Could a virus on Windows pose harm to Ubuntu in a dual-boot config?

[diablo75]

All I'm wanting to know is:

Hypothetically speaking, could a virus running on Windows corrupt things like partition tables on a hard drive and cause you to lose access to your Ubuntu machine. Might it be possible for a virus to erase all the data on your Ubuntu ext3 partition?

[Vitamin-Carrot]

:confused:

ummmmmmm

Possible

[steveneddy]

Doubtful

[EnGorDiaz]

hmmm i dont think so alot of ppl wouldnt make a virus for it to infect the GRUB bootloader most just target at microsoft programs although its possible

take this example
http://antivirus.about.com/library/weekly/aa032801a.htm

[~LoKe]

I'm sure it's possible to do some damage to the partition, but likely? No, not really.

[Twitch6000]

Well it depends on where you placed grub.

If its in the MBR.

Then yes it can mess up Linux somewhat,but not like it would Windows.

The worst it would do is make both Oses unbootable.

[zmjjmz]

Most viruses don't attack MBRs --
Killing your host before you reproduce? Bad idea.

[EnGorDiaz]

Most viruses don't attack MBRs --
Killing your host before you reproduce? Bad idea.

your exactly right but not exactly attack what im saying it can implant itself into another form of memory other than the hard disk

[zmjjmz]

Hm, I see what you mean.
Supposing Windows is still unable to write ext3, you should be fine.

[kevin11951]

Hm, I see what you mean.
Supposing Windows is still unable to write ext3, you should be fine.

well, using this program (http://www.fs-driver.org/) i can write (and read) to/from my Ubuntu partition... just to let you know :)

[zmjjmz]

well, using this program (http://www.fs-driver.org/) i can write (and read) to/from my Ubuntu partition... just to let you know :)

That was dumb.
So long as you run in Limited User with suDown you should be fine though.

[EnGorDiaz]

That was dumb.
So long as you run in Limited User with suDown you should be fine though.

huh! rootkits roflcopter

[sonofusion82]

well, using this program (http://www.fs-driver.org/) i can write (and read) to/from my Ubuntu partition... just to let you know :)

i think the virus dont even need such a driver, they can do serious damage by just writing garbage in to the entire harddisk.

[zmjjmz]

i think the virus dont even need such a driver, they can do serious damage by just writing garbage in to the entire harddisk.

But they wouldn't be able to write to ext3.
Believe me, the last thing a virus wants to do is destroy a user's hard disk.

[diablo75]

So far, it seems like the answer is "yes...hypothetically speaking". It makes sense that designing a virus to destroy your host right off the bat would be dumb, but still possible.

[Trail]

As the above posters have said, it is very unlikely that damage to an ext3/whatever filesystem would occur.

[gn2]

I have a dual boot of Vista and Ubuntu, I use the FS Driver to read ext3 from Vista, but no way would I allow Vista to write to my precious ext3 partitions.
Fortunately during the FS Driver set-up process you can deny it write access and have it as read only,otherwise I would not use FS Driver.

Here's a question I wondered about, Windows always causes bad fragmentation, so would using Windows and FS Driver cause fragmentation on an ext3 drive/partition?

[EnGorDiaz]

I have a dual boot of Vista and Ubuntu, I use the FS Driver to read ext3 from Vista, but no way would I allow Vista to write to my precious ext3 partitions.
Fortunately during the FS Driver set-up process you can deny it write access and have it as read only,otherwise I would not use FS Driver.

Here's a question I wondered about, Windows always causes bad fragmentation, so would using Windows and FS Driver cause fragmentation on an ext3 drive/partition?

no becuase most of it would be read only even when you transfer files i bet the program doesnt use the same slack type to write to the partition seemings as the program writer himself would use a type of unix or linux

[EnGorDiaz]

the program would basicaly write the slack type of ext3 and not of windows famous ntfs

althought this makes me relise there is more possibly a chance a virus could direct the slack type to do some damage