Chernobyl packet

A Chernobyl packet induces a condition known as a network storm or network meltdown, sometimes called broadcast radiation. These packets are usually crafted with malicious intent, by containing both a source and destination address that matches the broadcast address for the subnets it uses. When the packet is routed through the gateways containing these subnets, it can cause a "switching loop." This loop generates a crippling amount of network traffic, potentially making the affected networks unusable.

Network terms, Packet, Security terms