[JTB7]

I have something in windows that I scanned that is a virus and a application so I booted into linux to run it. Can Wine get a virus?

[techieMoe]

Originally Posted by JTB7

I have something in windows that I scanned that is a virus and a application so I booted into linux to run it. Can Wine get a virus?

In theory, I guess. However since WINE is not an entire Microsoft Windows operating system the damage a virus could do is pretty well confined. Windows viruses do not affect Linux. In the absolute worst case scenario you'd end up uninstalling and reinstalling WINE. That's it.

[devils casper]

Yes. Wine can get virus and make your system un-bootable. Be careful while using Wine and never run it as root.

Originally Posted by techieMoe

In the absolute worst case scenario you'd end up uninstalling and reinstalling WINE. That's it.

If anyone run winei as Regular user then virus will affect /home only but as running Wine as root could end up hosing everything. One has to re-install whole OS.

[valan]

Running Windows Viruses With Wine
Even though it's a 3 year old article, it's still a good one :P

[devils casper]

Here is the other one. Go through whole thread. Its an interesting read.

[techieMoe]

Originally Posted by devils casper

Yes. Wine can get virus and make your system un-bootable. Be careful while using Wine and never run it as root.

If anyone run winei as Regular user then virus will affect /home only but as running Wine as root could end up hosing everything. One has to re-install whole OS.

How could a virus written to affect Microsoft Windows DLL files and executables "hose" a Linux system at all? Explain. Yes, in theory a root-enabled MS Windows virus running in Wine would have access to Linux system files, but how would it have any clue what to do with them?

[devils casper]

Please check the link that I posted in post #5. I have faced exactly similar problem a year and half back. I didn't know much about Linux that time.

[techieMoe]

Originally Posted by devils casper

Please check the link that I posted in post #5. I have faced exactly similar problem a year and half back. I didn't know much about Linux that time.

Well, the best I can see from the thread is that if you run a virus in WINE with root privileges it can muck things up. Thus, a very simple fix is to never run WINE with root privileges. Then, as I said before, the only thing that it can screw up is stuff in your /home/ folder.

[devils casper]

Originally Posted by techieMoe

Well, the best I can see from the thread is that if you run a virus in WINE with root privileges it can muck things up. Thus, a very simple fix is to never run WINE with root privileges. Then, as I said before, the only thing that it can screw up is stuff in your /home/ folder.

Thats what I mentioned in my first post in this thread.

[techieMoe]

Originally Posted by devils casper

Thats what I mentioned in my first post in this thread.

Ok. You got me. I stand corrected.