The disclosure provides an approach for controlling application self-replication in a network. Embodiments include determining, by a self-replicating application, one or more parameters related to a networking environment. Embodiments include applying, by the self-replicating application, one or more rules to the one or more parameters related to the networking environment. Embodiments include determining, by the self-replicating application, whether to replicate within the networking environment based on the applying of the one or more rules to the one or more parameters related to the networking environment.