Christmas Tree ( CHRISTMAS EXEC ) is one of the first self-replicating network programs to paralyze IBM Vnet's private mail network worldwide on December 17, 1987 .
The program was written by a student at Clausthal-Zellerfield University ( German: Clausthal-Zellerfield ), Germany . He said the program, written in REXX for VM / CMS , was intended to send Christmas greetings to his friends at the university. The first known infection occurred at 13:00 GMT on December 9 in Clausthal-Zellerfield ( EARN DCZTU1 node ).
When the program received control, it displayed this congratulation:
*
*
***
*****
*******
*********
************* A
*******
*********** VERY
***************
******************** HAPPY
***********
*************** CHRISTMAS
********************
************************ AND MY
***************
******************** BEST WISHES
************************
***************************** FOR THE NEXT
******
****** YEAR
******
See also
- History of computer viruses
Links
- Viruses for the 'Exotic' Platforms (VX heaven) . Archived on August 6, 2013. (English) - description and source codes of some self-reproducing programs, including Christmas Tree.