Security warning bypass via LNK path canonicalization
Published Sep 10, 2024 · Updated Aug 10, 2026
Protection mechanism failure in Microsoft Windows allows remote attackers to bypass Mark of the Web by convincing a user to open a crafted LNK file. Explorer canonicalizes a nonstandard target path and saves the shortcut through _SaveAsLink(), removing its Zone.Identifier before CheckSmartScreen() runs. Successful exploitation requires user interaction and permits attacker-controlled content to launch without SmartScreen or Attachment Services warnings.
Summary
What happened
Protection mechanism failure in Microsoft Windows allows remote attackers to bypass Mark of the Web by convincing a user to open a crafted LNK file. Explorer canonicalizes a nonstandard target path and saves the shortcut through _SaveAsLink(), removing its Zone.Identifier before CheckSmartScreen() runs. Successful exploitation requires user interaction and permits attacker-controlled content to launch without SmartScreen or Attachment Services warnings.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-38217
- Published
- Sep 10, 2024
- Updated
- Aug 10, 2026
- Vendor
- Microsoft
- Product
- Windows 10 Version 1507
- Classifications
- CWE-693, T1204.002
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 10, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 10, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=10.0.10240.0 <10.0.10240.20766
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Public exploit references
- LNK stomping proof-of-concept generatorproof of concept · demonstrated
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Reported exploitation
- CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog entryknown exploited catalog
Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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