Hackers pushed freezers at hundreds of French supermarkets to 122 degrees. Now the Pentagon is asking whether the same thing hit U.S. military bases

The Pentagon is examining whether freezer failures at U.S. military commissaries were linked to a cyberattack, raising questions about the security of connected refrigeration systems used at military facilities.

Joint investigation underway

The Pentagon’s criminal investigators are leading a joint probe into freezer failures reported at U.S. military commissaries in August. Four officials told Reuters that the Pentagon is treating the incidents as a possible cyberattack.

The investigation has not established that the failures were caused by hackers. However, the timing has drawn attention because a similar incident occurred weeks earlier in France.

French supermarket incident adds context

Hackers took control of refrigeration systems at hundreds of French supermarkets overnight. The episode involved the controls that manage refrigeration, providing a recent example of how cyber intrusions can affect physical equipment and commercial operations.

The French incident has heightened scrutiny of the U.S. freezer failures, although the available information does not confirm that the two events are connected. The Pentagon’s investigation is intended to determine whether the commissary malfunctions involved malicious activity.

Why the probe matters

Freezer failures can affect facilities that depend on refrigeration, making the security of control systems an issue beyond traditional computer networks. For the Pentagon, determining whether the U.S. incidents were accidental malfunctions or cyberattacks will be central to understanding the risk to military commissaries.

The investigation remains ongoing, and no confirmed cause or connection to the French supermarket attack has been provided.