>>16732423
Call me schizo but I think this is really how it goes.
Only affects other civilizations that look at you closely enough and try to analyze the data with technology.
A "mind your own business or face the consequences" approach.
Once the program embeds in our tech it can hijack whatever it needs to build probes or whatever UAP are. Might even put itself into our outgoing signals to replicate itself to further civilizations.
No need for a swarm of von-neuman probes filling the skies, we don't see "space ships" traveling between stars because most of the time it's easier to just send an email.