responsible.
In response to questions from the agency, the Pentagon said a unit of U.S. Cyber Command, the military force responsible for cyber operations, was working closely with relevant government agencies and law enforcement authorities, without providing further details.
The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division confirmed that its cybercrime field office was involved in the investigation, saying it was working with French law enforcement agencies to understand the circumstances surrounding refrigeration-system malfunctions in Europe.
Malfunctions Hit Six Stores at Military Bases
A Reuters review of military base Facebook posts and updates published on their websites found that the malfunctions in late August affected at least six stores located on U.S. military bases. The stores sell food products to military personnel.
In at least one case, the problem went beyond the freezers simply shutting down. Temperatures inside the refrigeration units rose abnormally overnight, causing large quantities of food to spoil or melt by morning.
On August 26, the Fort Huachuca military base in Arizona said on Facebook that one freezer had entered a defrost mode, causing its temperature to rise and heating all the food stored inside.
“Trust us when we say the food was spoiled,” the account said in describing the incident.
A newly established blog called “Signal and Silence” was the first to report on the unusual freezer behavior and the possibility of electronic sabotage on August 28.
The case was later covered by Stars and Stripes, which reported on the involvement of military investigators, while the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph disclosed that U.S. investigators had contacted French authorities.
Reuters was the first to report that investigators were treating the incidents as possible cyber intrusions.
The French Embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment, according to Reuters.
If the freezer malfunctions at U.S. military bases are confirmed to have resulted from a cyberattack, the incidents would provide another example of the vulnerability of critical infrastructure, including refrigerated-storage systems, to cyber threats.
A cyberattack in France targeted temperature-control systems in commercial refrigeration units at more than 350 facilities, causing striking scenes inside supermarkets as they were forced to clear spoiled frozen-food products from their shelves.
The French attack did not simply disable the refrigeration units. It involved manipulating control settings and raising temperatures inside the freezers, a pattern similar to what occurred at Fort Huachuca in Arizona.
In some cases, temperatures inside the French refrigeration units rose to extreme levels, causing fires to break out.
The total losses caused by the attack across France could reach tens of millions of euros, according to estimates provided earlier this month by a supermarket owner.
Outdated Systems May Facilitate Cyberattacks
Experts who previously spoke to Reuters said the cyberattack targeting freezers in France appeared relatively easy to carry out.
Danish company Danfoss, which manufactures control systems used in many of the affected refrigeration units, said a large number of these systems had become outdated or were running fixed software that had not been updated for some time, potentially making it easier for hackers to gain access.
Reuters was unable to determine whether the affected U.S. military bases use control systems manufactured by Danfoss or other companies.
The company also did not respond to requests for comment on the incidents.
Cyber Risks Threaten Food Supply Chains
Refrigeration systems play a vital role in distributing and preserving fresh food. The possibility that refrigerated-storage facilities could be sabotaged remotely has therefore long been regarded as a serious threat, alongside attacks that could cause power outages or disrupt water-treatment facilities.
Earlier this year, the Global Food Safety Initiative, an industry-focused organization, called on food-safety experts and information-technology officials to work together to strengthen the cybersecurity of refrigeration systems.
The initiative said a cyber breach of a refrigeration system could be as dangerous as a mechanical failure.
Cyber sabotage targeting refrigerators and freezers is not a new phenomenon. Refrigeration systems in the United States and other countries have previously been targeted in similar attacks.
Danfoss said hackers targeted or breached systems used in supermarkets in Russia and Israel in 2022. Those stores were using older versions of the company's refrigerated-storage controllers.
In December last year, federal prosecutors in Los Angeles charged a Ukrainian woman with participating in a hacking group that disrupted refrigeration systems at a meat-processing facility in 2024.
The attack resulted in the spoilage of more than 2,000 pounds of meat, equivalent to more than 900 kilograms.
Connecting Refrigeration Systems to the Internet Raises Risks
Bill Moore, chief executive of industrial cybersecurity company Zona Systems, said the core problem lies in the transformation of industrial control systems over recent years.
He explained that these systems were originally designed as standalone operating interfaces, requiring an on-site technician to carry out maintenance and control operations.
With technological advances, however, increasing numbers of these systems have been connected to the internet, creating security risks that were not present to the same extent when they operated independently.
Moore said concerns over cyberattacks are not limited to refrigeration systems, but could be particularly serious in this sector because of its direct role in preserving food and maintaining the flow of supplies.
He stressed that attacks targeting such systems “can certainly disrupt the food supply chain.”
The U.S. investigation and the attacks reported in France highlight the risks facing internet-connected refrigeration systems and the potential economic losses, food waste and supply-chain disruptions that could result from targeting them, as authorities continue working to determine the causes of the malfunctions at U.S. military bases and identify any parties potentially involved.
Source: Reuters
