Highlight \verb in inline text

It's as simple as

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{xcolor}
\usepackage{newverbs}
\newverbcommand{\cverb}{\color{red}}{}

\begin{document}
Text \cverb|&*}| and more text
\end{document}

Version with a macro for having a background text:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{xcolor}
\usepackage{newverbs}

\newverbcommand{\cverb}{\color{red}}{}
\newverbcommand{\bverb}
  {\begin{lrbox}{\verbbox}}
  {\end{lrbox}\colorbox{gray!30}{\box\verbbox}}

\begin{document}
Text \cverb|&*}| and more text

Text \bverb|&*}| and more text
\end{document}

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{color}
\usepackage{verbatimbox}
\begin{document}
This is a
\color{red}
\begin{verbbox}
\verbatim text
\end{verbbox}
\theverbbox
\color{black}
~that is inline

\end{document}