# CVE-2019-1188: LNK Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

> Attackers can execute arbitrary code by tricking users into opening malicious LNK files on removable drives or remote shares.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:P/RL:O/RC:C`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 14 Aug 2019
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-gxm6-w8p3-j9wc

## What is CVE-2019-1188?

CVE-2019-1188 is a high-severity code injection vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 10, published on 14 Aug 2019. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Windows that could allow remote code execution if a .LNK file is processed.
An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the local user. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.
The attacker could present to the user a removable drive, or remote share, that contains a malicious .LNK file and an associated malicious binary. When the user opens this drive(or remote share) in Windows Explorer, or any other application that parses the .LNK file, the malicious binary will execute code of the attacker’s choice, on the target system.
The security update addresses the vulnerability by correcting the processing of shortcut LNK references.

Weakness: CWE-59 (Improper Link Resolution Before File Access)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2019-1188?

It affects 3 products.


Products: Microsoft Windows 10, Microsoft Windows Server 2016, Microsoft Windows Server 2019.

## How do I fix CVE-2019-1188?

No fix has been published for CVE-2019-1188 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2019-1188 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2019-1188 exists.

## Other vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows 10

- [CVE-2015-2426](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-2426/): Microsoft Windows Adobe Type Manager Library Remote Code Execution (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2015-1769](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-1769/): Microsoft Windows Mount Manager Privilege Escalation (medium 6.6, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2020-1467](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-1467/): Windows Hard Link Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2021-26424](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-26424/): Windows TCP/IP Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (critical 9.9)
- [CVE-2021-28476](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-28476/): Windows Hyper-V Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (critical 9.9)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2019-1188 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2019-1188 is a high-severity code injection vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 10, published on 14 Aug 2019. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2019-1188 exists.

Affected product: Microsoft Windows 10. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-1188/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-1188/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-1188
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-1188
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2019-1188

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-1188/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.