Morris Worm
A computer worm written in 1988 by Cornell University graduate student Robert Tappan Morris. It was the first worm to spread widely across the internet, infecting approximately 10% of connected computers at the time. The incident led to the establishment of the CERT coordination center and helped drive cybersecurity legislation.
Timeline (last 90 days)
On the evening of November 2, 1988, at approximately 6 o'clock Pacific Standard Time, the Morris Worm was released from a computer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
The Morris Worm infected approximately 10% of all connected computers at the time within 13 hours.
Morris's intention in writing the worm was not to cause damage, but to estimate the size of the Internet.
After launching, the Morris Worm first performed a population control check, determining whether a copy of itself already existed on the system to decide whether to terminate.
Due to improper probability settings in the population control mechanism, the Morris Worm repeatedly copied itself on many machines, exhausting system resources and causing machines to crash.
The Morris Worm spread through two methods: lateral propagation (finding other connected hosts and copying itself) and local weak-password cracking.
The Morris Worm is regarded as an important turning point in the history of cybersecurity, reshaping the security awareness of the entire industry.
All Facts (7)
After launching, the Morris Worm first performed a population control check, determining whether a copy of itself already existed on the system to decide whether to terminate.
50%UnverifiedThe Morris Worm infected approximately 10% of all connected computers at the time within 13 hours.
50%UnverifiedMorris's intention in writing the worm was not to cause damage, but to estimate the size of the Internet.
50%UnverifiedThe Morris Worm is regarded as an important turning point in the history of cybersecurity, reshaping the security awareness of the entire industry.
50%UnverifiedDue to improper probability settings in the population control mechanism, the Morris Worm repeatedly copied itself on many machines, exhausting system resources and causing machines to crash.
50%UnverifiedThe Morris Worm spread through two methods: lateral propagation (finding other connected hosts and copying itself) and local weak-password cracking.
50%UnverifiedOn the evening of November 2, 1988, at approximately 6 o'clock Pacific Standard Time, the Morris Worm was released from a computer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
50%