virus scanner for linux

[CU]

I believe my parents computer has a virus on it. It has been badly crippled by it, so I am going to put the HD in my linux box. What is a good free linux virus scanner I can use to scan it? I plan to format it, but I want to get some of their import stuff off of it first.

 

[drag]

I use F-prot to scan everyonce of a while. I don't know how well it works, since I never had a virus, though. However in that horrid "see how well your virus scanner works" themed thread were their was some sample viruses it got all those. (at least as much as I remember.)

The good news that even though the windows version requires registering for a free try the linux/BSD/Unix version is free to download and update as long as you use it just for home use.

see here.

Actually I installed it thru Debian's apt-get so mabye your distro has something similar if it's not Debian.

But this isn't the only one aviable, check out linux rescue cds and see what they use.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Thanks for the link drag!

 

[Hyperfocal]

Is this stuff looking for the viruses that attack M$ boxes, Linux boxes or both?

 

[drag]

Originally posted by: Hyperfocal
Is this stuff looking for the viruses that attack M$ boxes, Linux boxes or both?

Most of what it looks for is Windows viruses, there are very few Linux viruses, maybe 13 real virus and probably above 40 if you take in considuration the variants and different naming and stuff. And out of that most of them are academic "see it can be done" type things, maybe 3-4 seen out in the wild, and those are old. (there was even one that got spreaded around that came with it's own uninstall program and directions.)

But I am supposing it will look for all viruses, Mac, Windows, or Linux ones.

They sell a specific product to be used with SMB shares for windows clients.


How effective is it? I don't know how it measures up to stuff like Mcaffee or whatnot,. You'll just have to test it to see how it works.

 

[Southerner]

I use ClamAV on my mail machine -- every incoming mail gets handed to the scanner before mail is accepted. It'll scan files on demand as well, and is free (including updates -- I believe it default it updates every 2 hours), but won't scan on access like most Windows viruses do. There's also the OpenAntivirus project which I have no experience with.

For a Windows box, go to housecall.antivirus.com and run the web-based scanner there. It'll download the newest definitions and run to see what shape they're in, for free. Symantec offers a comparable free service, as well.

 

[civad]

Amavis
ClamAV (as pointed out by Southerner)

You can use google for either

 

[n0cmonkey]

Now if we can only get email virus scanners to *not* send out emails to mailing lists when it recieves a virus. :|