Barriers that Microsoft has placed to prevent malicious macros has forced some cybercriminals to use LNK files for malware delivery, but at the cost of easier detection.

Don't open LNK files from unverified sources. Ensure Microsoft Defender or the antivirus software remains updated. Pay attention to security warnings displayed by Windows.

The team also spotted LNK malware builders available for purchase on hacker forums, making it easy for cybercriminals to shift to this “macro-free” code execution technique by creating ...

If you cannot open exe or lnk files, learn how to reset, repair, restore broken EXE or LNK file association in Windows. Use FixExec or apply this fix.