Stuxnet was the malware discovered in 2010 that targeted Iranian nuclear centrifuges.
The worm became famous because it targeted industrial control systems rather than ordinary desktop computers. It exploited vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows to reach systems and then interfered with Siemens industrial equipment used at Iran’s Natanz uranium-enrichment facility.
Stuxnet manipulated centrifuge operations while reporting normal readings to operators, helping conceal the physical damage. Researchers linked the malware to the disruption of Iranian centrifuges, although governments involved did not publicly accept responsibility for the operation.
Stuxnet is often described as one of the first known examples of malware causing substantial physical damage. It also helped popularize the term “cyberweapon.” The malware’s discovery revealed that attacks on digital systems could affect machinery and industrial processes in the real world.