Linux virus/spyware?

[motorollin]

My sister phoned me tonight to say that her PayPal account has been hijacked. She said she only ever logs on the PayPal on her Linux netbook, and hasn't responded to any phishing emails. Is it possible that a virus or malware has found its way on to her Linux machine? Do Linux viruses and malware even exist?

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moto

[motorollin]

There are some, but it's unlikely she'd have gotten any. I wonder if she's been the victim of a cross site scripting hack online?

Cheers Karlos. How do they work? What would she need to have done to fall victim to it?

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moto

[motorollin]

@Piru
As I said she told me she hasn't provided her login details to anybody, and she is aware of phishing emails and doesn't respond to them. I was asking Karlos how the cross-site scripting attacks work.

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moto

[motorollin]

Thanks guys. Those explanations make sense to me, though I'm not sure she'll buy it. She is adamant she hasn't responded directly to any phishing attempts and that the only logical explanation is a virus. Despite the fact that I've told her that Linux isn't really vulnerable to viruses, she is still keen to run a virus scan. So I'm faced with trying to talk her through installing a virus scanner on Linux when I don't even know how to do it myself 0_o

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moto

[motorollin]

Thanks guys. The good news is that PayPal have agreed to refund the £1,000!

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moto