the Year 2038 problem
loreprogrammingnetworking
The moment in 2038 when systems counting seconds in a signed 32-bit integer will overflow and wrap to 1901.
Unix time is seconds since 1970, and a signed 32-bit counter runs out at 03:14:07 UTC on 19 January 2038, flipping to a negative value read as December 1901. Modern systems use 64-bit time, but embedded and legacy devices that still use 32 bits are the Y2K of the next generation.
Also known as: Y2K38, epochalypse, 2038 bug
Sources
- Signed 32-bit time_t overflow, 2038-01-19 03:14:07 UTC