Pentagon Investigates Suspected Cyberattacks on Military Base Freezers
The Pentagon is investigating refrigeration failures at six U.S. military bases as suspected cyberattacks mirroring a large-scale breach of French supermarkets.
The United States Department of Defense is investigating suspected cyberattacks that targeted refrigeration systems at six U.S. military commissaries in late August. The malfunctions caused freezers to enter defrost mode or had their temperature settings altered overnight, resulting in widespread food spoilage. Affected sites include Fort Huachuca, Fort Irwin, F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Naval Station Newport, Columbus Air Force Base, and Travis Air Force Base.
U.S. Cyber Command, the Army Criminal Investigation Division, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service are coordinating the probe. Investigators are collaborating with French law enforcement because the incidents mirror a confirmed October cyberattack that disrupted refrigeration at 350 to 700 French supermarkets, including chains like Carrefour and Intermarché. In the French case, attackers overrode temperature controls, causing some units to catch fire and resulting in losses estimated in the tens of millions of euros.
Many of the affected French systems used controllers from the Danish firm Danfoss, which noted that obsolete hardware and outdated firmware may have facilitated the breach. While the Pentagon has not yet proven a cyberattack occurred or identified a responsible actor, records indicate that at least one affected U.S. site, Naval Air Facility El Centro, used Danfoss systems. The investigation continues to focus on whether connected industrial controllers were exploited via unauthorized remote access.
