A recently revealed attack method, referred to as LNK Stomping, is currently used to avoid Windows security controls by tampering with shortcut (LNK) files. The exploit exploits a security weakness in the way Windows processes shortcut files and the Mark of the Web (MoTW) security feature. If users launch a malicious LNK file, attackers can evade warnings and run code undetected. It is this vulnerability, which has been identified as CVE-2024-38217, that Microsoft fixed on September 10, 2024. However, active exploitation has continued for years now, with available samples going back more than six years on VirusTotal. The exploit operates by taking advantage of the Windows Explorer path normalization process, which strips essential metadata from files—namely, the Zone.Identifier (which contains MoTW flags)—prior to any security trigger. By designing shortcut files with nonstandard path constructs, attackers fool Windows into stripping MoTW information, essentially nullifying defenses such as SmartScreen and Smart App Control. Researchers found three primary types of manipulations: PathSegment, Dot, and Relative, all intended to disrupt file structure assumptions and exploit the vulnerability. To protect against LNK Stomping, CVE-2024-38217 patches must be deployed on all Windows machines. Administrators must block the execution of shortcut files from unknown sources, particularly within email attachments and archives. Advanced endpoint detection solutions with behavior-based analysis are essential since signature-based technology is likely to miss these advanced techniques. More format-level security research and user awareness training are also advisable in order to detect and block misuse of legitimate system functionality.
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