Linker optimization error when building SPI DMA project

[EThosteson]

I'm trying to build a simple project following the MOOC tutorial video for the STM32 HAL's SPI DMA (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9GCTLd6-AM&list=PLnMKNibPkDnGtuIl5v0CvC81Am7SKpj02&index=52&pp=iAQB0gcJCTgDd0p55Nqk).

I can build the prior SPI projects from the earlier tutorials without a problem, but when I try to build this DMA version, I get the following error.

arm-none-eabi-gcc -o "SPI3.elf" @"objects.list"   -mcpu=cortex-m4 -T"C:\Users\ethos\STM32CubeIDE\workspace_1.18.0\SPI3\STM32F401RETX_FLASH.ld" --specs=nosys.specs -Wl,-Map="SPI3.map" -Wl,--gc-sections -static --specs=nano.specs -mfpu=fpv4-sp-d16 -mfloat-abi=hard -mthumb -Wl,--start-group -lc -lm -Wl,--end-group
arm-none-eabi-gcc: fatal error: '-fuse-linker-plugin', but liblto_plugin.dll not found
compilation terminated.
make: *** [makefile:64: SPI3.elf] Error 1
"make -j8 all" terminated with exit code 2. Build might be incomplete.

In each case, I've started with a clean project, and like in the videos, I'm using the NUCLEO with the STM32F401RE.  After getting the error with the DMA project, I can still go back and build the prior SPI projects (so polling version & interrupt version) without any problems.  I tried explicitly adding the -fno-lto flag to the linker options, but nothing changed...

arm-none-eabi-gcc -o "SPI3.elf" @"objects.list"   -mcpu=cortex-m4 -T"C:\Users\ethos\STM32CubeIDE\workspace_1.18.0\SPI3\STM32F401RETX_FLASH.ld" --specs=nosys.specs -Wl,-Map="SPI3.map" -Wl,--gc-sections -static -fno-lto --specs=nano.specs -mfpu=fpv4-sp-d16 -mfloat-abi=hard -mthumb -Wl,--start-group -lc -lm -Wl,--end-group
arm-none-eabi-gcc: fatal error: '-fuse-linker-plugin', but liblto_plugin.dll not found
compilation terminated.
make: *** [makefile:64: SPI3.elf] Error 1
"make -j8 all" terminated with exit code 2. Build might be incomplete.

I've searched "C:\ST\STM32CubeIDE_1.18.0\STM32CubeIDE\plugins" and confirmed there is no "liblto_plugin.dll".  
I'm using a recently installed copy of STM32CubeIDE, Version: 1.18.0, Build: 24413_20250227_1633 (UTC).
It's not apparent where the "-fuse-linker-plugin" option is being added.
So, how do I (1) get a version of the IDE that includes the plugin or add the plugin to my existing version, or (2) at least temporarily disable linker optimizations so I can proceed?

[EThosteson]

An update on this.  I took the same configuration & code, installed STM32CubeIDE on my Linux machine, and it works fine.  So, maybe the DLL is missing in the version I got for Windows or wasn't built when it was installed?  Seems strange for the errors to have been project dependent though.

[EThosteson · Accepted solution]

Jumped back to my Windows machine, found that "liblto_plugin.dll" had been quarantined by Malwarebytes.  Pulled it out of quarantine and everything works as expected. Hopefully this saves someone else some time.