France has blamed Iran for an October cyberattack that disrupted refrigeration systems at hundreds of supermarkets. Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot told reporters Monday that the attack was carried out by a cyber unit linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.[1]
The attack, which took place overnight 11-12 October, remotely altered refrigeration settings at French retail locations, spoiling food and triggering fires. Though Barrot was only referring to the incidents reported in France, grocery stores across Europe and even French blood banks have been targeted by hackers in recent days. Cyber experts had previously raised concerns that the attacks may have been part of Russia’s ongoing hybrid warfare against Europe, though the Kremlin has denied any involvement.
The Paris prosecutor’s office has opened a judicial investigation into the attack and is seeking international arrest warrants for the alleged leader of the unit and two deputies.
Prosecutors identified the group as Shahid Kaveh, which they said is affiliated with the Guards’ electronic and cyber center. They cited Farsi-language activity and IP addresses traced to Iran as evidence. “This attack is unprecedented in both its scale and its level of aggression,” Barrot said, adding that France would seek European-level sanctions against those responsible.
Reuters reported on 9 November, citing two unnamed sources, that French officials suspected Iranian state-backed hackers. Reuters said it could not independently establish how officials reached that conclusion.
This article is shared at no charge for educational and informational purposes only.
Red Sky Alliance is a Cyber Threat Analysis and Intelligence Service organization. We provide indicators of compromise information (CTI) via a notification/Tier I analysis service (RedXray) or an analysis service (CTAC). For questions, comments or assistance, please contact the office directly at 1-844-492-7225, or feedback@redskyalliance.com
Weekly Cyber Intelligence Briefings:
- Reporting: https://www.redskyalliance.org/
- Website: https://www.redskyalliance.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/64265941
Weekly Cyber Intelligence Briefings:
REDSHORTS - Weekly Cyber Intelligence Briefings
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7855487668891299929
[1] https://cbs2iowa.com/news/nation-world/france-foreign-minister-jean-noel-barrot-groupd-of-seven-blames-iran-linked-hackers-for-supermarket-fridge-attack-vows-sanctions-islamic-revolutionary-guard-corps-shahid-kaveh-ip-addresses
Comments