This new tool for Linux removes malware and scans for threats, and it's completely free

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Kaspersky has unveiled a new Linux-specific malware scanner that can protect against known threats and keep your system clean.

The KVRT tool is completely free and works using a database of known threats to scan for all kinds of malware that could be abusing legitimate applications or hoovering your data, and securely quarantines them.

The application has some unique quirks, such as requiring an internet connection to work, only supporting 64-bit systems, and requiring users to frequently download the malware database in order to protect against the latest threats.

Kaspersky KVRT

The program is built to work on a wide range of Linux distributions, including CentOS, Linux Mint, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Ubuntu, Debian, openSUSE and SUSE, among many more. And don’t worry if your Linux of choice isn’t on the list of supported distributions, as it is likely the programme will work anyway according to Kaspersky.

When the programme finds a harmful file, it will offer to clean it up, and quarantine a non-harmful copy in a directory located at ‘/var/opt/KVRT2024_Data/Quarantine’.

“Our application can scan system memory, startup objects, boot sectors, and all files in the operating system for known malware. It scans files of all formats — including archived ones,” Kaspersky said in its blog post announcing KVRT’s release.

The programme is recommended to be run using a root account to ensure that it can access all the nooks and crannies a harmful file could be hiding, including system memory and boot sectors. Unfortunately, there is no way to have KVRT scan on startup as the programme must be run manually each time. It also can’t monitor for attack in real time, so be sure to scan regularly to keep yourself protected.

For those not running a Linux system, you may be better off taking a look at some of the best antivirus.

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Benedict has been writing about security issues for over 7 years, first focusing on geopolitics and international relations while at the University of Buckingham. During this time he studied BA Politics with Journalism, for which he received a second-class honours (upper division), then continuing his studies at a postgraduate level, achieving a distinction in MA Security, Intelligence and Diplomacy. Upon joining TechRadar Pro as a Staff Writer, Benedict transitioned his focus towards cybersecurity, exploring state-sponsored threat actors, malware, social engineering, and national security. Benedict is also an expert on B2B security products, including firewalls, antivirus, endpoint security, and password management.