Cross-browser firefox/konqueror malware on Ubuntu Dapper

[ubuntu at rio.vg]

Charlie Zender wrote:
> Help! My Ubuntu Dapper laptop has malware infecting its browswers!
> About three weeks ago my Firefox browser started showing signs of
> malware infestation. The symptoms are that the browser re-directs
> my normal requests to click-for-pay sites www.ownbox.com and usseek.com.
> To get rid of this malware I've tried
> 
> 0. Re-booting
> 1. Purging and re-installing firefox
> 2. Deleting my ~/.firefox directory
> 3. Running Konqueror instead
> 
> None of these work. After a few hours of browsing the re-directs to
> the click-for-pay sites begin again. So this cross-browser malware
> has somehow installed itself in files that survive re-boots and
> browser re-installs. I've found other reports of this malware related
> to Windows PCs, but no instructions on how to erase it from Linux.
> Any ideas
> 
> 1. How to find it's source and erase it completely from disk?
> 2. How to tell if it's phoning home my passwords?
> 3. Sites that discuss this particular malware?
> 

Check /etc/hosts for any entries pointing to those sites.