The Pentagon is investigating whether hackers caused refrigeration systems to fail at shops on US military bases in August, following a similar incident affecting hundreds of supermarkets in France this month.
Four officials told Reuters that investigators are treating the US incidents as a suspected cyberattack. At least six military bases reported problems after refrigerators and freezers switched to defrost mode, spoiling food. Army and Air Force investigators, including a cybercrime unit, have been joined by US Cyber Command.
The French incidents could provide a lead. Attackers reportedly altered refrigeration settings at around 250 supermarkets, causing temperatures to rise and food to spoil.
Many affected French stores used control systems made by Danish company Danfoss. Cybersecurity researchers identified vulnerabilities in refrigeration controllers made by Danfoss and Copeland in August, including a hidden login that could allow attackers to take control. Danfoss has since issued a fix.
However, investigators have not confirmed whether the US stores used the same equipment or whether the vulnerabilities were exploited. The Pentagon has yet to establish the cause of the failures or confirm unauthorised access to its systems.
