Homeland Security Today

The Missing LNK — Correlating User Search LNK Files

Forensic investigators use LNK shortcut files to recover metadata about recently accessed files, including files deleted after the time of access. In a recent investigation, FireEye Mandiant ...
Hosted on MSN

This tiny Windows shortcut file is a bigger security threat than you think

Shortcuts (LNK files) in Windows are indicated by curved arrows. We often treat them as background noise and don't consider what they actually do beyond opening apps. In fact, there is a huge gap ...
Computerworld

Critical Windows vuln. in .LNK files = Stuxnet (and IE IV)

Eeek! All versions of Microsoft Windows have a nasty shortcut-file vulnerability, it has emerged. Simply displaying the icon of a crafty .LNK file will cause malware infection. The Stuxnet worm has ...
Hosted on MSN

Urgent Microsoft Windows Cyberattack Warning: Avoid Opening These Files

Microsoft Windows users have been urgently warned about a dangerous cyberattack that can exploit a longstanding, unresolved security flaw involving Windows LNK files. As per a report in Forbes, citing ...
Ars Technica

Open/Create Windows shortcut to folder from macOS?

I'm the sole Mac user in a Windows-based company, and all of our files are stored in a collection of Windows Server shares in a whole bunch of relatively organized directories. We frequently include ...
Bleeping Computer

As Microsoft blocks Office macros, hackers find new attack vectors

We have reported on the use of LNK files by Emotet, Qbot, and IcedID, in all cases masquerading as a Word document to trick the recipient into opening it. However, these link files can be used to ...
heise online

Windows: Zero-day gap in the LNK display

The Zero Day Initiative classifies a vulnerability in the display of the contents of LNK files in Windows as high-risk. Trend Micro's Zero-Day Initiative (ZDI) has published information on a ...
PC World

Beware! Malware distributors are switching to less suspicious file types

After aggressively using JavaScript email attachments to distribute malware for the past year, attackers are now switching to less suspicious file types to trick users. Last week, researchers from the ...
TechRadar

Microsoft quietly patches LNK vulnerability that's been weaponized for years

Microsoft’s November 2025 Patch Tuesday fixed 63 flaws, including CVE-2025-9491 in Windows LNK files The bug let attackers hide malicious commands in shortcut files, enabling RCE attacks Exploited ...
CSOonline

Malware distributors are switching to less suspicious file types

After aggressively using JavaScript email attachments to distribute malware for the past year, attackers are now switching to less suspicious file types to trick users. Last week, researchers from the ...