Just found a virus

[Juan Pablo]

I was playing around with my Ubuntu box and installed Aegis antivirus.
I never thought it could find a virus but it found one named W32/Netsky on a dll called msvcr70.dll on /home/..../.wine

Probably it is not dangerous because it seem like a windows virus .... but just to be sure I came to ask to the linux gurus

Thanks!

[Dapper Dan]

Running ClamAV, I find Windows viruses quite often. In fact, I try running some of them with Wine to see if they are capable of doing any damage.

[Cabhan]

Hrmm...that's an interesting conundrum. Usually, Windows viruses can't harm Linux, but since wine translates the Windows API into Linux, I wonder if a Windows virus, run with wine, could do damage.

I'd recommend replacing the dll, but I should imagine you'll be fine.

[budman7]

I doubt any harm will come to the Linux machine, but I suppose Linux could be a carrier.

[Zelmo]

I'm thinking a virus could mess up your ~/.wine directory (really, just your ~/.wine/drive_c directory) and anything in it. So if you have something important you use with wine, maybe proceed with caution.

[Krendoshazin]

I was playing around with my Ubuntu box and installed Aegis antivirus.
I never thought it could find a virus but it found one named W32/Netsky on a dll called msvcr70.dll on /home/..../.wine

Probably it is not dangerous because it seem like a windows virus .... but just to be sure I came to ask to the linux gurus

Thanks!

Somebody at winehq.com also reported finding this virus, and they were also using Aegis antivirus, since a search on google revealed hardly any hits and you are both using the same antivirus, I'm putting my money on the antivirus being overly cautious and giving you incorrect results.

When I used to use windows, I did a lot of programming, and one of the dll's I used was a custom made dll for modifying registry data, because of the nature of this dll my antivirus popped up and announced that this file was a virus, which I knew full well it wasn't (this is just an example, not a direct comparison), so as you can see, antivirus' aren't perfect.

[kavalakala]

Yep, I also think that due to linux file hierarchy Windows viruses cannot harm Linux systems, but if you run infected files with wine they can do some damage to Windows they see, in this case your ~/.wine.

[Juan Pablo]

I don't use any important program with Wine, so I think I am safe. The only thing I have tried to install with wine is MSN messenger (maybe a virus).

[kavalakala]

There are many good replacements for MSN Messenger such as Gaim and Kopete if you need that service. Personally I got enough and quit using it, now the only real time messaging service I use is IRC

[ElbyWeb]

i have a Netsky fix that should work through wine if you would like it, i had that virus at one time on windows right lil bugger it was