The software, when opening a file or directory, does not sufficiently handle when the file is a Windows shortcut (.LNK) whose target is outside of the intended control sphere. This could allow an attacker to cause the software to operate on unauthorized files.
Extended Description
The shortcut (file with the .lnk extension) can permit an attacker to read/write a file that they originally did not have permissions to access.
Alternate Terms
Windows symbolic link following
symlink
Time of Introduction
Operation
Applicable Platforms
Languages
All
Operating Systems
Windows
Common Consequences
Scope
Effect
Confidentiality
Integrity
Technical Impact: Read files or
directories; Modify files or
directories
Mail client allows remote attackers to bypass the
user warning for executable attachments such as .exe, .com, and .bat by
using a .lnk file that refers to the attachment, aka "Stealth Attachment."
Browser allows remote malicious web sites to
overwrite arbitrary files by tricking the user into downloading a .LNK
(link) file twice, which overwrites the file that was referenced in the
first .LNK file.
Rootkits can bypass file access restrictions to
Windows kernel directories using NtCreateSymbolicLinkObject function to
create symbolic link
Potential Mitigations
Follow the principle of least privilege when assigning access rights
to files. Denying access to a file can prevent an attacker from
replacing that file with a link to a sensitive file. Ensure good
compartmentalization in the system to provide protected areas that can
be trusted.
Weakness Ordinalities
Ordinality
Description
Resultant
(where
the weakness is typically related to the presence of some other
weaknesses)
Under-studied. Windows .LNK files are more "portable" than Unix symlinks
and have been used in remote exploits. Some Windows API's will access LNK's
as if they are regular files, so one would expect that they would be
reported more frequently.
Description
