The concept of "Google hacking" dates back to August 2002, when [[Chris Sullo]] included the "nikto_google.plugin" in the 1.20 release of the [[Nikto (vulnerability scanner)|Nikto]] vulnerability scanner.<ref>{{Cite web |title=nikto-versions/nikto-1.20.tar.bz2 at master · sullo/nikto-versions |url=https://github.com/sullo/nikto-versions/blob/master/nikto-1.20.tar.bz2 |access-date=2023-08-30 |website=GitHub |language=en |archive-date=August 30, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230830140742/https://github.com/sullo/nikto-versions/blob/master/nikto-1.20.tar.bz2 |url-status=live }}</ref> In December 2002 Johnny Long began to collect Google search queries that uncovered [[Vulnerability (computing)|vulnerable systems]] and/or [[Data breach|sensitive information disclosures]] – labeling them googleDorks.<ref name=googleDorks2002>{{cite web|url=http://johnny.ihackstuff.com/security/googleDorks.shtml |title=googleDorks created by Johnny Long |publisher=Johnny Long |access-date=December 8, 2002 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021208144443/http://johnny.ihackstuff.com/security/googleDorks.shtml |archive-date=December 8, 2002 }}</ref>
The list of Google Dorks grew into a large dictionary of queries, which were eventually organized into the original Google Hacking Database (GHDB) in 2004.<ref name=ghdb2004>{{cite web|url=http://johnny.ihackstuff.com/blog/my-blog-like-thing/google-hacking-database.html |title=Google Hacking Database (GHDB) in 2004 |publisher=Johnny Long |access-date=October 5, 2004 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070707185932/http://johnny.ihackstuff.com/blog/my-blog-like-thing/google-hacking-database.html |archive-date=July 7, 2007 }}</ref><ref name=ghbook2005>{{cite book |title=Google Hacking for Penetration Testers, Volume 1 |year=2005 |publisher=Johnny Long |isbn=1931836361 }}</ref>
