Kaspersky releases a free virus removal tool for Linux-based systems, KVRT

An urban myth used to suggest that Linux was immune to viruses and malware, and is totally secure. This is, of course, nonsense, even if the comparatively low usage makes Linux-based system less likely to be attacked than Windows or macOS.

Highlighting the fact that there is no such thing as a completely secure operating system, Kaspersky has released a new malware scanner for Linux systems. Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool (KVRT) for Linux is a free tool that, although it fails to offer real-time protection, can be used to scan for and remove various forms of malware... albeit with a slight caveat.

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The fact that Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool is not a real-time anti-virus tool might be considered a caveat, but there is something else to keep in mind. KVRT only works on 64-bit systems. While this should not represent a problem for most people, anyone who is running a 32-bit distro is out of luck.

Kaspersky has tested the software with a range of distros, including Red Hat Enterprise Server, Ubuntu, Mint and Debian. The company has provided a list of distros with which KVRT is known to work, but the fact that a particular flavor of Linux is not listed does not necessarily mean that it's not going to work.

In release notes for KVRT, Kaspersky points out a few things:

KVRT for Linux can't monitor attacks on your computer or server in real time -- it's a free application for scanning computers running a Linux-based OS and cleaning them of detected threats. It can detect both malware and adware, as well as legitimate programs that can be used for attacks.

The company also says:

VRT for Linux doesn't have an automated antivirus-database updating mechanism. If you want our product to be able to recognize the latest threats, you'd need to download the fresh version of the program from our website each time. The package hosted there is updated several times a day.

The application can be run via graphical interface or via a command line. But you can only run it manually -- it's impossible to set up a scheduled scan.

You can download Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool (KVRT) for Linux here; information about how to use the security tool is available here.

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