Hackers accessed cooling systems used to store blood plasma in France between November 1 and 2, changing freezer temperature settings in an attack on equipment linked to essential services. The systems were supplied by Coolworld, which works with the French blood service, EFS.
According to Cyberattaque, as reported by Cyber Security News, the attackers set the freezers to rise from -30°C to 110°C. It is not known whether they actually reached that temperature. Frozen plasma intended for transfusions was among the products potentially at risk.
France’s Ministry of Health said the incident caused no serious operational consequences. The changes were detected quickly and corrected. Authorities have not disclosed how many facilities were affected, how long the disruption lasted, or the temperatures reached. They have also not confirmed whether any blood stocks had to be discarded.
The attackers reportedly targeted third-party maintenance systems responsible for controlling freezer temperatures, rather than compromising medical facilities directly. Because maintenance providers may serve multiple clients, a breach of their systems could expose cooling equipment across several organizations, including those providing essential services.
The incident followed warnings from European cybersecurity officials about risks to critical infrastructure. In October 2026, ANSSI Director-General Vincent Strubel said refrigeration facilities, including those used to store medical supplies, could become targets.
In the United Kingdom, National Cyber Security Centre Chief Executive Richard Horne has also highlighted vulnerabilities in organizations’ technology and operational systems, as well as in supply chains. At the launch of the State of the Cyber Nation report, he identified electricity distribution, water infrastructure, industrial production lines, heating systems and refrigeration controls as systems that could be exploited in cyberattacks.
Sources: Olhar Digital.