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.

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 file
• Volume information: Serial number, drive type, volume label
• Network share information: UNC path, share name
• Machine 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

1. Parse LNK files from Recent folder to identify accessed documents
2. Cross-reference with MFT timestamps and USN Journal entries
3. Note that LNK files persist even after target files are deleted

Removable Media Access

1. LNK files referencing drive letters E:, F:, G: indicate removable media usage
2. Volume serial number in LNK identifies the specific device
3. MAC address in TrackerDataBlock identifies the source machine

Network Share Activity

1. LNK files with UNC paths (\server\share) indicate network file access
2. NetBIOS name identifies the remote server
3. 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

• Shell Link Binary File Format: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/openspecs/windows_protocols/ms-shllink/
• Magnet Forensics LNK Analysis: https://www.magnetforensics.com/blog/forensic-analysis-of-lnk-files/
• Jump Lists Forensics 2025: https://www.cybertriage.com/blog/jump-list-forensics-2025/
• Eric Zimmerman's LECmd/JLECmd: https://ericzimmerman.github.io/