France’s national blood service has confirmed that a cyberattack targeting a refrigeration equipment supplier affected cold-storage systems at three facilities, putting plasma supplies used for transfusions and medicine production at potential risk. The Euronews report said authorities detected the attack before any blood products or samples were damaged.
The incident occurred overnight between November 1 and November 2, when attackers manipulated systems responsible for monitoring and controlling refrigerated storage rooms operated by the Établissement français du sang (EFS). The organization said temperature and defrosting thresholds were changed to extremely high levels, affecting facilities storing plasma bags for transfusions, plasma used in medicine manufacturing, and biological samples.
French media reports identified the affected refrigeration supplier as Coolworld, although the EFS did not name the company in its public statement. Reports also said attackers attempted to change freezer temperature settings from approximately -30 degrees Celsius to 110 degrees Celsius. The reported figure refers to a programmed setting; there is no confirmation that the stored plasma actually reached that temperature. The Associated Press report confirmed that the attack sought to raise temperatures but was stopped before products were compromised.
The EFS said its monitoring and alarm systems quickly detected the abnormal settings, allowing staff to secure the affected equipment and transfer stored products to other facilities. The organization confirmed that no blood products were lost and no health consequences were identified. Blood collection and distribution operations continued without interruption.
France’s national cybersecurity agency, ANSSI, and the Health Ministry are investigating the incident. Authorities are examining the circumstances of the attack and the affected refrigeration systems. The incident has not been publicly attributed to a threat actor, and officials have not identified it as a ransomware attack.
The attack follows separate incidents targeting refrigeration systems at supermarkets and food suppliers across Europe. Abijita previously reported on cyberattacks on supermarket refrigeration systems, retailers upgrading their refrigeration systems, and refrigeration cyberattacks affecting UK meat suppliers. No connection between those incidents and the EFS attack has been established.
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