Germany authorities say an 18-year-old high school student has admitted creating the Sasser computer worm that recently has plagued computers around the world.
Police in Lower Saxony state arrested the youth Friday after a search of his parents' home. Authorities have not released information about his identity.
The Sasser worm exploits a flaw in the Microsoft Windows operating system software, causing some computers to crash and reboot repeatedly. The infection has slowed companies and government agencies who use computers in their work.
The worm struck May 1. It spread widely over the Internet, infecting millions of computers worldwide and is expected to infect many more before running its course.
Microsoft and computer security firms have issued instructions about how to avoid infection and remove the worm.