"Trust us when we say it was 'spoiled'": Pentagon probing military freezers full of spoiled food as potential cyberattack

(Image credit: Getty Images) The Pentagon is probing a potential cyberattack on military bases that affected commissary freezersNumerous military bases reported malfunctions and issues with refrigeration units in August 2026Authorities are in contact with their French counterparts to look for similarities in a similar cyberattack that hit French supermarkets in OctoberThroughout 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.Freezers set to defrost in midnight attacksAccording 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.”Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed!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said in a statement at the time that many of the supermarkets were running obsolete devices, or devices were running outdated firmware, making it easier for hackers to gain access.The Internet of Things has made it easier to manage fleets of devices that traditionally would have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. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Benedict is a Senior Security Writer at TechRadar Pro, where he has specialized in covering the intersection of geopolitics, cyber-warfare, and business security.Benedict provides detailed analysis on state-sponsored threat actors, APT groups, and the protection of critical national infrastructure, with his reporting bridging the gap between technical threat intelligence and B2B security strategy.Benedict holds an MA (Distinction) in Security, Intelligence, and Diplomacy from the University of Buckingham Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies (BUCSIS), with his specialization providing him with a robust academic framework for deconstructing complex international conflicts and intelligence operations, and the ability to translate intricate security data into actionable insights.