ClamAV
ClamAV is an open-source antivirus engine for scanning files and mail gateways.
Legal & ethical use. Use this tool only on systems, networks and data that you own or have explicit written permission to test. Unauthorised access or scanning can break computer-misuse laws (for example Pakistan's Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, and equivalents elsewhere). Practise in your own lab or in authorised environments such as CTFs.
What it is used for
- Scan uploaded files on a Linux server
- Check downloaded samples in a lab
Key features
- Signature database
- On-demand and daemon scanning
- Freshclam updates
Installation
sudo apt install clamav, then run freshclam to update signatures.
Beginner usage guide
Update the signatures, scan a test directory and review the summary.
Example commands
Run these only against your own lab or authorised targets. Placeholder addresses such as 192.0.2.x are documentation ranges.
Scan a folder
clamscan -r --infected ~/Downloads-r scans recursively; --infected lists only infected files.
References
Source verification
Last reviewed: 2026-10-27
Links checked over HTTP: 2026-10-27 07:51 UTC — official: 200, docs: 200, repo: 200
Commands were written from the official documentation and have not been executed on this site; test them in your lab.