DLL Injection from a Windows Driver: Memory-Based Loading Techniques

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This article explores a method of injecting a DLL from a Windows driver without dropping it to disk, loading it directly from memory before the executable’s entry point. The technique is restricted to notepad.exe for demonstration purposes.

Key Components:

For comparison, see these alternative methods:

You Should Know:

1. How Memory-Based DLL Injection Works

  • The driver embeds the DLL as a resource.
  • Shellcode is injected into the target process (notepad.exe).
  • The shellcode maps the DLL into memory and resolves dependencies.

2. Essential Commands & Code Snippets

Driver-Loading Commands (Windows)

sc create InjectDriver binPath= C:\path\to\driver.sys type= kernel start= demand 
sc start InjectDriver

Shellcode Execution (Debugging with WinDbg)

windbg -pn notepad.exe 
!process 0 0 notepad.exe 
.cmd "bp ntdll!LdrLoadDll; g"

Manual DLL Injection (Alternative Method)

HANDLE hProcess = OpenProcess(PROCESS_ALL_ACCESS, FALSE, pid); 
LPVOID pMem = VirtualAllocEx(hProcess, NULL, dllSize, MEM_COMMIT, PAGE_READWRITE); 
WriteProcessMemory(hProcess, pMem, dllData, dllSize, NULL); 
CreateRemoteThread(hProcess, NULL, 0, (LPTHREAD_START_ROUTINE)LoadLibraryA, pMem, 0, NULL);

3. Preventing Detection

  • Obfuscate shellcode using XOR encryption.
  • Use indirect syscalls to evade EDR hooks.
  • Avoid dropping files (pure memory execution).

Example: XOR-Decoding Shellcode in C

void xor_decode(unsigned char data, size_t len, unsigned char key) { 
for(size_t i = 0; i < len; i++) 
data[bash] ^= key; 
}

4. Debugging & Verification

  • Use Process Hacker to verify loaded modules.
  • Check Event Viewer for driver load errors.
  • Sysinternals Procmon to monitor process activity.

What Undercode Say

This technique demonstrates advanced DLL injection while avoiding disk writes, making it stealthier than traditional methods. However, modern EDR solutions may detect:
– Kernel-mode code execution.
– Unusual process memory modifications.
– Direct syscall patterns.

For defenders:

  • Monitor `NtCreateThreadEx` calls from drivers.
  • Scan for unsigned kernel modules.
  • Use memory integrity checks (e.g., Windows Defender Credential Guard).

For red teams:

  • Combine with process hollowing for evasion.
  • Leverage legitimate-signed drivers (BYOVD).

Expected Output:

A functional PoC where notepad.exe loads a DLL entirely from memory, verified via:

tasklist /m | findstr "injected.dll"

Prediction

Memory-based injection will evolve with AI-driven behavioral detection, forcing attackers to adopt GPU-assisted covert loading or firmware-level persistence.

( optimized for technical depth, actionable code, and defensive countermeasures.)

References:

Reported By: Alex S – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅

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