Pentagon investigates possible cyberattack on US military base freezers
Investigators are looking into whether a hack caused food spoilage at six US military commissaries during August.
The Pentagon is investigating whether a cyberattack caused commercial freezer failures that spoiled food at several US military bases in August, according to a US official speaking to The Times of India.
The disruptions affected approximately six commissaries, which are grocery stores serving service members and their families. At Fort Huachuca in Arizona, officials found a walk-in freezer had unexpectedly switched to defrost mode, ruining the stored food.
The US Cyber Command and Department of Defense law enforcement agencies are leading the inquiry. While Reuters reported on Thursday that investigators are treating the incidents as a possible hack, no suspects or technical causes have been formally confirmed.
US investigators are also coordinating with French authorities. In early October, hackers reportedly manipulated temperature controls at more than 350 locations in France, causing refrigerators and freezers at supermarket chains including Carrefour and Monoprix to overheat.
The Food and Agriculture Information Sharing and Analysis Center has previously warned that internet-accessible industrial controls are targets for malicious actors. In response to such incidents, lawmakers have reintroduced the bipartisan Farm and Food Cybersecurity Act in 2025.