- The Pentagon is probing a potential cyberattack on military bases that affected commissary freezers
- Numerous military bases reported malfunctions and issues with refrigeration units in August 2026
- Authorities are in contact with their French counterparts to look for similarities in a similar cyberattack that hit French supermarkets in October
Throughout August 2026, multiple military bases across the US reported issues with freezers malfunctioning and food spoiling in base commissaries.
The Pentagon has now decided to launch an investigation into whether the malfunctions were actually a coordinated cyberattack that echoes a similar recent attack against French supermarkets.
To that end, the Pentagon has confirmed it is in contact with French authorities, and a unit of the US Cyber Command is collaborating with multiple agencies including the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division’s Cyber Field Office.
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Freezers set to defrost in midnight attacks
According to Reuters, six military bases reported issues with commissary freezers on social media in August, with Fort Irwin, F.E. Warren, Naval Station Newport, Columbus and Travis all confirmed to have been affected.
The attacks showed similarities to the attack on freezers in French supermarkets, with units set to defrost or temperatures turned up overnight. When commissary workers came in to start work, they found freezers full of hot, spoiled food.
“Trust us when we say it was ‘spoiled,’” Fort Huachuca shared on social media.
“We are aware of speculation regarding a potential cyber incident. The Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the criminal investigative arm of the DoW Office of Inspector General, is leading a joint investigation,” the Defense Department said in a statement. “For security reasons, we do not comment on ongoing law enforcement investigations.”
The brand that was targeted in the attacks on French supermarkets, Danfoss, said in a statement at the time that many of the supermarkets were running obsolete devices, or devices were running outdated firmware, making it easier for hackers to gain access.
The Internet of Things has made it easier to manage fleets of devices that traditionally would have required individual management – such as freezers and refrigerators in a supermarket – but they also make devices internet facing, creating a potential entry point for hackers.
If the firmware that governs their connectivity isn’t kept up to date, it can become vulnerable to remote takeover, with the hackers able to change settings or hijack the device.
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benedict.collins@futurenet.com (Benedict Collins)
