Cyberattack disrupts blood storage refrigeration systems in France

France's national blood service (EFS) has confirmed that a cyberattack targeting a refrigeration equipment provider raised temperature settings at three of its facilities, threatening stored blood products.

• The cyberattack targeted refrigeration supplier Coolworld Rentals rather than EFS directly.
• Temperature and defrost thresholds were raised at three blood storage facilities in France.
• Monitoring systems quickly detected the issue, preventing any loss of blood products or health impact.
• The incident follows a broader wave of cyberattacks targeting refrigeration systems across Europe.

Incident Details and EFS Response

The French Blood Establishment, which manages blood collection and distribution, stated that the incident occurred on November 2 and affected remote monitoring and control systems. The unauthorized access caused temperature and defrost thresholds in affected cold-storage chambers to reach extremely high levels.

EFS emphasized that its monitoring and alarm systems quickly detected the temperature changes, allowing staff to fix the equipment or transfer biological samples and plasma bags to other facilities. No health impact was identified, and collection and distribution operations continued without interruption.

Broader European Refrigeration Cyberattacks

This incident is part of a wider wave of cyberattacks targeting refrigeration systems across Europe. In October, similar attacks disrupted refrigeration systems at up to 350 French supermarkets, including Carrefour and Intermarché, by exploiting vulnerabilities to activate defrost functions.

A second wave of attacks this month affected over 115 stores across Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Luxembourg, Ireland, and Estonia. While some refrigeration systems were shut down entirely, others had temperatures manipulated remotely, such as one Swedish store reporting temperatures raised to 50°C.

Supplier Response and Security Measures

European refrigeration provider Coolworld Rentals confirmed that a limited number of its units were affected due to a vulnerability in a third-party component outside its direct control. The company took prompt measures and is assisting affected customers.

EFS technical teams are currently working alongside France's national cybersecurity agency (ANSSI) and the Ministry of Health. In response to the regional threat, the organization has strengthened the monitoring of its refrigeration equipment and storage temperatures.