What Is DLL Injection?
- DLL injection: forcing a target process to load and run code (a DLL) inside its own address space.
- Your code then runs as the target: same privileges, same modules, same handles, same network identity.
- Once inside, injected code can:
- Hook API calls (intercept / modify behavior).
- Read and steal in-memory data (credentials, keys, decrypted buffers).
- Hide activity behind a trusted process name.
- A neutral primitive: used by malware, but also by anti-cheat, debuggers, EDR, and legitimate instrumentation tools.
Key Takeaway
DLL injection = "run my code in someone else's process." It is the foundation for API hooking, evasion, and data theft.