Bad apps bypass Windows security alerts for six years using newly unveiled trick

Elastic Security Labs disclosed multiple methods to bypass Windows SmartScreen and Smart App Control, highlighting a longstanding 'LNK Stomping' bug that causes Windows to correct malformed .LNK shortcut targets and in the process remove the Mark of the Web, allowing malicious apps to evade built-in protections. The report also describes reputation-based evasion techniques (Reputation Hijacking, Reputation Seeding, Reputation Tampering), presents evidence of samples on VirusTotal dating back six years, and recommends detection engineering and countermeasures while awaiting a potential Windows fix.