ClamAV Complete System Scan Script

A comprehensive Bash script for performing full system virus scans using ClamAV antivirus. This script automates the entire scanning process with progress tracking, logging, and system safety features.

Disclaimer: This is a third-party automation script for ClamAV. ClamAV is an open-source antivirus engine owned by Cisco Systems, Inc. This project is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Cisco Systems or the official ClamAV project.

Features

🛡️ Security & Safety

• Root Privilege Check: Ensures script runs with appropriate permissions
• Service Management: Automatically stops/stops freshclam service to prevent conflicts
• Directory Exclusion: Skips system directories like /proc, /sys, /dev to avoid issues
• Error Handling: Comprehensive error checking and graceful failure handling

📊 Progress Tracking

• Real-time Progress Bar: Visual progress indicator showing scan completion percentage
• File Counting: Pre-scans to estimate total files for accurate progress tracking
• Live Updates: Progress updates every 100 files scanned

📝 Logging & Reporting

• Timestamped Logs: Automatic log file generation with date/time stamps
• Dual Output: Both console display and file logging
• Scan Reports: Detailed scan results saved separately
• Summary Display: Quick overview of scan results at completion

🔄 Automation Features

• Virus Database Updates: Automatic freshclam execution before scanning
• Database Age Check: Warns if virus definitions are outdated (>7 days)
• Infected File Handling: Automatic detection and removal of viruses
• Exit Code Interpretation: Clear explanations of ClamAV exit codes

Technical Details

Scan Configuration

• Recursive Scanning: Scans all subdirectories
• Archive Scanning: Examines compressed files
• PUA Detection: Potentially Unwanted Applications detection
• File Size Limits: 512MB maximum per file/archive
• Excluded Directories: /proc, /sys, /dev, /snap, /run, /tmp

Output Files

• Log File: /var/log/clamav-full-scan-YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS.log
• Scan Report: /var/log/clamav-scan-report-YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS.txt

Prerequisites

Required Software

• ClamAV: Must be installed on your system
• freshclam: ClamAV's virus definition update tool
• Bash: Version 4.0 or higher

Installation

# Install ClamAV on Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install clamav clamav-daemon

# Install ClamAV on CentOS/RHEL
sudo yum install clamav clamav-update

# Make script executable
    chmod +x full-system-scan.sh

# Run as root
    sudo ./full-system-scan.sh

Exit Codes Interpretation

0: No viruses found
1: Virus(es) found and removed
2: Some files could not be scanned
 Other: Unknown error occurred

Dependencies

-ClamAV: Must be installed (clamscan and freshclam commands)
-Systemd: For service management (freshclam)
-Root Access: Required for system-wide scanning

Safety Notes

-The script automatically handles freshclam service to prevent conflicts
-System directories are excluded to avoid scanning special filesystems
-Large files (>512MB) are skipped to prevent memory issues
-All actions are logged for audit purposes

Performance

-Initial File Count: May take time on large systems
-Scan Speed: Depends on system size and disk speed
-Progress Updates: Minimal overhead from progress tracking

Ideal For
-Regular system security audits
-Post-intrusion verification
-Scheduled security scanning
-System administrator toolkits

This script provides an enterprise-grade scanning solution with user-friendly features while maintaining ClamAV's powerful detection capabilities.