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Analyzing LNK File and Jump List Artifacts
Overview
Windows LNK (shortcut) files and Jump Lists are critical forensic artifacts that provide evidence of file access, program execution, and user behavior. LNK files are created automatically when a user opens a file through Windows Explorer or the Open/Save dialog, storing metadata about the target file including its original path, timestamps, volume serial number, NetBIOS name, and MAC address of the host system. Jump Lists, introduced in Windows 7, extend this by maintaining per-application lists of recently and frequently accessed files. These artifacts persist even after the target files are deleted, making them invaluable for establishing that a user accessed specific files at specific times.
When to Use
When investigating security incidents that require analyzing lnk file and jump list artifacts
When building detection rules or threat hunting queries for this domain
When SOC analysts need structured procedures for this analysis type
When validating security monitoring coverage for related attack techniques
Prerequisites
LECmd (Eric Zimmerman) for LNK file parsing
JLECmd (Eric Zimmerman) for Jump List parsing
Python 3.8+ with pylnk3 or LnkParse3 libraries
Forensic image or triage collection from Windows system
Timeline Explorer for CSV analysis
LNK File Locations
Location Description %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\Recent files accessed %USERPROFILE%\Desktop\User-created shortcuts %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Start Menu shortcuts %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Office\Recent\Office recent documents
LNK File Structure
Shell Link Header (76 bytes) Offset Size Field 0x00 4 HeaderSize (always 0x0000004C) 0x04 16 LinkCLSID (always 00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046) 0x14 4 LinkFlags 0x18 4 FileAttributes 0x1C 8 CreationTime (FILETIME) 0x24 8 AccessTime (FILETIME) 0x2C 8 WriteTime (FILETIME) 0x34 4 FileSize of target 0x38 4 IconIndex 0x3C 4 ShowCommand 0x40 2 HotKey
Key Forensic Fields in LNK Files
Target file timestamps : Creation, access, modification times of the referenced fileVolume information : Serial number, drive type, volume labelNetwork share information : UNC path, share nameMachine identifiers : NetBIOS name, MAC address (from TrackerDataBlock)Distributed Link Tracking : Machine ID and object GUID
Analysis with EZ Tools
LECmd - LNK File Parser # Parse all LNK files in Recent folder
LECmd.exe -d "C:\Evidence\Users\suspect\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent" --csv C:\Output --csvf lnk_analysis.csv
# Parse a single LNK file with full details
LECmd.exe -f "C:\Evidence\Users\suspect\Desktop\Confidential.docx.lnk" --json C:\Output
# Parse LNK files with additional detail levels
LECmd.exe -d "C:\Evidence\Users\suspect\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent" --csv C:\Output --csvf lnk_all.csv --all
JLECmd - Jump List Parser # Parse Automatic Jump Lists
JLECmd.exe -d "C:\Evidence\Users\suspect\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\AutomaticDestinations" --csv C:\Output --csvf jumplists_auto.csv
# Parse Custom Jump Lists
JLECmd.exe -d "C:\Evidence\Users\suspect\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\CustomDestinations" --csv C:\Output --csvf jumplists_custom.csv
# Parse all jump lists with detailed output
JLECmd.exe -d "C:\Evidence\Users\suspect\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\AutomaticDestinations" --csv C:\Output --csvf jumplists_auto.csv --ld
Jump List Structure
Automatic Destinations (automaticDestinations-ms) These are OLE Compound files (Structured Storage) identified by AppID hash in the filename:
AppID Hash Application 5f7b5f1e01b83767 Windows Explorer Pinned/Frequent 1b4dd67f29cb1962 Windows Explorer Recent 9b9cdc69c1c24e2b Notepad a7bd71699cd38d1c Notepad++ 12dc1ea8e34b5a6 Microsoft Paint 7e4dca80246863e3 Control Panel 1cf97c38a5881255 Microsoft Edge f01b4d95cf55d32a Windows Explorer 9d1f905ce5044aee Microsoft Excel a4a5324453625195 Microsoft Word d00655d2aa12ff6d Microsoft PowerPoint bc03160ee1a59fc1 Outlook
Custom Destinations (customDestinations-ms) Created when users pin items to application jump lists. These files contain sequential LNK entries.
Python Analysis Script import struct
import os
from datetime import datetime, timedelta
FILETIME_EPOCH = datetime(1601, 1, 1)
def filetime_to_datetime(filetime_bytes: bytes) -> datetime:
"""Convert Windows FILETIME (100-ns intervals since 1601) to datetime."""
ft = struct.unpack("<Q", filetime_bytes)[0]
if ft == 0:
return None
return FILETIME_EPOCH + timedelta(microseconds=ft // 10)
def parse_lnk_header(lnk_path: str) -> dict:
"""Parse the Shell Link header from an LNK file."""
with open(lnk_path, "rb") as f:
header = f.read(76)
header_size = struct.unpack("<I", header[0:4])[0]
if header_size != 0x4C:
return {"error": "Invalid LNK header"}
link_flags = struct.unpack("<I", header[0x14:0x18])[0]
file_attrs = struct.unpack("<I", header[0x18:0x1C])[0]
result = {
"header_size": header_size,
"link_flags": hex(link_flags),
"file_attributes": hex(file_attrs),
"creation_time": filetime_to_datetime(header[0x1C:0x24]),
"access_time": filetime_to_datetime(header[0x24:0x2C]),
"write_time": filetime_to_datetime(header[0x2C:0x34]),
"file_size": struct.unpack("<I", header[0x34:0x38])[0],
"has_target_id_list": bool(link_flags & 0x01),
"has_link_info": bool(link_flags & 0x02),
"has_name": bool(link_flags & 0x04),
"has_relative_path": bool(link_flags & 0x08),
"has_working_dir": bool(link_flags & 0x10),
"has_arguments": bool(link_flags & 0x20),
"has_icon_location": bool(link_flags & 0x40),
}
return result
Investigation Use Cases
Evidence of File Access
Parse LNK files from Recent folder to identify accessed documents
Cross-reference with MFT timestamps and USN Journal entries
Note that LNK files persist even after target files are deleted
Removable Media Access
LNK files referencing drive letters E:, F:, G: indicate removable media usage
Volume serial number in LNK identifies the specific device
MAC address in TrackerDataBlock identifies the source machine
Network Share Activity
LNK files with UNC paths (\server\share) indicate network file access
NetBIOS name identifies the remote server
Timestamps establish when access occurred
Differences Between Windows 10 and Windows 11 Recent research (IEEE 2025) shows that Windows 11 produces different LNK and Jump List artifacts:
Fewer automatic LNK files generated for certain file types
Modified Jump List behavior for modern applications
UWP/MSIX applications may not generate traditional Jump Lists
Windows 11 Quick Access replaces some Recent functionality
References
Example Output $ LECmd.exe -d "C:\Evidence\Users\jsmith\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent" --csv /analysis/lnk_output
LECmd v1.11.0 - LNK File Parser
================================
Processing 47 LNK files...
--- LNK File: Q4_Report.xlsx.lnk ---
Source: C:\Evidence\Users\jsmith\Recent\Q4_Report.xlsx.lnk
Target Path: C:\Users\jsmith\Downloads\Q4_Report.xlsm
Target Created: 2024-01-15 14:33:45 UTC
Target Modified: 2024-01-15 14:33:45 UTC
Target Accessed: 2024-01-15 14:35:12 UTC
File Size: 251,904 bytes
Drive Type: Fixed (C:)
Volume Serial: A4E7-3F21
Machine ID: DESKTOP-J5M1TH
MAC Address: 48:2A:E3:5C:9B:01
--- LNK File: update_client.exe.lnk ---
Source: C:\Evidence\Users\jsmith\Recent\update_client.exe.lnk
Target Path: C:\ProgramData\Updates\update_client.exe
Target Created: 2024-01-15 14:34:02 UTC
Target Modified: 2024-01-15 14:34:02 UTC
Target Accessed: 2024-01-15 14:36:30 UTC
File Size: 1,258,496 bytes
Drive Type: Fixed (C:)
Volume Serial: A4E7-3F21
Machine ID: DESKTOP-J5M1TH
Working Dir: C:\ProgramData\Updates
Arguments: --silent --no-update-check
Run Window: Hidden
======================================================================
$ JLECmd.exe -d "C:\Evidence\Users\jsmith\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\AutomaticDestinations" --csv /analysis/jumplist_output
JLECmd v1.5.0 - Jump List Parser
==================================
Processing 23 AutomaticDestinations files...
--- Application: Microsoft Excel (AppID: 12dc1ea8e34b5a6) ---
Entries: 15
Most Recent:
Entry 0: C:\Users\jsmith\Downloads\Q4_Report.xlsm (2024-01-15 14:35:12 UTC)
Entry 1: \\FILESERV01\Finance\Budget_2024.xlsx (2024-01-14 09:22:30 UTC)
Entry 2: C:\Users\jsmith\Documents\Expenses\Dec2023.xlsx (2024-01-10 16:45:00 UTC)
--- Application: Windows Explorer (AppID: f01b4d95cf55d32a) ---
Entries: 28
Most Recent:
Entry 0: C:\ProgramData\Updates\ (2024-01-15 14:36:25 UTC)
Entry 1: E:\Backup\ (2024-01-15 15:30:00 UTC)
Entry 2: \\FILESERV01\HR\Employees\ (2024-01-15 16:12:45 UTC)
--- Application: cmd.exe (AppID: 9b9cdc69c1c24e2b) ---
Entries: 5
Most Recent:
Entry 0: C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe (2024-01-15 14:36:00 UTC)
Summary:
Total LNK files processed: 47
Total Jump List entries: 156
Suspicious artifacts: 3 (hidden window execution, USB drive access, network shares)
CSV exported to: /analysis/lnk_output/ and /analysis/jumplist_output/
