The shortcut (.LNK) file vulnerability that we reported on earlier this month – which affects Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7 – has not yet been patched by Microsoft. Security Advisory 2286198 advised of workarounds but many people are not happy with those. There are now exploits out there “in the wild” that take advantage of this vulnerability. For the interim, security company Sophos has released a tool that detects malicious links in shortcuts and blocks them. It works with any anti-virus software and it can be uninstalled when Microsoft issues their own patch for the problem. You can read more about it and how to get it here:
About The Author
Deb Shinder
Debra Littlejohn Shinder is a technology and security analyst and author specializing in identity, security and cybercrime, utilizing her past experience as a police officer and police academy/criminal justice instructor. She has written numerous books and articles for web and print publications and has been awarded the Microsoft MVP designation for fourteen years in a row.
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