Phoenix-based Dru Mundorff (aka CodeCompiler) owner of Mundorff & Co. has written a new code called ‘LilyJade’ which is classified as a botnet killer. Using the free service of Crossrider, Mundorff managed to develop a cross-browser extension through javascript which has reached over 30 million users in the first month. Spread on Facebook through an application, LilyJade is installed on user computers only after they agree to displayed Terms & Conditions. Sound familiar? These type of Facebook applications have become quite common nowadays, and for those that choose to download them, who even reads the Terms & Conditions anyways?!

Once the extension is successfully installed it immediately exchanges every ad on the user’s browser. Mundorff describes this process as an ‘ad-blocker-and-replacer’ service similar to that of a pop-up blocker. Mundorff continues to suggest that this type of feature is essential to have on your computer to protect personal identity – the inherent risk of being on social media networks. The purpose of LilyJade is to be a botnet killer – something he suggests is not being well managed by major websites such as Facebook, YouTube, Yahoo, Bing, Google, and MSN.

However, things begin to get a little more complicated. Now that LilyJade is publishing the new / filtered ads onto your browser (which most likely look very similar to all previous ads), it issues a different code and consequently directs all future revenues generated by the pay-per-click ads to Mundorff & Co. Hmmm, sounds shady.

Okay, but let’s talk numbers . . . how much is this guy really making? Well, within the first two weeks of launching LilyJade he raked in a solid $250,000! LilyJade is also available to the public on malware markets for a price tag of $1,000. Mundorff suggests to customers that LilyJade can expect to make around $0.50 / hour for every one hundred users that install the program.

That is some serious cash, so it has caused a serious response from the tech community. It has even caused push-back from Facebook themselves. They have issued a cease and desist order against LilyJade, and had this to say about the program,

“Plugins such as LilyJade are configured to modify our [site] to inject ads and / or send spam through Facebook to the victim’s friends via wall posts and chat message,” said Fred Wolens, public policy manager at Facebook. “These alterations materially change people’s Facebook experience and bypass Facebook’s quality and security controls. Additionally, programs like LilyJade can make Facebook slower, cause user confusion and can obfuscate authenticate user content by displaying banner ads.”

When describing how he responded to Facebook, Mundorff said,

“I pretty much told them to go f*** themselves cause we can’t post on anyones [sic] walls with out there [sic] permissions automated or not . . . So they can go to hell.”

It is apparent that the tech community views LilyJade as a cross-browser worm – certainly not an online security service that everyone needs! This now public debate has escalated quickly and it’s happening in our backyard. AZTechBeat will keep you in the know regarding any further breaking news on Dru Mundorff, the Phoenix CodeCompiler, and infamous developer of LilyJade.