Antivirus software maker Kaspersky has released a Linux variant of Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool. The free antivirus tool can detect malware, adware and other potentially harmful software for Linux and, according to the company, is compatible with most Linux distros.
Kaspersky writes in a blog post that Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool, KVRT for short, both can scan system memory, boot files, and boot sectors as well as any other files on a Linux system. The tool is also said to be able to handle all types of files, including archived data.
If KVRT finds a malicious file, it can delete or quarantine it. The database on which the tool is based is regularly updated, according to Kaspersky. However, if you want to have the latest database, you must download the program from Kaspersky's website every time.
Kaspersky recommends running the tool via the root account. KVRT is said to be most effective this way. It is possible to run the tool with a user interface or operate it via commands. For the time being, users cannot have KVRT automatically scan for malware.