Mysterious Freezer Failures Spark Pentagon Cyberattack Investigation

The Pentagon is investigating a suspected cyberattack against American military bases after mysterious refrigeration failures destroyed food supplies at installations across the United States.

At least six military commissaries experienced unusual freezer malfunctions in late August, raising suspicions that their refrigeration systems were deliberately sabotaged, Reuters reported Thursday, citing four officials familiar with the matter. American military investigators are now coordinating with French authorities after a similar cyberattack hit hundreds of supermarkets in France earlier this month, according to the outlet.

A unit of U.S. Cyber Command is working with federal agencies and law enforcement to investigate the incidents, the Pentagon told Reuters.

The French Embassy in Washington, U.S. Cyber Command and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Army Criminal Investigation Division also confirmed its Cyber Field Office was involved and was cooperating with French law enforcement to understand similar disruptions in Europe, according to Reuters.

The malfunctioning equipment did not simply lose power. At Fort Huachuca, Arizona, the commissary’s freezers unexpectedly entered defrost mode overnight, heating stored food until it spoiled, according to an installation announcement on Facebook.

Other affected installations included Fort Irwin, California; F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming; Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island; Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi; and Travis Air Force Base, California, Stars and Stripes reported on Aug. 28.

The failures forced commissaries to discard thousands of dollars in refrigerated merchandise, including meat, dairy products and frozen foods. Some stores temporarily restricted sales while technicians worked to restore refrigeration equipment, the outlet reported, citing military installation announcements.

The possibility of coordinated sabotage emerged after the disruptions occurred at multiple installations within days of one another. Military investigators subsequently opened inquiries into the outages, Stars and Stripes reported on Sept. 1.

Investigators have not publicly identified a perpetrator or confirmed that hackers caused the American refrigeration failures, according to Reuters.

However, the incidents bear similarities to a confirmed cyberattack against commercial refrigeration equipment in France earlier this month.

Hackers remotely manipulated temperature controls at more than 350 French establishments, causing widespread food spoilage and forcing supermarkets to discard refrigerated merchandise, according to Reuters.

Some refrigeration systems reportedly became hot enough to catch fire. The financial damage could reach tens of millions of euros nationwide, the outlet reported.

French authorities opened a criminal investigation after the attacks disrupted supermarket chains including Intermarché, Carrefour and Monoprix, according to the Associated Press.

The French incidents exposed vulnerabilities in aging refrigeration controllers manufactured by Danish company Danfoss. Many affected systems were obsolete or operated outdated software that no longer received security updates, according to statements Danfoss provided to the AP.

Cybersecurity researchers previously identified serious vulnerabilities in Danfoss refrigeration controllers, including weaknesses that could allow attackers to bypass authentication and remotely execute commands, according to Claroty, a defense-focused tech outlet.

The cybersecurity firm also discovered thousands of refrigeration management interfaces accessible through the public internet. Danfoss subsequently released firmware updates addressing the identified vulnerabilities, according to Claroty.

However, investigators have not established whether American military commissaries operated Danfoss equipment or whether the incidents shared a common cause, Reuters reported.

American defense contractor Anduril is partnering with Qualcomm to develop domestically manufactured computers for military and government customers, according to Anduril. Homegrown technology such as this could be a valuable asset in defending against cyberattacks, the company said during a press briefing attended by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Separately, the company’s new BlueChip laptops are already being tested with Anduril’s Lattice battlefield command-and-control software to control drones, Anduril founder Palmer Luckey told the DCNF. Luckey also said military officials had expressed informal interest in purchasing the computers.

The company aims to reduce dependence on Chinese electronics manufacturing while giving government customers greater control over their computing hardware. BlueChip laptops are expected to become available in 2027, according to Anduril.

As cyberattacks such as this continue to hit U.S. assets, one question remains: Will the U.S. be able to switch away from Chinese technology to defend American cyberspace?

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