malicious techniques

Elastic Security Labs has identified techniques that malicious actors may use to bypass Windows security alerts, particularly targeting Windows SmartScreen and Smart App Control (SAC). One method, known as "LNK Stomping," exploits a flaw in how Windows handles shortcut files (.LNK) to nullify the Mark of the Web (MotW) tag, which indicates potentially dangerous files. This technique allows malware to evade detection since SmartScreen only scans files with the MotW tag. The technique involves creating LNK files with unconventional target paths, prompting Windows Explorer to correct these discrepancies and remove the MotW tag. Desimone noted that this vulnerability has been present for over six years, with samples found in VirusTotal. Other methods to bypass reputation-based protections include signing malicious applications with code-signing certificates, Reputation Hijacking, Reputation Seeding, and Reputation Tampering. These methods manipulate legitimate programs or create seemingly trustworthy binaries to exploit vulnerabilities in the system.