A .LNK file is a Windows shortcut that points to another program, document, or command. Because it looks like an ordinary file icon and often uses a familiar name, users may open it without noticing that it launches something else. Attackers abuse this by hiding malicious commands behind a shortcut, sometimes inside ZIP archives or alongside convincing lures.
.LNK files matter in cyber security because they can be used to start payloads, scripts, or installers while disguising the real execution path. In phishing and malware campaigns, defenders often see them as the first step in a chain that leads to remote access tools or other malware. Good defenses include blocking or warning on suspicious shortcuts from email, inspecting archive contents, and monitoring process chains so a shortcut opening a script or executable can be flagged quickly.