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Cisco-Talos

Cisco-Talos/clamav

Open source antivirus engine for detecting trojans, viruses, malware and other malicious threats.

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What is it?

ClamAV is an open source antivirus engine that scans files for trojans, viruses, malware and other malicious threats. It is distributed under the GPLv2 license and is usable as a command-line scanner, a library, or as a scanning service within other systems.

The project provides signature-based detection, and its signatures are written in a format that anyone can learn to read and write. Official documentation covers installation through Docker, system package managers, prebuilt installers for Linux, macOS and Windows, and building from source.

ClamAV is aimed at developers and operators who need to add malware scanning to mail gateways, file servers or other pipelines. Its build can be customized through documented options, and the project accepts code contributions and bug reports.

Key features

  • 01Detects trojans, viruses and other malware using signature-based scanning.
  • 02Signatures use a format that users can write and extend themselves.
  • 03Available as Docker images and as packages for Linux, macOS and Windows.
  • 04Can be built from source with a documented set of build options.
  • 05Scans RAR archives through a separately loaded module, keeping the core license-compatible.

Use cases

  • Adding malware scanning to mail gateways or upload pipelines.
  • Scanning files on file servers or shared storage for known threats.
  • Embedding a virus scanning step into a build or ingestion workflow.

Quick start

  1. 1

    Install via Docker image from Docker Hub

  2. 2

    Install from a package manager (see online manual)

  3. 3

    Download an installer from clamav.net/downloads

Things to know

  • Licensed under GPL-2.0, a copyleft license that requires derivative works to remain open source.
  • Building from source requires following multi-step instructions in the online manual.
  • Some bundled third-party components have differing licenses, and the RAR support is loaded at run-time.

In collections

Security scanners, audits & threat intel tools

Topics

#antivirus#malware-detection#security#signature-scanning#clamav#gplv2#open-source

FAQ

What is clamav?
Open source antivirus engine for detecting trojans, viruses, malware and other malicious threats. ClamAV is an open source antivirus engine that scans files for trojans, viruses, malware and other malicious threats. It is distributed under the GPLv2 license and is usable as a command-line scanner, a library, or as a scanning service within other systems.
Is clamav free to use? What license does it have?
clamav is open source under the GPL-2.0 license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is clamav still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to clamav was on Oct 22, 2026.
What can I use clamav for?
Adding malware scanning to mail gateways or upload pipelines. Scanning files on file servers or shared storage for known threats. Embedding a virus scanning step into a build or ingestion workflow.
How do I install clamav?
Install via Docker image from Docker Hub Install from a package manager (see online manual) Download an installer from clamav.net/downloads
Where can I get clamav?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/Cisco-Talos/clamav

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