Cross-platform virus poses little risk

Well after the concern of the cross platform virus announced recently made its rounds, it seems that the risk being posed is very slim.

Security watchers have uncovered proof-of-concept (POC) malware that’s capable (at least theoretically) of infecting either Windows or Linux PCs. Linux-Bi-A/Win-Bi-A is written in assembler so it is capable of infecting either Linux ELF binaries or Windows exe files.

The virus only infects files in a user’s current directory and isn’t spreading. The code for Bi-A is simple and its only action is to inject text strings into infected files. Bi-A poses no immediate risk to users in its present form. However, as Kaspersky Labs’ virus list notes, it’s possible that VXers will take the code and use it as a basis for more malicious malware. But then again, that could be said of previous cross platform viruses and thus far a heavy hitter has failed to materialise.

The SANS Institute concludes that the appearance of the PoC serves as a timely reminder that users ought not to run their machine as “root” or administrator. Running a computer via a separate user account limits the impact of hacker attacks, but it’s a lesson ordinary Windows users, in particular, have been slow to take on board. Protecting computers - be they running Windows, Linux or OS/X - with anti-virus software is also a good idea. Source: The Register

[tags]proof-of-concept,cross platform virus,linux pcs,sans institute[/tags]