Depending on the intended action being performed, this could allow an attacker to cause the product to read, write, delete, or otherwise operate on unauthorized files. In Windows, NTFS5 allows for file system objects called reparse points. Applications can create a hard link from one directory to another directory, called a junction point.

They can also create a mapping from a directory to a drive letter, called a mount point. If a file is used by a privileged program, but it can be replaced with a hard link to a sensitive file (e.g., AUTOEXEC.BAT), an attacker could escalate privileges. When the process opens the file, the attacker can assume the privileges of that process, tricking the privileged process to read, modify, or delete the sensitive file, preventing the program from accurately processing data.

Note that one can also point to registries and semaphores.