# CVE-2018-8346: LNK Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

CVE-2018-8346 is fixed in 10 products on 1 platform, first by KB4343899, released August 14, 2018. It is not reported as exploited. Patch Radar priority: High.

- Web page: https://patchblox.com/security/cve/CVE-2018-8346
- Priority: High
- CVSS: 7.5 (Important)
- EPSS: 0.1997
- CISA KEV: not listed
- Exploited (vendor report): no
- Publicly disclosed: no
- Vendor exploitability assessment: N/A
- Published: Aug 14, 2018
- Vendor advisory: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2018-8346

## Description

<p>A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Windows that could allow remote code execution if a .LNK file is processed.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>The security update addresses the vulnerability by correcting the processing of shortcut LNK references.</p>

## Where it's fixed

| Platform | Product | Fixed in | Fix | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft | Windows 7 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 1 |  | [KB4343899](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/microsoft/kb4343899.md) | Aug 14, 2018 |
| Microsoft | Windows 7 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 1 |  | [KB4343900](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/microsoft/kb4343900.md) | Aug 14, 2018 |
| Microsoft | Windows 7 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 |  | [KB4343899](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/microsoft/kb4343899.md) | Aug 14, 2018 |
| Microsoft | Windows 7 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 |  | [KB4343900](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/microsoft/kb4343900.md) | Aug 14, 2018 |
| Microsoft | Windows Server 2008 R2 for Itanium-Based Systems Service Pack 1 |  | [KB4343899](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/microsoft/kb4343899.md) | Aug 14, 2018 |
| Microsoft | Windows Server 2008 R2 for Itanium-Based Systems Service Pack 1 |  | [KB4343900](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/microsoft/kb4343900.md) | Aug 14, 2018 |
| Microsoft | Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 |  | [KB4343899](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/microsoft/kb4343899.md) | Aug 14, 2018 |
| Microsoft | Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 |  | [KB4343900](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/microsoft/kb4343900.md) | Aug 14, 2018 |
| Microsoft | Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 (Server Core installation) |  | [KB4343899](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/microsoft/kb4343899.md) | Aug 14, 2018 |
| Microsoft | Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 (Server Core installation) |  | [KB4343900](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/microsoft/kb4343900.md) | Aug 14, 2018 |
| Microsoft | Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2 |  | [KB4340939](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/microsoft/kb4340939.md) | Aug 14, 2018 |
| Microsoft | Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2 (Server Core installation) |  | [KB4340939](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/microsoft/kb4340939.md) | Aug 14, 2018 |
| Microsoft | Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-Based Systems Service Pack 2 |  | [KB4340939](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/microsoft/kb4340939.md) | Aug 14, 2018 |
| Microsoft | Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2 |  | [KB4340939](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/microsoft/kb4340939.md) | Aug 14, 2018 |
| Microsoft | Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2 (Server Core installation) |  | [KB4340939](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/microsoft/kb4340939.md) | Aug 14, 2018 |

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Data as of 2026-11-07T12:40:37Z UTC. Source: Patchblox Patch Radar (https://patchblox.com/security/patch-radar). Patchblox finds out-of-date software on Windows, macOS and Linux and updates it through release rings: https://patchblox.com/demo