Linux viruses (was Re: Organizing for ITEC)

[Leo Mauler]

I've been poking around for a comprehensive list of
Linux viruses.

Wikipedia has a list of 14 Linux viruses.

http://tinyurl.com/fah2v

If you search the Kaspersky Labs virus database,
keyword "linux", you come up with about 1110 entries.

http://tinyurl.com/o9s8a

However, it appears that Kaspersky Labs considers many
programs to be Linux viruses when in fact they are
either trojans (requiring the user to run the program
and are non-self-replicating), or exploits of outdated
network daemons.

http://tinyurl.com/g5aoo

Obviously many trojans and malware found in Windows
exploit bugs in Windows, especially Outlook, which
allow the program to execute itself.  Such a situation
doesn't exist in Linux, as the user must be social
engineered into running the program himself.

So what would be a fair list of Linux viruses?  Only
programs which fit the definition of "virus"?  

Wikipedia contains this definition of "computer
virus":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_virus

"A computer virus is a self-replicating computer
program written to alter the way a computer operates,
without the permission or knowledge of the user.
Though the term is commonly used to refer to a range
of malware, a true virus must replicate itself, and
must execute itself."

Using that definition there are only 14 Linux viruses.

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com