The Pentagon is investigating whether a cyberattack triggered a series of commercial freezer failures that spoiled food across multiple US military bases in August, according to a US official familiar with the matter. The disruptions hit approximately six commissaries -- the on-base grocery stores serving service members and their families -- the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing probe. At Fort Huachuca in Arizona, base officials discovered that a walk-in freezer had unexpectedly shifted into defrost mode, heating its inventory and ruining the stored provisions.

The US Cyber Command and Defense Department law enforcement agencies are leading the inquiry. Investigators have not publicly identified any suspects or formally confirmed the technical root cause behind the equipment failures. Reuters first reported Thursday that investigators were treating the incidents as a possible hack. It’s unclear who might be responsible or whether investigators have conclusively determined what caused the failures.

The US investigators are also coordinating with French authorities.

Earlier this month, hackers manipulated temperature controls on commercial cooling systems across more than 350 locations in France, forcing widespread inventory disposal at local supermarkets.

What happened in France

In early October, hackers targeted hundreds of French supermarkets in a cyberattack that reportedly caused refrigerators and freezers to overheat, spoiling food and sparking fires.

Fridges at French supermarket chains Carrefour, Monoprix, the Les Mousquetaires-owned Intermarche, and Cooperative U, among others, all saw fridges heat up to as much as 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) overnight. The incident highlights growing vulnerabilities in operational technology—the internet-connected industrial control systems that regulate everyday supply chain infrastructure. While critical infrastructure discussions often center on power grids and water treatment facilities, cybersecurity analysts warn that food storage systems frequently rely on remote-access controls protected by weak defenses.

Food and Agriculture Information Sharing and Analysis Center's warning

The Food and Agriculture Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC), an industry threat-intelligence group, has repeatedly warned that internet-accessible industrial controls present an easy target for malicious actors. Because the food sector cannot tolerate extended downtime without severe financial and logistical losses, facilities remain prime targets for extortion and ransomware campaigns. A 2021 Department of Homeland Security assessment similarly warned that cyber-induced refrigeration failures posed direct risks to national food distribution networks.

The August commissary failures were first noted publicly by the Signal and Silence blog, followed by reporting from Stars and Stripes on the military's involvement and The Telegraph on international coordination with France.

In Congress, the incidents have renewed momentum around supply chain security. Lawmakers reintroduced the bipartisan Farm and Food Cybersecurity Act in 2025, aiming to bolster crisis response protocols and federal threat-sharing mechanisms across the nation’s agricultural and distribution pipelines.

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