New virus targets Windows and Linux

Antivirus experts are warning of the first evidence of new breed of virus affecting both Windows and Linux machines alike.

Although the virus is thought to be a proof-of-concept creation, and has not yet cropped up in the wild, it may set a precedent for more destructive cross-platform viruses.

The warning about W32.Winux comes from antivirus firm Central Command. Steven Sundermeier, product manager at the company, said the code was evidence of the world's first known virus capable of spreading on both Windows and Linux systems.

"While people do not share executables between these operating systems, this new proof-of-concept virus represents a technology innovation that may lead to more destructive viruses in the future," he explained.

W32.Winux can replicate under all Windows and Linux systems, affecting .PE files (Windows executables) and .ELF files (Linux executables). According to Sundermeier, its infection method is very basic.

It simply searches for all files located in the current and parent folders, then opens every file and infects any executables it comes across.

Sundermeier said that the virus may well have been created as a proof-of-concept because it does not damage the target system. "It is believed to have originated out of the Czech Republic and does not have a destructive payload," he concluded.